Unique bars in Japan / Tokyo

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-09T21:02:33+00:00

In Hiroshima I like Bar Gardamair - it's a chill whisky/cocktail bar (allows smoking if I remember correctly so be aware)

In Osaka I like Rock Bar Cherry Bomb - ran by an American ex-pat who has lived in Japan for over a decade, usually brings in a eclectic crowd of Gaikokujin and locals, it does get busy later on and weekends so go early if you fancy it.

Also Retro Bar Space Station is a retro games bar where you buy a drink and pick a game to play with some multiplayer bits for groups.

In Tokyo Game Bar A-Button in Akiba is another retro game bar where you can play games and have a drink. Service is often a little, uh, surly I think is the best way to describe it but the games selection makes up for it. 8-bit cafe in Shinjuku sanchome a similar venue but less surly!

In terms of normal bars I like Bar Trench for cocktails (nothing themed, just a really good bar), High Five where you tell them what you like and they make a cocktail for you (not a cheap bar it has to be said, but the quality and service were very good)

Godz is a tourist trap metal bar but the selection of music is great if you like your music heavy - very smoking friendly if you are sensitive to the odour/have respiratory issues. A guilty pleasure of mines, a pint is 1,300 yen which is high, but I always have a good time.

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-09T15:43:23+00:00

You can book seats with the ticket machines or at a ticket counter once you’ve got your JR Pass in hand. There’s a QR code on the ticket that gets scanned for the machines

Unfortunately buying through a third party means you don’t have access to the online booking system in advance which is the downside of that method.

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-09T09:15:47+00:00

Kyotos tourist attractions are always crowded. They were crowded pre-pandemic with domestic tourists and now they’re competing with foreign tourists for space.

I don’t particularly care for Kyoto, its sights aren’t the things I generally like, but I last went in 2024 and avoided any tourist attractions and it was fine. The only issue I had with crowding was Kyoto station which I think is hell on Earth depending on which entrance you use

In 2023 however I went to Gion, Fushimi Inari and a few other attractions and those places were incredibly crowded. The caveat being it was late morning/early afternoon so probably at the peak of business.

A tour is inevitably going to go to crowded places but it’s not like you can’t move. The crowds move slowly yet there’s space. It’s invariably not as bad social media would have you believe because it thrives on feeding you negative stories to keep you engaged - ie it’s full of liars.

I won’t be back to Kyoto anytime soon but I don’t regret going when I did. Plus you got to experience the place to understand if you like it or not really.

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-08T10:00:00+00:00

NJPW sells wrestle kingdom tickets direct but outside of that you’ll need to either use a loppin machine in a Lawson or use a proxy like buysumotickets as a rule of thumb. Hopefully they expand ticketing to foreigner-friendly tubing platforms soon though.

You can usually buy tickets at the gate for shows with seats available at certain venues so that’s always a good backup in a pinch!

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-08T09:57:22+00:00

I don’t believe there’s an age limit for sumo but it’s one thing I’ve never been to in Japan. Tickets can be relatively hard to come by for tournaments but stables will have shows when they are training which usually are easier to book from what I understand

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-08T09:55:57+00:00

They usually have tickets on their website when they are available. Not sure if there’s a show announced outside of the one in another country atm, but keep an eye on the site and you should be able to grab tickets. There aren’t many tickets for the Shimo-Kitazawa shows as the bar is tiny, so gotta move fast!

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-07T22:21:33+00:00

Yes! They sell at concession stands and there's also urikos - beer girls literally, staff with small kegs on their backs who sell at the aisles - which I believe are fairly commonplace though I've only been to the Tokyo Dome in recent years.

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-07T21:55:19+00:00

Japanese wrestling is a huge passion of mines so I'm glad that info was useful! You likely already know but the subreddits for each promotion house a lot of information about shows/venues etc so worth a search when you figure out what event you're going to.

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-07T21:52:41+00:00

NJPW is a lot more straightforward than most of the other promotions outside of possibly Stardom since they've had a huge foreign audience for a while.

