Experience Details
This Showa-inspired snack bar tour is meant to take guests back in time — to 20th-century Japan, to be exact — and deep dive into Tokyo nightlife. Your host is a snack bar fan, having visited more than 700 bars around Japan in the last decade. Who better to show you around Tokyo’s vibrant nightlife?
Your experience will start at Shinjuku Piccadilly, where you’ll watch the short film “Soup,” released in spring 2024. This film tells the story of how pork-bone broth ramen (tonkotsu ramen) got its distinctive cloudy broth. And yes, it’s based on a true story! Then, you’ll wander into the night for a snack bar-hopping tour.
Japanese snack bars are different from izakaya (Japanese gastropubs). Snack bars, colloquially known as “snakku” in Japanese, are much smaller, often having no more than a handful of counter seats. Customers sit down and usually drink while having a heartfelt conversation with the bar’s Mama-san, or owner/bartender. When possible, your host will take you to snack bars where the owners also know about Japanese movies (including “Soup”) and Japanese entertainment.
Expect to be entertained throughout this experience. While you walk from Shinjuku Piccadilly to the first snack bar of the night, your host will give the group missions and quizzes to test your knowledge of Japanese food and culture. At one of the snack bars, you’ll also get the chance to showcase your singing skills during a karaoke jam session. The experience will wrap up and end at Shinjuku Station. It’s here that your host will also hand you a secret present to remember your experience by.
Experience flow:
- Meet your host at Shinjuku Piccadilly
- Watch “Soup” (46 min) at Shinjuku Piccadilly
- Walk around Shinjuku
- Visit two snack bars back-to-back, both in Shinjuku
- Get back to Shinjuku Station
Inclusions
Movie tickets
1 beer or soft drink at the cinema
2 drinks at the first snack bar (including Asahi beer), 3 drinks at the second snack bar, plus light snacks.
An English-speaking guide with a deep knowledge of snack bars and Tokyo nightlife.
Materials for quiz and karaoke fees, plus a secret souvenir to take home.
Exclusions
Transportation to and from the meeting point.
Additional food and drinks other than those included in the experience.
Meeting Point and Meeting Time
Meet your host at Shinjuku Piccadilly. Details and a Google Maps link will be shared upon booking.
Remarks
Guests should note that the legal drinking age in Japan is 20. Guests 19 years old or younger and designated drivers will not be given alcohol during the tour.
The food included in this tour are light snacks, not a full dinner. Those who do not drink alcohol will be able to order soft drinks.
Note that this tour needs a minimum of five participants to operate. If there are less than five confirmed guests attending, the experience will be canceled.
Submit your booking request 6 days before the experience date at the latest. The cut-off dates are as follows: Sep 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24 and 26.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 2 days before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
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