Tokyo Night Food tour: Retro Akabane Tour, Izakaya experience

• • Experience Tokyo’s night food scene
  • Soak up Akabane’s retro charm.
  • Visit 3 traditional Izakayas.
  • Try a minimum of 10 delicious Japanese delicacies recommended by your guide
  • Experience Japanese nightlife
  • All food and drink included
  • Sample Japanese drinks such as sake, shochu or hoppy.

  The tour

  Experience Tokyo’s night food scene in retro Akabane as you explore the lantern-lit alleys, taking in the sights, sounds, and aromas on this 4 hour night tour.  Rub shoulders with the locals at an old school standing bar for drinks and bar snacks before heading out to two more izakayas.  Try dishes such as oden, yakitori, eel, and grilled fish, as well as trying some unusual beverages such as hoppy, sake mixed with dashi stock and shochu highballs.   Your knowledgeable guide will suggest and recommend the best dishes for you based on your preferences.  During the tour, try at least 10 traditional dishes and a variety of drinks including beer, sake, shochu, plum liquer and hoppy.  Enjoy a night (or day!)  feasting on delicious food & drinks while soaking up the old school atmosphere of Akabane.   

   

   

The Izakaya experience

Izakaya are a quintessential part of Japanese food culture and a trip to Japan would not be complete without a visit to one. What is an izakaya? An izakaya is often translated as a pub or a tavern but this doesn’t really answer the question, basically, Izakaya are part pub part restaurant, more akin to a gastropub, and are considered casual places where friends or co-workers gather over drinks and food for a good time. The food can be described as ‘small plates’ and can consist of everything from yakitori to sashimi to grilled seafood or pickles and edamame. Dishes are ordered and shared among everyone. This allows everyone to get a taste of everything and is a great way to sample a large variety of dishes accompanied by a cold drink and good conversation. 

Akabane Retro Dining

A visit to Akabane’s lantern-lit Ichibangai street and its plethora of alleys packed of old school Izakayas (restaurants/pubs), standing bars, sweet shops, and bars is a unique experience harking back to Showa era Tokyo and one that will entice your senses. Popular with Tokyo workers, many of its bars open from morning, catering to workers finishing their night shifts and the bars generally start filling up from early afternoon.
The area sprung up from a post-war black market and still retains some of that historic charm. It is now popular for its delicious eateries serving traditional food and drinks in a laid back, unpretentious atmosphere. It’s not uncommon for friendly locals, enjoying a night out, to strike up a conversation and you may end up with new friends, at least for the night.  A night out in Akabane is certainly going to be one to never forget. The area with its laid back and unpretentious charm is known