Kabukicho Ho!

Tchotchke Heaven

Kabukicho_Shinjuku District_Tokyo_June 2, 2023 - June 7, 2023

I’ve traveled to Tokyo, Japan many times in my life and a couple of things always stay constant: there’s never a shortage of things to do, the people have impeccable style, and the food is second-to-none. Unfortunately, when I landed, it was raining cats and dogs due to a typhoon rolling through Asia. Either due to pure excitement or stupidity, I forgot to pack an umbrella with me, so my first four hours in the city were unavoidably wet. The first shop I entered had one of the nicest and most memorable owners I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. He saw me covered head to toe in rainwater, and gifted me a new pair of dry Levi’s jeans and an umbrella before sending me on my way. 

One of my favorite experiences in Japan is people-watching in Kabukicho, an entertainment district nestled snugly in the heart of Shinjuku. Known for its famous bars and even more famous hostess clubs, Kabukicho is notorious for its particularly high crime rate, and is patrolled by cops and Yakuza alike. This “Sleepless Town” houses the truly unruly and the bold. I spend most of my days shopping in Japan-exclusive boutiques and sightseeing. Most of my nights are spent close by, either in a bar grabbing a drink or out in the main plaza attempting to blend in with the Kabukicho coterie.  The local youth meets in circles and huddle amongst themselves, with bottles of beer in their hands and fresh cigarettes between their fingers. Boyfriends give girlfriends piggyback rides through the main square as foreigners gawked and laughed. Trash piles on the floor next to untouched bins, and empty cans of alcohol roll through the streets as if they have somewhere to be. This area has so much to observe, so I take the opportunity to dig into the bag of eye candy before me.

Resident juveniles pile into this famous square every night to catch up with their close cronies. During these nights, I would buy myself a can of beer and plop myself down in the square to soak in my surroundings. Here I saw young hooligans hurtling bottles into the air and running before they hit the ground and shattering. Soccer balls fly past people’s heads and drunk, after-hours businessmen stumble aimlessly around, bumping into still statues. Over-excited foreigners and “woo” girls looking to paint the town red holler incomprehensible phrases and dance on statues to express their newfound freedom. 

Needless to say, the patrol officers are powerless to stop the might of teen spirit and alcoholic salarymen occupying the vicinity.