Noge-Miyakobashi Shotengai (Harmonica Alley)

The Tokyo Olympics of 1964 brought about many developments and improvements across the country. In the Noge district of Yokohama, in particular, it left behind a unique street quite unlike any other.

The Noge-Miyakobashi Shōtengai, also known as Harmonica Alley, is made up of a single two-story, double-façaded concrete building complex housing 60-odd izakaya and snack bars, built along the curve of the Ooka River. Exuding the atmosphere of the past and known for its unique architecture, the “alley” is hardly a tourist attraction, but a popular spot among photographers seeking to capture a retro streetscape.

Originally, the street was mainly occupied by stalls and stands selling sake, snacks, and the like, but with the advent of the Olympics, the city set out to clean up the area and modernize the scene. The vendors moved into the newly built complex, which was state-of-the-art at the time but has since become charmingly old-fashioned, if rather obscure.