Harmonica Yokocho (Alley) in Kichioji district of Tokyo contrasts nicely with the fancy neighborhood that it resides in. Places like this are called yokocho in Japanese, a set of alleyways where some of the city’s most precious gems are safely sheltered - small shops, modest restaurants, teeming ramshackle pubs. Those who are familiar with Kichioji usually associate it with its links to art, high-end fashion, fine dining, and top izakayas (Japanese pubs). In fact, many popular Japanese personalities such as famous musicians and manga (Japanese anime) creators flock here to hang out and shop for themselves. It’s also very accessible from anywhere in Tokyo; it’s just a 15-minute train ride away from Shinjuku. You’ll know you’ve found the main entrance to Harmonica Yokocho when you see a large yellow sign with a red Japanese inscription. Below that inscription, you’ll also find the English translation, except it’s spelled “Harmonica Yokyocyo”. If you want to have a true “Tokyo Drinking Experience”, there is nothing quite as authentic to be found in Tokyo as what Harmonica Alley has to offer. 战前东京的老街大多狭窄,可能只容两人通行,不过大多数的小巷在战后重建和现代化过程中都已消失。近年来,为数不多的几条小巷,日文Yokocho,已经成为了最新的吃货聚集地,很多复古或特色鲜明的餐厅置身其中,吸引了众多的顾客。一旦您转进了这样隐秘的世界,您会立即被各种露天酒吧、旧式站立式酒吧和小餐厅的气氛吸引,其貌不扬的学生和身穿定制西装的生意人都挤在一起用餐。很多餐厅都有自己的特色菜、酒品或者地区美食,开放的格局可以让您慢慢的一网打尽所有美食。 我最近去东京吉祥寺,喜欢上了口琴横丁(ハモニカ横丁)。一般外国观光客到吉祥寺,大多是为了去另一侧的井之头公园。即使有经过口琴横丁的入口,踏进去的人却凤毛麟角。因为里面许多的居酒屋和小餐馆,感觉上好像没有在地人陪着,就不太有勇气走进去。其实要是错过了这几条小巷弄构成的商店街,吉祥寺的趣味也就少体会了一些。搭乘JR中央线,新宿站出发只要约15分钟就可抵达吉祥寺站。从车站出来看到的小巷子,就是口琴横丁。近100家店铺林立的小巷中,属于东京的日常,充满了满满怀旧气息。 大多数的人没想过为何这条横丁要取名为“口琴”?其实与文学有关。原来是过去有位在地的作家龟井胜一郎,形容这一带栉比鳞次,一间依偎着一间的块状小店,感觉就像是口琴的吹口一般,故得此名。 The best time to go is as the sun is setting and the lights are just turning on, when a mysterious vibe begins to fill the air. This area is also known as a drinking town. As night sets in, customers coming home from work stop by for a quick drink and some food, and the mood changes drastically from daytime. 横丁在日文里是小巷之意。说到横丁,大多会直接联想到居酒屋。在错综复杂的羊肠小径中,聚集着许多的木造矮房,藏着各式各样,狭小的居酒屋和饮食店。穿梭在横丁里,时间的流动好似是与外界不同步的。串烧店的烟雾弥漫,来往客人的酒酣耳热,漫步在其中,恍若与现实的东京有了脱离之感。 Harmonica Yokocho is not that big, but the first entry may be a bit intimidating. You transition from a hip and radiant district to a claustrophobic warren of dimly lit alleys, especially when you are not familiar with getting around its intersecting pathways. However, that feeling is easily overcome by an air of inclusiveness and anonymity. It’s a welcome breath of fresh air, everyone is a stranger, no one is scrutinized. Japanese laneway culture makes the Harmonica Yokocho a little bit different from its high-end surroundings. It makes you feel as though you were walking into a time warp once you step into it. The streets are tight, quaint, and resembles the feel of an old-school Asian bazaar – perhaps because it used to be one. Before it became the dining and drinking hub that it is today, Harmonica Yokocho used to be a flea market that operated after World War II. Now, there are still small cozy stores and snack shops open during the day, but it is at night that you can see Harmonica Yokocho fully come to life, when the small signages and red lanterns flicker softly and the narrow alleys start to be filled with people. 我特别喜欢口琴横丁在入夜以后,挂起红灯笼的时刻。还有许多餐馆的店家看板,特别经过字体的设计,光是闲逛看看,就有种到了设计展场参观招牌设计的趣味感。这些店家的木造建筑,摆脱不了横丁印象的斑驳感,好像一场大震或台风来袭就会轻易倾圮。 Harmonica Yokocho is not just a place for a round of alcoholic drinks. There are also delicious yet cheap restaurants and snack shops to explore. The bars and restaurants are a mix of tight and stuffy spaces and cozy ones. If you want to mingle with other people, grab a chair at one of the buzzing pubs. If you want a laidback dining, enter an enclosed restaurant. If you’re going, go with the expectation of mixing with locals and sitting (or standing) closely with other diners. The environment is not fancy, but it is surely one of the best places to experience modest local living and tradition so well preserved. 口琴横丁聚集的居酒屋和各式商店,从里到外都显得相当年轻时尚。相较于东京其他的横丁里,只重视食物无视装潢,甚至不在乎店铺的清洁度,在口琴横丁中飘散的气氛却迥然不同。因为吉祥寺常年被二、三十岁世代票选为最想居住的地方第一名,故消费的族群和店家的经营者也偏向年轻化,同时也更懂得用管理经营的手段去开店。所以在口琴横丁里的小店,不只有传统的居酒屋,还有红酒吧、义大利餐馆、时尚拉面店和个性咖啡馆,总计约有一百多家小铺。 While it’s a decent place to grab some snacks and food during the daytime, nighttime is really when the vibrant energy and gorgeous lanterns give Harmonica Yokocho its buzzing, busy charm. It’s quite a small place to explore, so you won’t get lost, but the maze-like way the tight streets are oriented in such a manner that you must discover it on your own as a part of the experience.
我默默希望着口琴横丁永远不要被都更改建。虽然外观看来破破旧旧的,跟周围愈来愈潮流的环境似乎显得格格不入,不过正也因为如此,反衬出了吉祥寺站前特殊的落差风情。再怎么被年轻世代热爱的东西,总有一些老气氛会被保留下来,这也是日本这个社会的珍贵之处。
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