Posted on: Tuesday, December 11, 2001

Byte Marks
Take a tour of Tokyo's bar district

By Burt Lum

Tokyo is in perpetual motion. While passing through the Ginza on an evening bus ride from Narita Airport, the streets were packed with people. I couldn't tell if they were coming or going, shopping or dining. What I could tell was that this city does not sleep.

On this visit to Tokyo, I actually got to spend more than a day in the city. As an initiation rite, I had to go where the foreigners go, Roppongi (www.infocreate.co.jp/hometown/roppongi/roppon-e.html). By some quirk of history, after WWII, many of the bars that catered to English speakers situated themselves in the Roppongi area.

Suffice it to say, most Japanese bars are far different than what you might find in Roppongi. In Roppongi, the experience is more familiar to an American. English is the language of choice. The mix of patrons is very cosmopolitan. In fact it's not unlike something you would find in Waikiki. You might think it odd to experience this in Tokyo but believe me. For example, a 4 a.m. visit to Tsukiji, the Tokyo fish auction, it's something you have to do at least once.

Being prepared for the subway, I had already studied my route from Akasaka to Roppongi. For an excellent map of the Tokyo subway system, go to www.tcvb.or.jp/en/index_en.htm. The only thing you must remember is that the subway closes at midnight. I did not know this. So there I was at 3 a.m. in Roppongi, looking for an open subway entrance. No problem: There were many taxis to choose from, as the street looked like midday rush hour. So a 160-yen subway trip turned into a 1,500-yen taxi ride. No big deal. Tokyo is still the safest big city around.

So if you are looking for a couple of no-nonsense bars to start with, try the Wallstreet Bar, or right down the street is Gas Panic. But if you are looking for a bit of style, then a cool spot is a bar off Roppongi called Azool. Read all about it at www.nokia.co.jp/tokyoq/reviews/archive/club/currbar.html. It's uniquely Tokyo and just another dimension to this multifaceted city. ;-)

Burt Lum, cyber-citizen and self-anointed tour guide to the Internet frontier, is one click away at burt@brouhaha.net.