Lonely Planet Tokyo Read online

  In bars you can order either nama biiru (draught beer) or bin biiru (bottled beer) in many varieties. Hoppy, a cheap, low-alcohol mix of carbonated malt and hops that debuted in 1948, is also found on the menus of some retro izakaya (Japanese pub-eateries) and bars.

  Whisky

  Japan produces some of the finest whiskies in the world and Tokyo now has a growing number of dedicated whisky and scotch bars where travellers can sample the best of the major makers Suntory and Nikka, as well as products from several other active single-malt distilleries in Japan and abroad.

  Coffee & Tea

  Cafes where passionate baristas coax the best from roasted coffee beans are increasingly common. It's the varieties of local tea that you may not be so familiar with. Green tea is the default, coming in a variety of forms. Matcha, powdered green tea, features in the traditional tea ceremony and has a high caffeine kick. Sencha is medium-grade green tea, while o-cha and the brownish bancha are the regular stuff. You may also come across mugicha (roasted barley tea) and hōjicha (roasted green tea).

  Need to Know

  Cheers

  Don’t forget to say (or yell, depending on the venue) ‘Kampai!’ when toasting your drinking buddies.

  Prices

  To avoid a nasty shock when the bill comes, check prices and cover charges before sitting down. If you are served a small snack (o-tsumami) with your first round, you’ll usually be paying a cover charge of a few hundred yen or more.

  Smoking

  Tokyo remains a smokers' paradise, but there’s a small but growing number of nonsmoking bars and cafes.

  Etiquette & Tipping

  It’s customary to pour for others and wait for them to refill your glass. At smaller bars, male bartenders are often called ‘master’ and their female counterparts are ‘mama-san’. There’s no need to tip in bars.

  Opening Hours

  Tokyo’s nightspots stay open from 5pm well into the wee hours.

  Beware

  Avoid sunakku (snack bars), cheap hostess bars that charge hefty sums, and kyabakura (cabaret clubs), exorbitant hostess clubs that are often fronts for prostitution. These are concentrated in Shinjuku’s Kabukichō and Roppongi.

  Useful Websites

  Beer in Japan (http://beerinjapan.com/bij) The microbrewery scene.

  Tokyo Beer Drinker (http://tokyobeerdrinker.blogspot.co.uk) Reviews of craft-beer bars across the city.

  Nonjatta (www.nonjatta.com) Comprehensive source on Japanese whisky.

  Sake-world.com (http://sake-world.com) Site of leading non-Japanese sake authority John Gauntner.

  25Cafes.com (www.25cafes.com) Reviews smoke-free cafes across Tokyo.

  Tokyo Cheapo (http://tokyocheapo.com) Where to drink if you're short on cash.

  Lonely Planet's Top Choices

  Golden Gai Travel back in time and wander this postwar maze of intimate bars.

  Popeye Get very merry working your way through the most beers on tap in Tokyo.

  BenFiddich Original cocktails made using freshly ground spices and herbs.

  SuperDeluxe Tokyo's most interesting club with an eclectic line-up of events.

  Jugetsudo All kinds of Japanese tea at the Kabuki-za branch of this venerable tea merchant.

  Best Bars with a View

  New York Bar Make like Bill Murray in the Park Hyatt's starry jazz bar.

  Two Rooms Cool views and a cool crowd, plus an outdoor terrace.

  Jicoo the Floating Bar See Tokyo illuminated as you cruise the bay.

  Bistro Marx Gaze across to Ginza's iconic Wako department store.

  Best Clubs

  Womb Four levels of lasers and strobes at this Shibuya club fixture.

  Contact Sign up online to get into Tokyo's coolest members-only club.

  Ageha One of Asia’s largest clubs, set on Tokyo Bay.

  Best Indie Coffee Shops

  Cafe de l'Ambre Ginza institution specialising in aged beans from around the world.

  Turret Coffee Ideal for an early morning espresso en route to or from Tsukiji.

  Blue Sky Coffee Tiny wooden cottage concealing a shiny, state-of-the-art coffee roaster.

