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Apr 05 2022 16 Comments

A terrifically old school little Tokyo bar

When sliding open the door to enter a little Tokyo bar, there’s often no way of knowing what the interior will be like. One can make some educated guesses of course, but the outside isn’t always a good indicator of what’s on the inside. Sometimes that results in disappointment, but sometimes it’s quite the opposite, and the tiny establishment below most definitely fell into the latter category.

The grubby windows meant seeing in wasn’t possible, and even getting in wasn’t easy due to the door being so old and twisted, but once seated, the stained walls and glass made for a sight to behold and then some. A bar that’s as small as it is interesting, and without a doubt the perfect place to sit, relax and take in all the intriguing little details.

A terrifically old school little Tokyo bar

A terrifically old school little Tokyo bar

A terrifically old school little Tokyo bar

Categorized: Food and Drink, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sean says

    4/5/2022 at 10:49 am

    These are just awesome. I’m getting some strong Midnight Diner vibes!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/5/2022 at 2:31 pm

      Thanks a lot. Yes, definitely a lot of similarities.

      Reply
  2. Steve says

    4/5/2022 at 1:37 pm

    Great find. I can’t get enough of the color palette. It adds so much atmosphere.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/5/2022 at 2:33 pm

      Cheers. Yeah, it really does. Many years of smoke and grime have definitely given it a unique look and colour.

      Reply
  3. YTSL says

    4/5/2022 at 3:35 pm

    So cool to find yourself in such an atmospheric place and discover that one of the customers has such a wonderful smile. 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/5/2022 at 4:58 pm

      Yes. A lovely bonus on top of an already incredible little place.

      Reply
  4. Ken C says

    4/5/2022 at 6:37 pm

    Your mention of the old and twisted door reminded me of a bar in Ikebukuro which had a roller door but it was only open by a few feet so we had to crawl in on hands and knees. I’ve crawled out of a few like that but never on the way in!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/6/2022 at 9:08 am

      Haha, that’s brilliant. Perfect for literally rolling out several hours later. Must have been incredibly funny to see and experience.

      Reply
  5. ellen says

    4/6/2022 at 10:21 am

    I love these. They could be stills from a movie!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/6/2022 at 10:40 pm

      Thank you. It certainly felt like being in another world.

      Reply
  6. cdilla says

    4/6/2022 at 3:58 pm

    That is quite a bar you discovered, and recorded for us. The colours are so warm.
    As with others you have photographed, these photographs show how spacious and uncluttered the set of Midnight Diner is. And how they missed a trick in not having at least one episode where you make a guest appearance 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/6/2022 at 10:46 pm

      Yes, it’s a very special little place. The light near the television and the stained walls gave it a really unique look and feel.

      As much as I enjoyed Midnight Diner, I have never seen a bar of that kind that is so uncluttered, but of course appearing in it for even a second would be a dream come true.

      Reply
  7. Richard says

    4/6/2022 at 10:57 pm

    Even after many years of knowing Tokyo it still sometimes amazes me that such a huge city can also have small, intimate places like these. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/7/2022 at 3:09 pm

      I know eh? For all the city’s very obvious love of change, it’s wonderful that these little places still remain the same.

      Reply
  8. Ed T says

    1/6/2023 at 2:35 am

    All 3 photos are good, but there is something about the 2nd photo. The placement of the people, the lighting, the tv, the focus point and blurriness, the colours…I love it.
    And to think I would have missed it if it wasn’t for your recent post “A selection of my favourite photographs from 2022” on your main page., because I see these were originally posted in April. Thanks for sharing…again!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      1/6/2023 at 9:35 am

      Thanks a lot. And you are welcome. Always happy to show these photos again. Very pleased with the way they came out and they serve as lovely reminders of a great evening. My favourite varies over time, so interesting to hear exactly why you prefer the 2nd one. One of the many pleasures of photography.

      Reply

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