Out For A Beer In Japan - Where Do You Go?
By billywest • Jul 14th, 2008 • Category: Featured Story, The Latest
It’s summer and there’s nothing better (or more refreshing) on a hot, humid day in Japan than knocking back a few nama biiru with some good friends at a cool joint. However, the price of just about everything has gone up in Japan this year, including beer, so cheap beer options have become more limited lately. But, that’s not going to stop us from going out and ingesting copious amounts of the stuff now, is it?
I live in south Tokyo and my best mates live near Ikebukuro, so we usually either meet in Ikebukuro or in Shibuya. When it’s Shibuya, we start off at Tasu Ichi, a small standing bar (Tachinomiya) way back at the end of Center-Gai near the Outback restaurant. Draft beers used to go for ￥200 a pop there a couple of years ago, but now it’s ￥300. Either way, a good deal. The place is usually packed solid on the weekends and sometimes gets loaded up with rowdy foreigners, so we usually bail from Tasu Ichi after 3 or 4 cold ones. From there, we go where the mood takes us.
In Ikebukuro, we often find ourselves at one of two The Hub bars located outside the east exit of Ikebukuro Station. I know, I know, The Hub is usually considered a gaijin ghetto, but the one located in the center-gai just across from the east exit is pretty cool and draws a nice mixed crowd. Anyway, pints of the standard fare are around ￥700 there, making The Hub a pretty good deal for beer.
Anyway, there are a plenty of great places to grab a cold beer in Japan, and in Tokyo, in particular. Plenty of great places to go for any drink, for that matter. But, most of us have our favorite hangouts; the places that are like our homes away from home. Where’s yours? Why do you like it so much? Let everyone know as a comment below. Give location details if you don’t mind sharing. Who knows, if I show up there, I might just buy you a frosty one.
Cheers!
billywest is a resident of South Tokyo and lives on the Toyoko line.
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Where To Grab A Beer?…
This is another you-complete-the-story artice at 7:10. I’m looking to find out where you go for reasonably-priced beer (or any drink, for that matter) on hot, humid summer days in Tokyo, or in your neck of the woods in Japan. The responses will go int…
Hey Billy,
When I was in Yoyogi I would often visit 安安. It is a Yakiniku joint right next door to the Yamano building. I think it is a chain though and has several locations throughout Tokyo. Asahi Nama biiru goes for 390 a pop, mind you that was a year ago. I wonder if it has changed…
Also, the izakaya chain “sakura suisan” has some great deals. Sapporo nama biiru will cost you 600 for 大 and just under 500 for Sapporo bin biiru.
But 2 bucks a beer? dam, you take the cake on that one… too bad it raised up, but 300 is still dam good.
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Yakiniku and beer… Is there a finer combination in the world?
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As you know Billy, i have recently come across Tasu Ichi … been in there a few times of late and can’t say i’ve had a bad time yet. As for other places, St James in Kabukicho isn’t too bad, beers are 500 yen which isn’t the cheapest, but there is plenty to see walking past which makes up for it.
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Beers are bad for you.
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The Hub(s) in Shinjuku are alright too. Not many foreigners go there so you’ll have the place all to yourself! When I was living in Baraki Nakayama, I would visit an izakaya in Higashi Funabashi. There is nothing like talking to Mama-san and watching sumo highlights with after some grilled squid and a couple of beers!
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I used to go to the Hub in Ueno until I came up north. The Hub gets a bad rap, but I think it’s nice to be able to pay for each drink separately. I also used to go to a place called Ueno Ichiba, which is an izakaya in … Ueno.
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