Below is a list I’ve lovingly compiled of Japanese bars with weird but charming English names. Presumably the owners thought that the exotic, foreign words would make their establishments sound more international and cosmopolitan to the locals, and yet unwittingly they sound extremely parochial and idiosyncratically Japanese to everyone else. Still, a crazy moniker adds to the allure of a bar for me. I come from England where there are 500-year-old pubs with ridiculous names like “Ye Olde Cheddar Cheese” and “The Fiddling Monkey,” so I have a natural fascination with these oddly-named watering holes. Here they are, in no particular order:
Jam Jam Drag on the Market
Bubble3
Bar Isn’t It?
Bingo Love
Happy Cock
John Henry’s Study
Knuckles
Wonder Cafe
Nakasu Comic Pub Academy
Gas Panic
The Crazy Cock
Dad’s Bar
Whoopee’s
Gross
Fanfan
Panic Paradise
Freeza
Star Eyes
Senba Booty
Cyberspace On
Jazz Inn Lovely
Bollocks Paradium
Ing
Post Coitus
The Green Sheep
The Full Monty
Boozee
Pub Smell
Dr Jikyll & Mr.Hyde
Piggietail Connection
White Lover
Bar Bar Bar
Booze Cafe
Cafe De Jumpin’ Jumpin’
Our Boozer
Halloween
Christmas
Bar Baby Queen
Bogey
Plastic Factory
Free Culture
Electric Ship Bar
Positively
Labia
Rad Brothers
Drink Drank
Papa Don’t Preach
Arty Farty
Woody House
My Bar
Elephant’s Nest
Shaft
Bar Sushi and Men
Loveshine
Cry Baby
Come On
Kewl
Bar Breadline
Baby Gang
Spooky Angel
Bar Cheeky
Shot Bar TRKKK
Bitter End
Party Animals
Zoid
Pub Zipper
Louisiana Hurricane
Jazz Swan
Dining Bar FATMAM
Salon Bar “Loss”
Bar Jerk
By the way, My outrageous book about the antics of English teachers in Japan is avaiable from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.co.ca, Target.com, Tower.com, BarnesandNobel.com, lulu.com, Tesco.com, and other sites.
May 21, 2007 at 10:36 pm |
Funny list i used to work in a place called Ye Olde Chesire Cheese.
May 22, 2007 at 1:41 am |
I think I know that pub!- A really ancient pub somewhere in London, near Fleet Street, where Charles Dickens used to drink. It looks like something out of Harry Potter!
May 22, 2007 at 3:14 am |
Post Coitus is such a funny name for a bar, Hahaha.
Here in Hong Kong, many buildings here has weird names as well. Most of these names are associated with money but it’s still weird.
‘C’mon’ is I think the most popular name for Japanese – I don’t know, I just can tell. Well don’t get drunk inside the ‘Labia’.
May 22, 2007 at 9:00 am |
[...] Bizarre Bar Names Below is a list I’ve lovingly compiled of Japanese bars with weird but charming English names. Presumably the […] [...]
May 22, 2007 at 10:05 am |
Heh, ha!! Boozee now that’s a weird bar name! So it’s Japanese??? How weird.
So I can take a drink at the place that is obvoiusly a bar because it says it serves bar! Heh, ha.
May 22, 2007 at 4:35 pm |
Yeah, Boozee is a cool bar in Yamato city. The barman looks like a Japan Elvis!
Labia is in Shizuoka somewhere.
May 22, 2007 at 6:10 pm |
I lived in New Zealand for a few years. They had a pub called ‘The Fat Lady’s Arms’!
May 22, 2007 at 10:41 pm |
Classic name!
May 22, 2007 at 10:50 pm |
Hehe I officially want to visit all of these places
May 22, 2007 at 10:59 pm |
I’ve been to twelve of them!
May 23, 2007 at 2:57 pm |
You forgot “labia” In Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City I mentioned some time ago!
LOL
Robert-Gilles
May 23, 2007 at 2:59 pm |
Oh and nother one: “Our Boozer” in Shizuoka City, owned by a Pom!
