I haven’t posted many bar reviews lately because I haven’t discovered anywhere ridiculous or surreal enough (although there’s a bar in Tochigi with monkey waiters that I keep meaning to visit). So let me know your recommendations!
I haven’t covered many places outside of Tokyo and Yokohama, so if you’re living anywhere else, tell me about your local bizarre boozers.
Get in touch if you live cities such as Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Nagoya, or especially in random, far-flung places like Tottori or Ehime (if, indeed, they’ve discovered the internet there yet.)
Every town has a few curious and colourful bars and, from my experience, the pubs in the suburbs and rural areas have even more character than those in the city.
Just send a couple of photos and tell me what’s weird or wonderful about the bars. Be sure to make a note of the address, phone number, and URL if they have one. (Most bars have a pile of business cards on the bar counter with all this info.)
Send your recommendations to gaijintonic@gmail.com
Here are a few examples of the sort of places I’m looking for:
Kagaya- Tokyo’s Weirdest Bar
Submarine-Themed Bar
Prison Hospital-Themed Bar
Luther Vandross Bar
Frankenstein Bar
Fleamarket Bar
Cute Halloween Bar
The Amazon Club
Wesley
Rock Bar F*ck Yeah
Shark Bar
Where is this Tochigi monkey bar you mentioned? I would love to go there someday when I visit.
Hey there Gaijin Tonic! Long time reader first time responder. I dont remeber if I read about this bar on your site or another site but have u heard of the icebar? Im going to be back in Japan in May and plan to check it out, it looks sick.
http://www.icebartokyo.com/en_index.html
Tornadoes28- Not sure where the nonkey place is yet. I’ve got some detective work to do!
Josh- Thanks for the tip! I’d heard of that place, but never been there. I think I’ll wait until the weather hots up then check it out.
You’ve given me a task for the weekend…
Thank you, Good Sir.
there’s a bar called Gaspanic in Dogenzaka in Shibuya, not the sentegai Gaspanic, the Gaspanic in Dogenzaka. Oh wait, it closed. Why don’t you build a time machine and travel back to your 20s – retard.
Hey I emailed you ages ago about several bars in Osaka with interesting names. All in the same building, the upper floors of which are popular with the Gaijin crowd. I can’t really remember much from my trips there though, and now that I live in the sticks of Shimane, it’s too hard to get out there for a weekend review. I’ll hunt around Matsue during Paddy’s Day for you though.
Thanks Andrew, sounds good!
I’d be interested to hear about bars in Shimane, too.
Lucida’s Bar – Dragon Quest Themed
http://www.paselabo.tv/luidas_bar/index.html
Nice! Gotta check that out!