a gaijin’s guide to Tokyo’s traditional  Izakaya

Living in Tokyo for many years, I often spend a day of the weekend walking through the city. There is always something new to discover. I usually finish off those days with a relaxing time in an Izakaya, hence the name of this site, 居酒屋散歩 (Izakaya sanpo / tavern stroll).

If you plan to visit one of the places described here, keep in mind that only very few have an English menu or English-speaking staff, so you hopefully are in fair command of the Japanese language or have a Japanese friend to come along. But even with just some beginners level of Japanese you can give it a try. And a few beers will do magic on your language skills...

What you will not find on this site are franchise chain Izakaya (Yōrō no taki, Tengu, Yarukijaya or others) having hundreds of outlets all serving the same, shrink-wrap plastic menu with color pictures. And also none of the popular "designer Izakaya” with polished interior and a party plan but without character and soul. And naturally no tourist attractions, sorry, Gonpachi.

The authentic places, this is what this site is all about.