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Mar 19 2013 17 Comments

A dirty, antiquated, character filled, Tokyo bar

There is certainly no shortage of simple, rough and ready bars in Tokyo. Places where there’s no fuss or falseness whatsoever. Just unpretentious sustenance and surroundings.

Thankfully one doesn’t have to go far to find them either. In fact they can even be found on unlit, shuttered-up streets in the suburbs. Beacons of sorts in the dreary darkness.

abandoned Japanese clinic

This one was even more special too, as during its 23 year existence — it had been a tonkatsu restaurant before its current form — we were the very first western foreigners to walk through the door. A door that led, like so many others, into a tiny, antiquated establishment.

abandoned Japanese clinic

Where the dirty and dated surroundings only add to the experience.

abandoned Japanese clinic

Creating an ambience that’s just as nourishing as the wonderfully no-frills food and drink.

abandoned Japanese clinic

Categorized: Food and Drink, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. GenjiG says

    3/19/2013 at 3:20 pm

    Did you take the ramen? ^^

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/19/2013 at 3:40 pm

      Actually, no. She didn’t have any. No yakitori either, which was also listed above the shop. We could choose from whatever she had in the display cabinet on the counter. It was that or nothing!

      Reply
      • GenjiG says

        3/20/2013 at 5:34 am

        Maybe she has to change her lamp and leaflets, although I would think her regulars know what to expect!

        Did you take anything?

        Reply
        • Lee says

          3/20/2013 at 10:29 am

          Yes, I think they do.

          We did. And very nice it was too. Ended up staying there for a good few hours.

          Reply
          • June says

            3/21/2013 at 12:57 am

            What did you end up eating?

            Reply
            • Lee says

              3/21/2013 at 10:46 am

              A few snacks such as cucumber and miso. Such a wonderful combination. Plus some baked fish, good sized pieces of pork on a stick, and an unusual peas and something I couldn’t catch concoction which was really quite tasty. Certainly far better than it looked. All washed down of course with a good few bottles of beer.

  2. Hans ter Horst says

    3/19/2013 at 11:24 pm

    Wow, great place, can hardly wait till my next visit to Japan late summer!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/19/2013 at 11:55 pm

      Yeah, it really was. Lovely old lady too. Maybe when you are here we can head to one of those places together.

      Reply
      • Hans ter Horst says

        3/20/2013 at 11:02 pm

        Sure thing, I’ll drop you an email late summer

        Reply
        • Lee says

          3/21/2013 at 10:42 am

          Ok, good stuff.

          Reply
  3. Marc says

    3/20/2013 at 2:53 am

    I love little places like this in every country I visit. However it is only in Japan that there seems to be a policy of ‘no non-Japanese’ that seems to follow these places. Regardless, prices look reasonable!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/20/2013 at 10:34 am

      Thankfully there was none of that nonsense there. As there isn’t in the vast majority. But yeah, sadly such places do exist…

      Reply
  4. Willy says

    3/20/2013 at 8:37 pm

    A good one. Reminds me of the ‘corner store’ where we lived in the hills in Fukushima. It was only ever stocked with a couple packs of cigarettes, 1 or 2 six packs of beer, and maybe, on rare occasions a bag of chips. Run by a 90 year old woman who only provided the really bare necessities for the truly desperate, which I was once or twice! And you had to yell really loud to get her out to the shop… Evidently the whole area was teaming with all kinds of shops before the supermarkets moved in and usurped their business. Kinda sad. Times change.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/21/2013 at 10:42 am

      It is. But like you say, for better or worse, times change.

      It amazes me how many such places still in exist in Tokyo too. Especially in the less busy shotengai. I guess they own the buildings, and so don’t pay rent or anything, but still…

      Reply
  5. Ryuichi Goto says

    3/22/2013 at 10:26 pm

    I’m gonna miss all of these place.

    Reply
  6. Mattefan says

    3/24/2013 at 3:11 am

    I already said that but i totally love this kind of places.
    That’s my favourite kind of Japan.
    Can’ta wait to be there again…hope it will happen in 2013.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/24/2013 at 11:35 am

      Yeah, a side of the country that gets very little coverage, but one that is arguably more ‘Japanese’ than most of the stuff that does.

      Reply

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