Memory Lane

A short series. A trip down memory lane is as easy as a short walk from the colossal Shinjuku station. Set among the skyscrapers, the shopping, the modernity of it all, a tiny area evokes an era dating back to the 1940’s – Omoide yokocho – affectionately known also as Memory Lane or Piss Alley (due to the traditional lack of facilities). It offers a slice of post-war Tokyo, without the gentrification inflicted on many historical locales, a hint of a pleasure and slight disorder among such a tidy and orderly city. It’s like tasting a strong bitter beer, or a dark roasted coffee that makes your hairs stand on end, and sharpens, but also mutes the senses , creating a lucid dreamlike atmosphere as you wander the smokey and cramped alleys.