Visit Duration
60 minutes
Harmonica Yokochō
ハーモニカ横丁Musashino, Tokyo
Food area
What makes this place special?
At a Glance
Harmonica Yokochō is a maze of narrow lanes beside the north exit of Kichijōji Station in Musashino, Tokyo, filled with small shops and eateries. Nearly 100 shops stand here, and the cramped layout keeps something of the look of postwar Shōwa Japan. The area is also known for its drinking places, which fill with after-work customers at night.
The alley began as a black market in the late 1940s, in the ruined area in front of the station. Its name is credited to the literary critic Kamei Katsuichirō, who compared the roughly one hundred small shops to the mouthpiece of a harmonica. The market is made up of five lanes, from Nakamise-dōri on the station side to Shōwakai-dōri at the far west end. Both Harmonica and Hamonika spellings appear on site, and the lanes turn up in novels, films and anime set in Kichijōji.
Goshuin within a short walk
Temples, shrines and castles near Harmonica Yokochō that give goshuin, closest first.
How do I visit?
Community
Be the first to review Harmonica Yokochō
Share how your visit was to help other travelers.