In hard times such as these you can always find solace in a drink; just make it one that reminds you of better days. Here are eight great Tokyo bars that ooze nostalgia. Some serve classic cocktails, some survived the war, and most of them seem to have served author Yukio Mishima.
Kamiya Bar (Since 1880)
In 1882, the year Japan got its first electric street lamp, the word for electricity (denki) was popular as a prefix for anything wishing to sound modern. So when Asakusa's Mikawaya Meishuten bar created a new brandy-based drink, they named it Denki Bran (electric brandy). The name (and flavor) triggered a persistent myth that the liquid has been zapped with an electric current, but it's really just a frisky blend of brandy, gin, wine, vermouth, curacao and herbs. Denki Bran became so popular that you'll now find it at most good liquor stores and many bars across Japan. The best place to drink a Denki Bran, though, is still its birthplace, which was renamed Kamiya Bar in 1912 and moved to its current bright, rowdy location in 1921.