Tokyo Neighborhood: Izakaya Under the Train Tracks at Yurakucho

Overwhelmed by the poshness of Ginza, the business like ambiance of Marunouchi or looking for a drink after a stroll at Hibiya Park? Yurakucho is just the perfect location.

Sandwich between the above-mentioned popular places, Yurakucho marked by the station itself is as Japanese as you can get right in the middle of Chiyoda neighborhood.

The “izakaya” culture or an outdoor yakiniku (bbq) restaurants, mixed with the shake and sound of passing Yamanote or Keihin-Tohoku Line train overhead is basically what defines this neighborhood.

Izakaya is a Japanese style bars which serves food and drinks, popular for “nomi-hōdai” (all you can drink) and “tabe-hōdai” (all you can eat) option. Though some establishments differ by price or menu, the rules is always the same- sit, order and share with your group for two or three hours whatever you want.

Izakaya shops are adourned by paper lanterns called “akachochin”, a word which eventually replaces the term izakaya on daily conversations.

I don’t think I will have the courage to enter an Izakaya without a Japanese friend even if there is an available menu with pictures, though I know several gaijin friends which are quite an expert when it comes to this type of bars, to be fair they are right when they say that all they need is the key words such as “biru” (beer) and hand gestures of to show how many glasses they want.

The ambiance of lighted red lanterns and good times with hardworking salary men at night is usually replaced with the wholesome image of shopping at daytime, with retail chains such as Bic Camera, Lumine, Seibu located at the different train station exit points.

Yurakucho is not only best for drinking session, it is also a good place for people watching and some street photography practice too.

Hopefully, in the future there will be no attempt to transform the neighborhood of Yurakucho into a Ginza clone.