May 23, 2007 at 7:29 pm |
Thanks! Ha ha, yeah, I remember those! I’ll put them on the list.
May 24, 2007 at 7:11 am |
[...] Roaf has posted a big list of bizarre and amusing bar names he’s come across in his travels in Japan over at Gaijin Tonic: Check it out! [...]
May 24, 2007 at 8:15 am |
So is “White Lover” the place gaijin go to get picked up by the locals?
May 24, 2007 at 8:44 am |
I used to live near a Snack called Pub Fanny. And how the hell did they come up with Bollocks Paradium as a name?
May 24, 2007 at 11:05 am |
It’s a mystery! Pub Fanny is a good one, too!
May 24, 2007 at 11:45 am |
These might be strange as the name of the shop.
This is also very strange.
http://hanzismatter.com/
In both cases, the feeling is priority.
May 24, 2007 at 12:35 pm |
I know a place called ‘The Full Monty’ in Hakuraku, just off the Toyoko line. Same Place? That one’s actually run by a guy from the UK.
May 24, 2007 at 6:42 pm |
[...] this blog there’s a long list of bizarre bar names, like Bollock Paradium, Pub Smell or Bar Jerk. [...]
May 24, 2007 at 9:41 pm |
Yeah, I think that’s the same “Full Monty”. I didn’t know it was owned by a Brit, though!
June 8, 2007 at 11:11 pm |
there is a place called Ye Olde Bronte Tea rooms near me (Haworth, Yorkshire). And, I’ve been to Gas Panic, also one close to that one in roppongi cos i think there are 2 now, is Lexington Queen. I have to say Gas panic was just red with no place to dance and a bad DJ, but it was happy hour so thumbs up!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 9, 2007 at 12:32 am |
Yeah, I’ve been to both Lexington Queen and Gas Panic in Roppongi. Not really my scene these days, but the happy hour is good!
June 9, 2007 at 7:24 pm |
oh by the way… off the subject but i guess some people are living in japan and i need some information about visas ect… so, if anyone knows/ has experience about this could they please tell me? or contact me or something
June 11, 2007 at 2:13 am |
If you look on the “gaijinpot” website they have lots of info about that stuff. From my experience it’s best to get a job before coming, from a company like NOVA.
June 14, 2007 at 11:15 pm |
[...] Strange Japanes Bar Names – Gaijin Tonic [...]
July 8, 2007 at 7:54 pm |
Im opening up a Bar and Restaurant and i can not find a suitable name to name the place. Please give me optional names.
July 8, 2007 at 9:27 pm |
I’m no expert, but I guess it depends what kind of restaurant/bar it is.
I wouldn’t recommend using any of the names on the list above!
So, is your bar in Japan? What kind of place?
July 20, 2007 at 1:24 pm |
About 15 years ago I saw a Snack in Takamatsu, Shikoku called “Bulbous Nose”; next to the sign was a picture of one of Snow White’s dwarves…
July 23, 2007 at 10:07 pm |
o hellow there this is my 1st time here…..just want to ask some advice for a great, an eye catcher name for a snack bar….please help me to find a suitable title for my business…thanks
July 27, 2007 at 8:17 am |
How about “Midnight Snack”, “Snack Attack” or “Snack My Bitch Up”?!
August 4, 2007 at 7:37 pm |
Panic Away
This brought me back from the Brink!
August 7, 2007 at 10:14 am |
Panic Away Course
This helped me out of those DARK PLACES.
October 2, 2007 at 8:25 pm |
[...] Read more ridiculous Japanese bar names here. [...]
December 22, 2007 at 11:38 pm |
[...] There was also stiff competition from the similarly absurd bars, White Lover, Bar Sushi and Men, Labia, and countless other establishments which you can read about here. [...]
May 5, 2008 at 8:33 am |
one in Nagoya called My fanny
May 5, 2008 at 7:57 pm |
Excellent!
October 26, 2008 at 10:12 pm |
o ju qifsh motren
its a nice name bar