The Midnight Diners: Tokyo Experience
Bar hop between eclectic little gastropubs offering a whirlwind of creative foods and drinks, from horse meat shu-mai to oolong shochu, all while clinking glasses with locals in Kichijoji.
Highlights
A true local experience into Tokyo nightlife away from the tourist traps!
Bar hopping tour of Kichijoji and Harmonica Yokocho
Insight into Japanese drinking culture and etiquette tips from an expert
Delicious Japanese cocktails, like oolong-hai, whisky highballs, and umeshu plum wine
Chatting and clinking glasses with locals and fellow travelers!
10 meals
+Experience Details
Want to experience the hit Netflix series "Midnight Diners: Tokyo Stories" in real life? Then this Izakaya experience is the best way to see them all and live the true local experience in Tokyo.
Kichijoji is widely known as one of the best places to live in Tokyo, but many don’t know of its local reputation for eclectic little bars and gastropubs. Some are so off-the-grid that even Google Maps doesn’t know of their existence! Most of these tiny bars are located in Harmonica Yokocho (or Harmonica Alley), which started as a flea market after World War II. Now, Kichijoji and Harmonica Yokocho are home to 1950s themed pubs, record-scratching bartenders, horse meat cuisine, and even a bar where the staff drink with you! Bar hopping in Harmonica Yokocho is for sure the best way to explore the winding maze of historic pubs and eateries in Kichijoji.
Each Harmonica Yokocho bar only seats a few people, with some of the smallest seating only seven. No sooner will you have sat down and ordered a drink than you’ll be drawn into the exuberant atmosphere, conversing with talkative locals. Whether or not you speak Japanese, Harmonica Yokocho is the perfect place to strike up a conversation with your neighbors at the bar counter, because even if you don’t know Japanese, our bar hopping tour guide is happy to interpret. Soon, you’ll be cracking jokes and saying “kampai!” like a local.
The eccentric guide is something of a local celebrity; every few minutes, somebody recognizes them and calls out their name or claps them on their back. Having lived in Kichijoji for the past couple of years and gotten to know the owners and bartenders of some of the most eccentric and friendly bars in Tokyo, they are the perfect tour guide to take you bar hopping in Tokyo’s most livable neighborhood, Kichijoji.
Inclusions
4-hour bar hopping tour in Kichijoji’s Harmonica Yokocho
Authentic guide
Insights from a knowledgable trilingual (English, Japanese, Spanish) guide who calls Kichijoji home
Insider info about the local Tokyo nightlife scene and bar hopping in Kichijoji’s Harmonica Yokocho
Food course w/ unlimited drinks for 1.5 hours (may be extended with tips) at your host's favorite bar
Exclusions
Must pay for your own drinks and food at other Japanese bars (each drink costs about 500-700 yen)
Meeting Point and Meeting Time
North Exit of Kichijoji Station in front of Baskin Robbins, accessible by JR Chuo-Sobu Line, Chuo Line, and Keio-Inokashira Line. The station is 14 min from Shinjuku, 20 min from Shibuya, and 26 min from Tokyo Station by train. A Google Maps link will be provided when booking.
Remarks
The minimum drinking age is 20 years in Japan, so this tour is only available for those who are 20 years of age or older. Not wheelchair or stroller-accessible.
The tour starts strictly on time. The tour will start even if guests arrive at or after the departure time, and no refund shall be given.
In case you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, there might be changes to the number of food and drink items included, depending on availability.
Vegan and vegetarian options have a limited amount of dishes included (∼5 vegetable skewers), any extra will be for an additional cost.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 2 weeks before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Experience Location
Harmonica Yokocho began as a flea market during the years immediately following the Second World War, and still has post-1945 Showa-era vibes, creative cuisines, and fantastic drinks. This little stretch of crisscrossing alleyways is home to traditional sweet shops and clothing stores by day, and by night, mini gastropubs which are bathed by the red glow of lanterns. Many of the patrons of these bars are loyal regulars, stopping by for a drink and a chat with their favorite barkeep.
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10 meals
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