Tag - bars

 
 

BARS

A recent surge in Tokyo share prices has been driven by foreign investors' enthusiasm for rising corporate profits, with Japanese investors still wary after more than three decades of market malaise.
BUSINESS
Feb 23, 2024
Japanese investors raise a glass to Nikkei record at Stock Pickers bar
Excitement among regulars at the intimate bar in Tokyo's Ginza district had been brewing since last week as the Nikkei approached its all-time high.
Tokyo is filled to the brim with anime-related activities and attractions, but the best require a little digging to enjoy to the fullest.
LIFE / Travel
Feb 10, 2024
An anime otaku's blueprint to nerding out in Tokyo — and beyond
The first step to taking anime otaku-dom to the next level is to educate yourself on the history and evolution of the medium.
Hiromi Uetake has future plans to turn some of the currently unused rooms of the former elementary school into taprooms for visiting customers.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 14, 2024
Craft beer’s hoppy road to the deep north
Beer drinkers in these occasionally frozen lands now enjoy flavors infused with deep stories and their home prefectures’ splendid natural beauty.
A snack bar tour guide typically escorts three to four people, taking them to two different snacks in one evening and quizzing the group on Japanese language and snack culture.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 7, 2024
‘Snack bars' the target of Tokyo’s newest tour push
The English-language tours began in December last year and are currently conducted two to three times a week in Tokyo.
A group of 19 host club owners in Kabukicho who own most of the host clubs in the area have pledged to ban the pay-later system by April and prohibit entry to those under 20 years old from January.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 26, 2023
How Japan's host clubs trap young women under mountains of debt
False promises of love — and even marriage — lead to huge bills for some as young as 18, who are often then coaxed into sex work to make repayments.
What's old in Tokyo libations is new again at Heiwa Doburoku Kabutocho Brewery, where sake's cloudy, rustic predecessor takes center stage.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Kanpai Culture
Dec 24, 2023
At 2023’s close, Tokyo bars enter a new golden age
This year’s cocktail trends offer a spirit-forward reflection on the past as well as glimpses of the future.
Shinjuku's Kabukicho is filled with colorful individuals that give the neighborhood its character.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Dec 22, 2023
Christmastime in Shinjuku Golden Gai
One of Tokyo's most storied watering holes gets a little quiet during the holidays now that it relies quite a bit on tourists.
A pint is poured inside the Grapes public house in Limehouse, south London, on Dec. 14. Pubs have served Roman soldiers, knights and poets, and have been a gathering place for communities to enjoy a brew beside a crackling fire for centuries.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 20, 2023
Last orders? British pubs hit by rising costs and changing tastes
High inflation, energy bills and business rates are cutting into increasingly stretched earnings, as many find other ways to spend time and money.
Tokyo police officers head to host clubs in the Kabukicho district in Shinjuku Ward for inspections on Friday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 20, 2023
Women arrested for prostitution in Shinjuku tripled in 2023
The issue of women going into prostitution as a result of loans used to finance host club visits has become a huge problem.
National Police Agency Commissioner-General Yasuhiro Tsuyuki and other officials inspect Tokyo's Kabukicho district on Monday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 29, 2023
Japan moves to strengthen crackdown on malicious host clubs
Some women end up with massive debts and are forced into prostitution to repay the sums.
On Oct. 17, the world's best bartenders gathered in Singapore for a celebration of cocktails and the announcement of this year's global rankings.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 17, 2023
Japan's SG Club, Ben Fiddich named to World’s 50 Best Bars list
Aside from the rankings, the impact of Japan's elite cocktail culture was a visible influence throughout the evening.
The Kabukicho area in Tokyo's Shinjuku district
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 3, 2023
80 women arrested in Tokyo's Kabukicho over alleged prostitution
Police have been cracking down on prostitution in the nightlife district amid a surge of activity following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
The refined fusion cuisine at Toki reflects the delicacy of Kyoto’s famous kaiseki (multicourse Japanese haute cuisine).
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 17, 2023
Does whisky have a place in Kyoto's fine dining? Hibiki says yes.
My meal opens with a sparkling mix of soda and Hibiki Blossom Harmony, a blend finished with grain spirit aged in cherrywood casks.
Kyoko Yafuso and her son Keiju Togei pose in front of their store in the Sunrise Naha shopping street.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Sep 4, 2023
Tired Naha shopping arcade evolves into city’s best dining spot
Until about 10 years ago, the central shopping arcade around the Heiwa-dori street in Naha was deserted, with most stores closed and few visitors.
A woman carries food to customers at a Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 27, 2023
Hong Kong turns to tycoons to get party scene back on track
The government is urging major property groups to help boost the nighttime economy via drink coupons, free events and later shopping hours.
For drinks surrounded by some of Tokyo’s sleekest skyscrapes, Marunouchi House’s rooftop terrace can’t be beat.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Aug 27, 2023
Skyline sips: Tokyo’s best rooftop bars
Instead of relegating it to a cherry blossom-related niche, Tokyo is recognizing the allure of drinking outside.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 11, 2023
Tokyo’s Gold Bar makes instant splash in Asia’s 50 Best Bars rankings
A week ahead of the full unveiling of the 2023 edition of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars rankings, the top 51-100 bars across the continent have been announced.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Jun 25, 2023
Life is beautiful with libations from Bulgari Bar
The cocktail menu designed by bar manager Andrea Minarelli showcases spirits from Italy and Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
May 21, 2023
Bobby’s Free pop-up mixes fresh Barcelonian and Prohibition creations
Open through July 10, this Catalan watering hole spices up Ichigaya nights.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 7, 2023
Bar none: Tokyo's liquor shops are where locals start their weekends
Kaku’uchi — liquor stores doubling as bars — are trending again in Tokyo. Mara Budgen provides a guide to some of the capital’s best joints, for all tastes.

Longform

High-end tourism is becoming more about the kinds of experiences that Japan's lesser-known places can provide.
Can Japan lure the jet-set class off the beaten path?