A few steps from the enormous railway platforms and neon-lit streets of Shinjuku, Tokyo suddenly feels like a different city. Narrow passages glow beneath red lanterns. Smoke drifts from charcoal grills. Customers sit shoulder-to-shoulder at tiny wooden counters, drinking beer and eating skewers prepared just inches away. This is Omoide Yokocho, one of Tokyo’s most … Read more
Tokyo has no shortage of places to enjoy Japanese beer, from tiny standing bars beneath railway tracks to traditional drinking halls where office workers gather after work. But a new venue in Ginza is taking a different approach. YEBISU BEER HALL TOKYO, scheduled to open on 27 October 2026, brings together more than a century … Read more
Kyoto is usually associated with lantern-lit streets, traditional teahouses and centuries-old temples. But above a narrow street near the Kamo River, one of the city’s most unusual cocktail bars feels as though it belongs in another century. L’Escamoteur is part old-fashioned apothecary, part magician’s workshop and part serious cocktail bar. Inside, antique bottles line the … Read more
Osaka is famous for street food, lively izakayas and late-night drinking, but one of its most unusual dining experiences begins after the main meal has finished. Hidden on the third floor of a building in Kitashinchi, Ijou Maru is a small dessert bar where elaborate Japanese parfaits are served with the ceremony usually reserved for … Read more
Kyoto is famous for traditional kaiseki dinners, delicate seasonal cuisine and centuries-old restaurants. But not every memorable meal in the city involves quiet dining rooms and carefully arranged tasting menus. For travellers looking for something more indulgent, Kyoto also offers an all-you-can-eat experience combining Japanese Wagyu beef, king crab, snow crab and sukiyaki. At Wagyu … Read more
Tokyo has plenty of unusual entertainment, but few attractions embrace spectacle quite like Samurai Restaurant Time in Shinjuku. Hidden beneath the neon-lit streets of Kabukicho, this theatrical show brings together brightly dressed samurai, dancers, taiko drummers, elaborate floats, dramatic lighting and mechanical creations in a performance that feels somewhere between a Japanese festival, an action … Read more
Imagine ordering a matcha drink at a small café in Osaka and, instead of being greeted by a barista, watching an enormous fluffy bear paw emerge from a hole in the wall to hand you your order. The paw might offer a little wave before disappearing again. You never see the person behind it. This … Read more
Kyoto has no shortage of beautiful cafés, but few are quite as unexpected as the one hidden inside Le Labo’s fragrance boutique near the Kamo River. From Kiyamachi Street, Le Labo Café Kyoto Machiya looks like an elegant perfume store occupying an old Japanese townhouse. Step through the entrance, however, and the building opens into … Read more
Shibuya is usually associated with crowded crossings, enormous shopping centres and some of Tokyo’s busiest streets. Yet just a few minutes from the station, there’s a tiny café where drinks and desserts appear to float above a miniature Japanese garden. RURU Shibuya is a contemporary Japanese-style café famous for its extraordinary water-covered table. Dark volcanic … Read more
A few minutes from the noise and neon of central Shibuya, an ordinary-looking door opens into a very different kind of Tokyo nightlife experience. Behind it is Onn. Good Track Lounge, a stylish music-focused bar where vintage speakers, vinyl records, inventive cocktails and a substantial wine collection take centre stage. Opened in June 2026, ONN … Read more