Night Owl’s Delight: The Five Must-Visit Neighborhoods for a Proper Pub Crawl!
When touring Japan’s night life hot spots, sometimes the sheer amount of different pubs and bars can be quite overwhelming, making the choice of where to go and where to stay even harder. In times like these, we look to the recommendations of all those night owls who scouted for the best bars long before us – and this time around, we’ve hand-picked these very recommendations to create perfect pub crawl experiences in various areas and neighborhoods.
1.Shinbashi - Tokyo’s Standing Bar Paradise
While Shinbashi is probably most famous for being a bustling business district, it also has a wonderful selection of all kinds of bars to offer. Especially standing bars have become popular in recent years and Shinbashi has become a hot spot for enjoying a quick but relaxing drink while standing. This charming experience is especially loved by the many commuters – along with the reasonable prices of the various drink menus. Shinbashi offers just the right locations to enjoy one last drink before going home!
2.Oimachi – The Perfect Place to Stroll ‘n Sip!
The neighborhood of Oimachi, only one stop away from the busy, bustling Shinagawa, is well known among Tokyo’s pub crawl scene. The lineup of bars is a rather quirky one: from standing sushi bars to particularly cheap izakaya that follow the so-called senbero-model, offering snacks and drinks for extremely reasonable prices, each and every person can easily enjoy themselves while touring the many different locations.
3.Kamata – A Recommendation for Seafoodies
Even further south lies the area of Kamata and its wonderfully rough charm. The area is a treasure trove of standing bars selling delicious spirits for incredibly cheap prices. Being close to Tokyo Bay, the seafood is particularly good and a lot of eel-centric stores can be found all around the neighborhood. Besides that, a lot of menus feature creative dishes such as wine-steamed baguette with camembert, which are popular snacks for many a ladies’ night. The best way to enjoy Kamata is to hop from one place to another and try your way through different drinks and menus alike.
4.Asagaya – The Best of Beef
Conveniently accessible via the Chuo Line, Asagaya offers a colorful variety of restaurants, bars, and pubs that are beloved by locals and tourists alike. One particular highlight is Sato Burian, a place that’ll let you enjoy the perfect marriage between high-class Japanese beef and high-class drinks. Beef tongue and thick slices of skirt steak, for example, are an entirely new culinary experience when enjoyed with a high-class bottle of Chateaubriand. There’s plenty of meat to be savored that goes well with both white rice and red wine - so don’t hold back.
SATO Burian
Arai Bldg. 1F, 3-44-2 Asagaya-Minami, Suginami-ku, Tokyo-to 166-0001
5.Akabane – Drinks and Carp Cuisine in Northern Tokyo
Akabane has long been the entertainment hub of Northern Tokyo, with many a well-established bar that caters to commuters and locals alike. One of them, an especially popular one, is called Marumasuya. This izakaya focuses on delicious carp cuisine and other seafood specialties, and has been a favorite of the area for many, many years. As Marumasuya is open from early morning, it’s a great place to start an authentic Akabane pub crawl adventure!
Marumasuya
1-17-7 Akabane, Kita-ku, Tokyo-to 115-0045
