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- German
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- Spanish
Ready for a small group Tokyo food tour that takes you deeper than what the Shinjuku or Shibuya areas can provide? Come with us and leave the canned, prefab tourist run behind, and instead get yourself a look into how locals unwind after work, all with nary a tourist in sight. Over the course of our 3-ish hours together, we'll visit three different standing bar restaurants (known as "tachinomi" in Japanese), which could roughly be depicted as bustling tapas places. There will be plenty of food, just in case the "bar" part makes you think otherwise.
We spread our tachinomi visits across two different neighborhoods, with a 6 minute train ride between the two. Adjunct to the tachinomi odyssey is a slightly more anthropological one, covering a bounty of cultural sights and topics, from nightlife to grocery shopping and more. With food, three drinks, and train fare included, you won't need to spend a single, shiny yen this carefree night.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Please meet your guide outside the faregates of JR Oimachi Station. Please be careful to ensure that you are at JR Oimachi (not the Rinkai line) and that you are at the East Exit (not Central East Exit or any other exit).
Your guide will be happy to assist you with getting on the right train.
Itinerary
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1
Oimachi is just two minutes off the Yamanote (loop) Line from Shinagawa. Within moments we're snaking our way down the bustling, narrow backstreets that give this neighborhood the kind of character you just don't find in Tokyo's large-scale entertainment districts. It won't be long before we duck into our first tachinomi ("standing bar") for a cold beer and some tasty local, Japanese style pub grub. If beer's not your thing, there are other options. Also available, in case you are a little wary of some of the more "advanced" Japanese foods, are more classically Western palate-friendly options. Hunger staved for the moment, we embark on an educational walk, explaining (with visual aids aplenty) the vagaries of the Japanese nightlife scene. It's a lighthearted stroll, and we have fun with it; you needn't worry about it being raucous or off-color, and this tour is suitable for teens too, should you have them in tow. Then we eat some more.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2
Two restaurants and two drinks in, it's time to say goodbye to Oimachi. Fear not, though, because we're just a six minute ride to our next stop, Kamata. We've got a whole new set of sights for you here, and our guides go where most Japanese guides fear to take you (probably they're just afraid you'll be bored, but we feel confident you won't). Kamata has some great bubble era (1980s into the early 1990s) architecture with a smattering of fairly recent spruce-ups, and a classic old skool shotengai ("shopping street"). It's also got some good grub, and we have a spot with a chill vibe and friendly clientele all lined up. This is one of those endangered parts of Tokyo that's a bustling village with a distinct identity. While other parts succumb to chain stores and homogenization, Kamata stands strong, if perhaps not quite as classily.
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Minimum drinking age is 20 years
- All participants must be 18+ to participate in this experience
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Cancellation Policy
If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 6 full days before the experience’s start time.
- For a 50% refund, you must cancel 2–6 full days before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 2 full days before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
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