Nightlife spots off Japan's beaten tourist track seek to lure in foreign visitors
At around 10 p.m. on a Thursday in early August, foot traffic at a dining and drinking district only one stop from Tokyo's Ikebukuro Station was unexpectedly sparse despite warm summer weather — ideal conditions for a cold beverage, or two. Across streetcar tracks and ...
Jigokudani is Osaka's hidden 'Hell Valley' for barhopping
Jigokudani (Hell Valley) is a hidden labyrinth of about two-dozen small bars and restaurants near Noda Station in Osaka's Fukushima Ward.
The man who set the bar for British pubs in Yokohama
British pubs are everywhere in Japan these days. They, along with their Irish counterparts, are common drinking venues for both expats and Japanese eager for a cozy, dimly lit atmosphere, hearty pub fare such as shepherd's pie, fish and chips, and a tempting variety ...
The 'Ten Commandments' of running a genuine Irish pub
British bars are ubiquitous in Kansai, but a genuine Irish establishment should follow these "Ten Commandments": Don't put a Union Jack on the front door. Or behind the door, above the bar, on the ceiling or anywhere near a pint of Guinness. I'm not against ...
Tokyo mecha bar targets middle-aged fans of the anime genre as it reopens following remodeling work
Sipping booze while being surrounded by a small army of robot figures may not be a relaxing setting for ordinary bar-goers. But that's the sort of place where middle-aged fans of the mecha anime genre, which focuses on giant robots or machines controlled by people, ...
Japan's watered-down smoking ban clears Diet
Lighting up in public facilities prohibited for the first time as the nation scrambles to combat secondhand smoke in the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Games.
'Life or death': Tokyo pub owners fear impact of tougher smoking laws
Hiroshi Yoshida is facing a dilemma. Under an anti-smoking ordinance adopted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly last month, the 73-year-old owner of a small udon (wheat noodles) restaurant in the Takadanobaba district will soon have to make a choice: declare the entire interior nonsmoking or ...
Amazon will serve wine, beer and cocktails at pop-up bar in Tokyo's Ginza district
Amazon.com Inc. is opening a bar. For 10 days, the web retailer is going to sell beer, wine, sake and cocktails in Tokyo's glitzy Ginza district to promote alcoholic products sold on its website in Japan. While Amazon has opened physical bookstores, bought Whole Foods ...
Health ministry dilutes plan to ban indoor smoking as restaurant industry and LDP resist
Bowing to pressure from the restaurant industry and the Liberal Democratic Party, the health ministry waters down its indoor smoking ban proposal to exempt small bars.
Ministry considers smoking ban exception for small bars, clubs, restaurants
The health ministry is considering allowing smoking in small bars, clubs and restaurants as exceptions to anti-smoking regulations that are being contemplated, ministry sources said Wednesday. The move comes after the restaurant industry voiced opposition to a comprehensive smoking ban that may be imposed ahead ...
A small bar in Tokyo's Nakano Ward is becoming popular with middle-aged men who like to make plastic models of characters from the "Mobile Suit Gundam" cartoon. "It's like a secret base," said Kentaro Nonaka, 36, a company worker who lives in adjacent Suginami Ward ...
At Shinjuku club, cross-dressing men let their hair, guard down
Like many haunts in Shinjuku Ni-chome, Tokyo's gay quarter, Onnanoko Club (Girls' Club) seeks to provide a home from home for its clientele, with staff chatting at ease with customers to take their minds off the stresses of daily life. The smiling hostesses are decked ...