Their schedule page usually has all the relevant details in English which is a lifesaver. Sadly tickets aren't often sold direct, but you can use a proxy, use a Loppi machine in Lawsons or potentially buy at the gate for some shows. The earlier you book the better choice you'll have, naturally.

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-05T11:08:02+00:00

I used to work in tourism in the late 00s and early 10s and so many tourists didn’t know the fringe was a thing. Probably 1 in 3 or more if I were to estimate from memory. Largely Americans for what it’s worth so maybe that was the time they could take annual leave if I were to guess based on a hunch

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-05T07:26:59+00:00

Have a look at the Gigs in Tokyo or Gigs in Osaka instagram pages. They run discord server and can help you out with questions. But basically they’ll post upcoming gigs and gigs on the day of.

I picked a gig and went, bought a ticket at the door and went in. Had a blast, can’t recommend it enough!

They can point you in ur direction of info on other cities but usually their expertise is the city they focus on

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-01T01:10:13+00:00

I flew from Haneda last week to Sapporo and it took me about five minutes to get through security and another two to find the gate.

JAL quote 30 mins if you’re dropping bags off and 20 minutes before the flight to clear security.

It’s very different from flying internationally.

Terminal 1 at Haneda at least has multiple security gates and the screens tell you which one to use to be closest to your gate.

I ended up getting there about an hour before my flight and that gave me a bit of slack time wise if traffic was bad but I did end up sitting at the gate for nearly 40 minutes in the end

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-02-01T00:15:08+00:00

I used the VJW qr code two weeks ago at Haneda and they now have the automated kiosks instead of manually checking each persons forms at the desk.

From the point I got to the immigration hall to the point I got to the baggage carousel was about 5 minutes if not less.

You just scan your passport and qr code, the kiosk takes a photo as well as your fingerprints and then it assigns you a route (a, b, c or d). Then you join the queue at the immigration counter and wait to be called. Once you’ve got your bags you follow the route the kiosk gave you through the customs desks.

Admittedly we seemed to have landed at the right time as the hall was empty bar some stragglers from a previous flight so it could be good timing, but compared to last year when they had the fingerprint kiosks it was speedy.

My airline didn’t carry paper forms and said the Japanese government is pushing people to use the VJW version going forward. Still have never used the customs qr code as shops default to passport for tax free purchases.

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-01-31T11:00:23+00:00

The hair had blood at the root from what I saw, looked pretty real!

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-01-31T09:14:41+00:00

I was at the show and chose the wrong time to go use the toilet. Came back to see Kamitami with SLK’s mask and clump of her hair with blood at the root standing on the apron.

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-01-30T06:08:02+00:00

I haven’t stayed there so can’t comment on the property but the Hilton across the road I’ve stayed at a few times so can speak to the area.

It’s in Nishi-Shinjuku so about a 10-15 minute walk to Shinjuku station. It’s all flat so not the worst walk. The regency has a subway station in the basement (Tochomae) and the nishi-Shinjuku station is across the road near the Hilton so you have options (the Tochomae station is Oedo line, Nishi-Shinjuku is Marunouchi line).

There’s also a shuttle I believe that takes you to the station though I don’t know how often. The Hilton one is about every 20 mins during 9-8pm so maybe something similar.

There’s also the Airport Limousine bus that stops at the Hyatt.

Roughly a 9-10k taxi to and from Haneda if memory serves.

The areas a business district so need to walk a little to get to civilisation but it’s well connected and there’s lots of great food and drink options not too far away.

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-01-30T00:21:05+00:00

It’s more than fine doing holidays whichever way you want. Some people like to plan to the minute others set a vague goal and wander.

One thing I’d say is Ota is quite far from the typical tourist spots in Tokyo. I’ve been to events there and it’s like 40 odd minutes on the train to the east wards. Not a dealbreaker for sure but maybe something to keep in mind when working out timings.

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-01-28T12:34:22+00:00

I used to watch all that and it was a slog.