  Best Teahouses

  Cha Ginza Stylish contemporary version of a teahouse in the heart of Ginza.

  Uni Stand Sample single-origin teas and carefully crafted matcha lattes.

  Mujyōan Rustic traditional teahouse in the beautiful garden Happō-en.

  Imasa Sip tea in a lovely old wooden house and protected cultural property.

  Best for Craft Beer

  Craft Beer Market With several outlets and a good food menu.

  Good Beer Faucets Fine choice of ales in Shibuya.

  Harajuku Taproom Serves the beers of Baird Brewing.

  Yanaka Beer Hall Microbrew ales in a charming complex of old wooden buildings.

  Best Gay & Lesbian Venues

  Aiiro Cafe Start your Ni-chōme night at this popular corner bar.

  Bar Goldfinger Friendly vibe at this lesbian bar designed to look like a '70s motel.

  Town House Tokyo Spacious Shimbashi gay bar attracting salarymen and others.

  Arty Farty Rub shoulders (and other body parts) on this bar's packed dance floor.

  Best for Karaoke

  'Cuzn Homeground Offering a wild night of warbling in Asakusa.

  Shidax Village Sing your heart out in a deluxe karaoke box.

  Best for Cocktails & Spirits

  Zoetrope Sample premium whiskies at this Shinjuku hole-in-the-wall.

  Bar Trench Ebisu-based pioneer in Tokyo's new cocktail scene.

  Fuglen Tokyo Aeropress coffee by day and creative cocktails by night.

  Bar Martha Moodily lit bar with top whisky list and record collection.

  Best Quirky Places

  N3331 Ultimate trainspotters' cafe occupying a former train platform.

  Samurai Classic jazz at this kissa stacked with 2500 maneki-neko (praying cats).

  Nakame Takkyū Lounge Hang with ping-pong-playing hipsters in Naka-meguro.

  Ren Wear sunglasses, as the decor at the Robot Restaurant's sister establishment will dazzle.

  3Entertainment

  Tokyo's range of entertainment is impressive. Take your pick from smoky jazz bars, grand theatres, rockin’ live houses, comedy shows and major sports events. And don't be afraid to sample the traditional performing arts: the major venues that stage these shows will offer earphones or subtitles with an English translation of the plots and dramatic dialogue.

  Traditional Performing Arts

  Little can prepare the uninitiated for the lavish costumes, sets, make up and acting of a classic kabuki play. This highly dramatic, visually arresting form of theatre, with all male performers, is the best known of Japan's traditional performing arts, but there are other forms you can readily view in Tokyo, too, including the stately, slow moving drama of nō, and bunraku plays with large puppets expertly manipulated by up to three black-robed puppeteers.

  Contemporary Theatre

  Language can be a barrier to the contemporary theatre scene, as nearly all productions are in Japanese. Sometimes, though, a show's visual creativity compensates, such as with the camp, colourful musical review shows of Takarazuka or the Sakura – Japan in the Box production at Meiji-za. The long-running Tokyo International Players (www.tokyoplayers.org) regularly performs English-language theatre, as does Black Stripe Theater (http://blackstripetheater.com). You can also catch English and other language shows at Festival/Tokyo (フェスティバル/トーキョー , F/T http://www.festival-tokyo.jp), usually held each November.

  Dance

  While Tokyo has Western dance performances, including shows by Tokyo Ballet (http://thetokyoballet.com), it's the home-grown forms of movement that are likely to be of more interest. Keep an eye out for special dance shows in Asakusa and elsewhere by Tokyo's dwindling communities of geisha.

  Top troupes specialising in the avant-garde genre butō, in which dancers use their naked or seminaked bodies to expre
ss the most elemental human emotions, include Sankai Juku (www.sankaijuku.com) and Dairakudakan Kochūten (www.dairakudakan.com), based in Kichijōji. Tokyo Dolores (http://tokyodolores.com) blends elements of Japanese pop culture, folklore and acrobatic dance.

  Live Music

  All kinds of live music, including rock, blues, jazz, classical and electronica, can be seen performed live in Tokyo. Big international acts often appear at major venues such as Nippon Budōkan or Tokyo Dome. There are also many good small live houses for intimate shows.

