TOKYO GUIDE | BAR HOPPING IN TOKYO
A popular night time activity in Japan - especially among young people and salary men (working class people) - is hashigo-zake, or bar hopping. Tokyo is filled with thousands of bars tucked away in every nook and cranny of the city. Whichever city or town you hit in Tokyo, chances are you can bar hop at some local bar/izakaya.
A very common place to go bar hopping is at an izakaya. An izakaya is a drinking establishment that often serves grilled chicken skewers and other chicken dishes along with drinks. It’s common for salary men to go with their co workers to loosen up after work. Here are some of the most famous and popular spots in Tokyo:
1. Gado Shita - underneath the railroads of Yurakucho Station, you can find izakayas and bars tucked under the railways.
2. Omoide Yokocho (Piss Alley): A very small alleyway with dozens of very small izakayas and bars famous with both locals and foreigners.
3. Golden Gai: Opening at night and until early morning, Golden Gai is a community of bars in the darkened corner of Shinjuku. Often times, some places are reserved only for locals.
4. Asakusa Hoppi Street: It’s close to the world famous Sensoji Temple in Asakusa and filled with great izakayas and places for drinks. What more is there to ask? *Near the temple, Kamiya Bar sits near the station. Kamiya Bar is Japan’s oldest western style bar. They have their own signature drink called the denki bran which loosen you up for sure.
There are many other individual bars that have made it onto the best 50 bars in the world list. Check out the list of some of Tokyo’s best bars here. Also, ask a local Japanese tour guide to help you out in bars and izakayas as many places might not have foreign menus!
Tokyo Travel: The denki bran at Kamiya Bar