Midnight in Tokyo

To step into Omoide Yokocho, or "Memory Lane,” in Tokyo is to time travel some 70 years into the past. The narrow alley, just around the corner from the busy Shinjuku Station and surrounded by the towering skyscrapers and neon lights of the modern city, is a window into a slightly older, grittier version of Japan.

Omoide-Yokochō (Memory Lane)

During our time immersed in Japan working on the AARP Journal, we attempted to understand the culture on many levels—including through the food. The meals and their accompanying experiences were as varied as they were delicious: steaming bowls of ramen slurped quickly while hunched over a counter; melt-in-your-mouth slices of fatty tuna from the epicenter of fresh seafood, Tsukiji market; surprisingly delicious pork katsu sandwiches from the ubiquitous 7-Elevens; a Michelin-starred kaiseki (traditional multi-course meal) served with gorgeous simplicity in zen-like surroundings. And yet, nothing seemed quite so evocative of Japan, of the contradictions and characteristics of Japanese society, as this meandering alleyway in the heart of Tokyo.

Kirin Ichiban lager pairs well with “Butabara” or grilled pork belly—a type of yakiton (grilled pork skewers).