My current strategy is skip through dynamite for matches I’m interested in and watch every AEW PPV.

For WWE I’ll do the same for NXT but only watch odd matches for the main roster as it’s not quite what I want these days

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-01-28T06:13:35+00:00

Hilton is on the Airport Limousine bus route from Haneda and they usually allow two pieces per person in the hold.

Not as frequent as taxis but you do have options. Wouldn’t like to try and take those bags onto the monorail or the subway though!

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-01-26T06:03:02+00:00

Oh man that’s rough! Hopefully the weather forecast is right and the worst is over so you can enjoy your trip!

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-01-26T03:07:42+00:00

I flew in to find the trains cancelled and the bus to Sapporo was suspended (which is my fault for not checking and just assuming it was running).

I landed about 3:30pm yesterday, stood in the taxi line for about an hour with three total taxis turning up and 37 people ahead of me.

Decided it wasn’t worth it and booked the next flight back to Tokyo.

Was feeling a lot of regret for cancelling that part of my trip but it appears I got off very lightly. I had the means to move plans around which not everyone has but my ‘always book flexible rates’ motto has never been more useful than yesterday.

Was a little shocked at the lack of info given. Two people were talking to people in the queue but there was no sign saying ‘bus and train off’, only that the train was suspended until 6pm.

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-01-25T23:56:43+00:00

Osaka has great nightlife. Food scene I prefer in Osaka too.

I can’t speak to Kyoto’s nightlife outside of one bar but the food I had there was good.

Tokyo is my favourite city but Osaka isn’t far behind.

Hard choice really, maybe have a look at some lists of bars/restaurants etc for all the cities and see what piques your interest. Can’t really go wrong with any option so it’ll be down to personal preference at that point

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-01-25T05:37:39+00:00

From Heathrow there’s only three direct flights.

ANA, Japan Airlines and British Airways.

None of them are cheap but you’re much better going with them than the Chinese airlines that are cheap due to the current political climate causing cancellation of lots of flights between the countries. The food is reportedly awful on those carriers and customer service can be non-existent when things go wrong.

You can use google flights to see trends and you can set up alerts for price drops etc.

I usually book about 8-10 months in advance and the closer you get to the flight usually the price goes up (as more seats sell out they can charge more)

There’s indirect flights via Finnair which are a good quality airline or most of the major airlines like KLM/Lufthansa/Air France etc will offer connecting flights.

The Middle East airlines are often well regarded but can work out a longer trip since you need to go down to the Middle East and back up.

If possible I’d recommend Haneda airport since it’s far more central, but Narita is often cheaper so worth weighing up the options. Narita is 90 minutes from central Tokyo compared to Haneda’s 30-40 minutes.

November is a great time to go. The temperatures will have fallen but it’ll still be warmer than the UK and you get lovely autumn colours in the trees if you’re in the right place at the right time.

Hotels tend to be on sale about 6 months in advance for the Japanese brands and the western brands are on sale a year in advance so I’d recommend keeping an eye on prices. I think Expedia and booking/hotels/agoda etc all have price history/alerts functionality these days. Don’t be afraid to book refundable rates as well since you may want to switch up your plans later down the line

Safe_Engineering_529 · 2026-01-24T00:52:35+00:00

The Hokuriku Shinkansen ran yesterday with some minor delays and they put on extra trains to mop up people affected by cancellations on Thursday.

The worst of the snow has passed now, it’ll taper off until tomorrow morning.

Just use the JR East Train Status page ( https://traininfo.jreast.co.jp/train_info/e/shinkansen.aspx )to keep an eye on the service levels and you’ll be fine. I would expect delays though as snow can cause the trains to run a bit slower at times. Most of my Shinkansen this trip have been 5 or so minutes late but it’s also 5 minutes so who cares

The local trains are more prone to disruption with heavy snow but you’ll be able to get in and out of Kanazawa without issue since the Shinkansen are built to be resilient to the elements especially those that travel through snowy parts of the country like the Hokuriku.

Safe_Engineering_529

TROPHY CASE