  Sports

  Sports fans are well served with baseball matches held at Tokyo Dome and Jingū Baseball Stadium during the April to October season. Even if you're not in town for one of the year's big sumo tournaments (in January, May and September), it's still possible to watch wrestlers training daily at their stables.

  Need to Know

  Tickets

  The easiest way to get tickets for many live shows and events is at one of the Ticket Pia (チケットぴあ %0570-02-9111; http://t.pia.jp; h10am-8pm) kiosks scattered across Tokyo. Its online booking site is in Japanese only.

  Cinemas

  The best time to go to the movies in Tokyo is Cinema Day (generally the first day of the month) when all tickets cost ¥1100 instead of the regular price of ¥1800.

  Useful Websites

  Tokyo Time Out (http://www.timeout.com/tokyo) Sign up for regular bulletins on what's happening.

  Kabuki Web (www.kabuki-bito.jp/eng/top.html) Book tickets online for Shochiku's theatres, including Kabuki-za.

  Japan Times (www.japantimes.co.jp/events) Listings from the daily English-language newspaper.

  Creativeman (http://creativeman.co.jp) Tickets for some theatre and music shows.

  Tokyo Dross (http://tokyodross.blogspot.co.uk) Listings for live music and other events.

  Tokyo Jazz (http://tokyojazzsite.com) Low-down on the jazz scene.

  Lonely Planet's Top Choices

  National Theatre Top-notch nō, bunraku and other drama in a grand setting.

  Kabuki-za A visual and dramatic feast of traditional theatre awaits inside and out.

  Setagaya Public Theatre Renowned for contemporary drama and dance.

  Ryōgoku Kokugikan Clash of sumo titans at the city's three big tournaments.

  Unit Offering both live gigs and DJs to a stylish crowd.

  Best for Live Music

  Shinjuku Pit Inn Tokyo jazz-scene institution for serious devotees.

  Liquid Room A great place to catch big-name acts in an intimate setting.

  Club Quattro Slick venue with an emphasis on rock and roll and world music.

  WWW Great views of the stage for all at this happening Shibuya live house.

  Cotton Club Centrally located venue for high-pedigree performers.

  Ni Man Den Atsu Connect with the underground scene at this notorious punk venue.

  Best for Traditional Arts

  National Nō Theatre Watch dramas unfold slowly on an elegant cypress stage.

  Asakusa Engei Hall Best venue for traditional rakugo (comedic monologue).

  Oiwake Listen to indigenous tunes at this rare minyō izakaya (pub where traditional folk music is performed).

  Best for Contemporary Theatre

  Setagaya Public Theatre Leading noncommercial theatre.

  Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre Glitzy, all-female musical revues and plays.

  Meiji-za Venue for the anime-meets-traditional-Japanese dance-and-music spectacular Sakura – Japan in the Box.

  Best for Spectator Sports

  Ryōgoku Kokugikan Location of the three annual Tokyo sumo bashō.

  Tokyo Dome Home to the Yomiuri Giants, Japan's top baseball team.

  Jingū Baseball Stadium The base of Tokyo underdogs Yakult Swallows.

  Best Classical Music Venues

  Tokyo International Forum Location for the La Folle Journee au Japon classical-music festival.

  Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Great acoustics and interiors at this Ueno-kōen venue.

  Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall With legendary acoustics, this halls hosts the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and other famed ensembles.

  7Shopping

  Since the Edo era, when courtesans set the day’s trends in towering geta (traditional wooden sandals), Tokyoites have lusted after both the novel and the outstanding. The city remains the trendsetter for the rest of Japan, and its residents shop – economy be damned – with an infectious enthusiasm. Join them in the hunt for the cutest fashions, the latest gadgets or the perfect teacup.

  The Kappabashi area of Asakusa | VASSAMON ANANSUKKASEM / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  Crafts

  Trendy Tokyo still has a strong artisan tradition. Older neighbourhoods on the east side of town such as Asakusa and Ningyochō have shops that sell woven bamboo boxes, hog's hair brushes and indigo-dyed noren (cloths hung as a sunshade, typically carrying the name of the shop or premises) – much like they did 100 (or more) years ago.

