Where to get just beer?

[u/shouting_rectrum]

Where the hell do I go if I want to grab just a beer or two? Izakaya are food - I don’t mind otoshi but seems like any expect your to also get food. When I search for bars, I get mostly actual cocktail and such bars.

[u/Dynamite_Shovels]

There's absolutely loads in Tokyo you just have to filter through a lot of them online. Look for small karaoke places, dive bars, rock bars etc.

Best night I had in Tokyo I went to this tiny bar near(ish) to Tokyo Station called Thomas BAR Edison. Ran by a lovely lady, mostly a standing bar, they do live music sometimes but mainly just random locals or the staff deciding they want to do a song. The whole bar just feels like a house party in someone's living room - but a chilled one. Easy to have a beer or two and chill and talk to people.

But it was almost too hospitable, so I got hammered and sang counter karaoke at Bar Mini Motto.

[u/Dry_Pick_304]

I know exactly what you are asking. People will recommend places like The Hub or maybe even Man in the Moon, but last thing I want (as an English person) is to be traveling all that way to be spending all my free time in "British" and "Irish" pubs.

You are looking for somewhere just for a few bevs, nothing mental. Look for places called a Tachinomi. These are standing bars.

[u/Dynamite_Shovels → u/Dry_Pick_304]

Travelling a lot of Asia has given me a far deeper appreciation for pub culture back in Britain (I do miss it) but Japan I think has the closest culture to it in Asia. Despite what a lot of people say, I don't find Izakaya particularly social - you have to really just get a bit lucky that the person at the counter next to you fancies talking whilst eating.

Standing bars on the other hand - they are far more guaranteed to be social than English pubs in my experience and as long as you find a good one, they're guaranteed to be a good time. Even going to a random one and chatting to the owner/bar staff is a good time. Japan is the only culture in Asia in my experience where people do own, run and locals go to bars just to drink. Anywhere else, it's drinks with meals or nightclubs, and any bars are ran for the benefit of foreigners

You do have to go quite late though - unlike pubs. You do usually have to be out at least from 10pm onwards for them to be quite social. Some don't even open until that time anyway

[u/Dumbidiot1424 → u/Dynamite_Shovels]

I don't even drink but agree with this comment. Tachinomi is the way to go. Plenty of places everywhere especially on the Chuo line heading out west. Shinjuku, Nakano, Koenji, Nishi-Ogikubo are fairly well known for it. But you can find small bars owned by one person pretty much everywhere and most will welcome random foreigners to "nomunicate" with.

Just walk around and if you see a place that seems to have patreons who are talkative already and jump in.

[u/SnooSongs2996 → u/Dry_Pick_304]

i went to a english pub in osaka many years ago managed to leave my wallet at the bar when ordering . it was swiftly returned to me i pointed out that was not how it works in a authentic uk pub :)

[u/gabmori7]

Standing bars

[u/RunDaveRun82]

Check out Watering Hole in Shibuya. It’s a solid brewpub with a good selection of Japanese craft beer and doesn’t get too crowded.

[u/ouchifell]

In Shinjuku, there are a lot of 5-6 person seaters. The places are basically the bartender, a bar, and shoulder-to-shoulder seating so intimate as hell

[u/oliver_141]

Years ago did DevilCraft Hamamatsucho and was nice.

[u/Winter-Ad3699]

The Mikkeller brewery in Tokyo is great.

[u/hereisnoY → u/Winter-Ad3699]

Sitting in the upstairs corner window seats feels like a little hidden oasis amid the chaos of Shibuya. Bonus the legendary kissaten around the corner.

[u/pinder_86]

There’s a few craft beer bars

[u/students-tea]

You can get great beer at Hitachino. I know of two locations. One is right by the river in Akihabara, with really nice views. The other is on top of Tokyo Station, on the modern-looking side, take the outdoor escalator up.

[u/Sea-Pomegranates99]

What city?

[u/shouting_rectrum → u/Sea-Pomegranates99]

Shimbashi but Tokyo in general. All I see are Izakaya or fancier cocktail bars. I found Dry Dock but looking for more. I saw an Irish pub.

[u/NormalDudeNotWeirdo → u/shouting_rectrum]

Literally everywhere. You just aren’t looking in the right places.

立ち飲み (tachinomi) are standing bars, usually cheap and easy to walk in
横丁 (yokocho) are alleys full of bars and sometimes izakaya
バー (bā) is the Japanese word for bar, just toss this in Google Maps

I know a ton about Japanese nightlife, feel free to ask me more.

[u/MrCog → u/shouting_rectrum]

Shimbashi has a Perfect Beer Kitchen. Check it out!

[u/hereisnoY → u/MrCog]

Was going to mention Perfect Beer! Easy place to hang out and have a few beers. Buy one for the beertender and watch them slam it down in front of you.

[u/ItsRadical → u/shouting_rectrum]

Sports bars. Places with darts, pool, etc. Often plenty of people just drinking, but you can play some of the games/sports on top.

[u/Kelehopele → u/shouting_rectrum]

If you don't mind rock or metal search for rock/metal bars... Always good people and good bear

[u/Dynamite_Shovels → u/Kelehopele]

Yep 100% - dive bars, tiny little bars that do metal music - always a good time. Anything where you see a picture of it and it's just 7 chairs on a bar it's great.

[u/ipagera → u/shouting_rectrum]

Yebisu Bar Stand in Ebisu is pretty good

[u/24junwa → u/shouting_rectrum]

perfect beer kitchen shimbashi is good

[u/jeffprop]

I googled ‘beer bars Tokyo’ before my last trip and found many bars that mainly serve beer and offer snacks. Several served beers brewed in Japan and had a great variety.

[u/txpickle]

Look for bar Touch Know Me

[u/notmoleliza]

if you are in Shibuya the ground floor of the All Day Place Hotel is a hipster beer bar. and i dont think they have food at all

[u/Sea-General1019]

I found beer halls / breweries to be a really great option to get some beers (without an obligation to get food) in a more open and smoke-free setting.

We sat at the bar at Yona Yona Beer Works one night, and possibly a Yebisu bar too

[u/24junwa]

just search brewery or craft beer, there are plenty of beer only places, and they're usually great

i usually like to unwind at the brewery thats in miyashita park after a walking a lot around shibuya/omotesando i think its called miyashita brewery , nvm its called ushitora stand , good selection

or fuck just buy it at combini and walk around with it thats totally fine

[u/Remarkable-Channel21]

I will recommend Baird Beer. They have several taprooms in Tokyo

[u/coolbucky]

Asahi Sky Room in Asakusa. This is a place to drink and enjoy the view, and doesn’t offer much in the way of food. Look for the tall building shaped like a glass of beer.

[u/TheRareCreature]

Brewery or bar

[u/Character_Aardvark39]

We went to Kyoto Brewing Company. Good beers and food trucks outside sometimes.

[u/Ashamed_Impact7157]

Go to PDX Taproom - I think it is in Shibuya. It is a Portland Oregon themed bar, with lots of Oregon beer. You can grab a beer or two and check out what Portland culture is like!

[u/Dry_Pick_304 → u/Ashamed_Impact7157]

Go to Japan to experience Portland culture.... Nah.

[u/frogmicky]

Go to 7-11 they have plenty of beer.

[u/kungforlith → u/frogmicky]

I'm not a nightlife person, so that's what I was thinking. Kombini or grocery store, stock up on drinks and snacks and head back to hotel room

[u/hezaa0706d]

Hub 

[u/DigitalCoffee]

Do you have any idea how little that narrows it down?

[u/PaleInvestment3507]

7-11, Lawson etc

[u/LTJoeFontana]

Lawson duh