  There’s also a new generation of craftspeople who are no less devoted to monozukuri (the art of making things), but who are channelling more contemporary needs and tastes. They too are drawn to east Tokyo (largely by cheap rent) and are breathing new life into districts formerly known for small-scale manufacturing, turning old warehouses into ateliers, shops and galleries. Some areas to explore include Kuramae, Bakurochō and 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan mall under the elevated tracks between Akihabara and Okachi-machi.

  Kimonos

  New kimonos are prohibitively expensive – a full set can easily cost a million yen; used kimonos, on the other hand, can be found for as little as ¥1000 – though one in good shape will cost more like ¥10,000. It takes a lot of practice to get down the art of tying an obi (sash) properly, so it's a good idea to get shop staff to help you (though there's no reason you can't just wear one like a dressing gown and forgo the sash entirely). Another option is a yukata, a lightweight, cotton kimono that's easier to wear. During the summer you can find these at department stores and even Uniqlo new for less than ¥10,000. Used kimono and yukata can also be found year-round for bargain prices at flea markets.

  Antique Fairs & Flea Markets

  Flea markets and antique fairs pop up regularly around Tokyo; odds are there will be at least one on when you visit. Many take place on the grounds of Shintō shrines, which adds an extra dimension to the experience of trolling for ceramics, costume jewellery, old prints and the like. Though bargaining is permitted, remember that it is considered bad form to drive too hard a bargain. Note that sometimes shrine events (or weather) interfere with markets. Hipster flea market Raw Tokyo is held on the first weekend of the month. For an updated schedule of all the city's flea markets, see www.frma.jp (in Japanese).

  Electronics

  So well known for its electronics shops is Akihabara that it is nicknamed 'Denki-gai' – literally 'Electric Town'. However, the big chain shops such as Yodobashi Camera, Bic Camera and Laox can be found in major hubs including Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ueno and Ikebukuro. Despite the 'camera' in the name, these shops sell all sorts of things, including computers, household appliances and various electronic beauty gadgets (the latter include items you might not find at home). You can shop duty-free, but these days it's unlikely that you'll land much of a bargain. Make sure anything you purchase will work in your region.

  Top Shopping Experiences

  AStrolling the boutique-lined backstreets of Ura-Hara.

  AWindow-shopping and people-watching on Chūō-dōri, fashionable Ginza's main drag.

  AMaking a trip to the original Mandarake (まんだらけ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.mandarake.co.jp; basement fl, 3-15-2 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku; hnoon-8pm; dJR Yamanote line to Ikebukuro, east exit) in Nakano.

  AStocking up on the basics at Uniqlo.

  AVisiting one of Tokyo's grand old depāto (department stores), such as Mitsukoshi.

  ABrowsing the secondhand shops in Kōenji.

  ATaking the pulse of youth fashion in Shibuya.

  AShoppin
g for traditional crafts on Asakusa's side streets.

  Where to Shop

  Boutiques These are the style arbitrators in Tokyo, serving up a carefully edited selection of domestic and international brands. Concentrated in neighbourhoods on the west side of town, such as Shibuya, Harajuku, Aoyama and Daikanyama.

  Department Stores The city's depāto (department stores) are good for accessories on the ground floor, gourmet food items in the basements and Japanese-style homewares on upper floors.

  Malls Tokyo's many malls pull together popular national and international chains and branches of trend-setting boutiques, plus homewares shops. Spend more time shopping and less time looking for shops.

  Secondhand Stores Harajuku, Shimo-Kitazawa and Kōenji are neighbourhoods known for having lots of secondhand and vintage clothing shops. You’ll find merchandise to be expensive but of excellent quality.

  Variety Stores Called zakka-ten (literally 'miscellaneous stores'), these are a local speciality, carrying an offbeat selection of beauty goods, clever kitchen gadgets and other quirky sundries in attractive packaging – all intended to add a little colour, ease or joy to daily life. Excellent for souvenir hunting.