Ueno Local Izakaya Bar Tour

Step into the lively streets of Ueno and discover one of Tokyo’s best areas for an authentic izakaya experience. We will be walking around Ameyoko's narrow streets that are packed with tiny restaurants, bustling standing bars, and cozy izakayas where locals gather for good food, drinks, and conversation. This tour takes you beyond the typical tourist spots and into the energetic atmosphere that makes Ueno such a memorable place to eat and drink.

We’ll visit several carefully selected izakayas, sampling a variety of Japanese dishes along the way. Expect classic favorites such as yakitori, sashimi, grilled seafood, fried dishes, and seasonal specialties, with each stop offering something a little different.

Highlights

• Fish Market: Start the night with a quick browse through the small market right next to the meeting location.

• Sake and sashimi: This izakaya is conveniently owned by the same entity as the fish market. Enjoy some sake from Niigata prefecture and seafood that you just saw!

• Fried Croquettes: Have some fried croquettes from a seller who has history of wholesaling meat from 1907.

• Fried Skewers: Try a popular izakaya food from Osaka that comes with a sweet, tangy sauce.

• Meat Skewers: Conclude your tour with an assortment of pork and chicken skewers.

Review

Description

This tour will start at the Yoshiike fish sign outisde of JR Okachimachi Station North Exit at 17:00. Your guide will be holding a "SNOW MONKET RESORTS" sign and greet you there and provide a brief overview of the day’s activities. From the station, you will head directly to the small fish market for a small preview of what might be on the menu. This market is owned by the same company as the first izakaya you will be visiting for some fresh seafood and sake. They originally started in 1933, but it is in a new building and was rebuilt in 2014.

After a quick browse through the market, you will head next door to the first izakaya. This izakaya is famous for their offering of Niigata sake and the fish from the market next door. It is a no-frills izakaya with mostly standing room only. This is where locals will go to have a quick bite and drink with friends or coworkers.

Next, you will head to a local meat croquette seller. Croquettes are deep-fried rolls containing a filling that is combined with a binder, breaded, and then friend. This location specializes in meat, with many options from Japanese style curry to wagyu. They provided different sauces to pair with it, one of which is their own special concoction, or you can just have it plain with a nice cold mug of beer. This restaurant originally started as a meat wholesaler in a town in Tochigi prefecture, just to the North of Tokyo, in 1907. This location has been here since 1986.

Our next izakaya focuses on 'kushikatsu' which are fried skewers of vegetables and meat. It is a food that is typical of Osaka but can now be found all over the country in izakayas from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Kushikatsu can be enjoyed plain or with a sauce that is a blend of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, and sugar or mirin.

Our last izakaya of the night serves meat skewers. Their specialty is pork skewers (yakiton), but they also have what most people know, chicken skewers (yakitori). Yakiton gained popularity as a cheap meal after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 which, along with the great fire that it caused, destroyed much of Tokyo at the time. Enjoy the amazing combination of meat skewers and beer to finish the night!

Meetup Points

YOSHIIKE FISH STATUE OUTSIDE OF JR OKACHIMACHI STATION @ 17:00

The meetup point is outside of JR Okachimachi Station North Exit in front of the Yoshiike fish market sign. Once you have exited through the gates of JR Okachimachi station, look to your left to the pillars and walk outside of the station. You will see the Yoshiike fish sign and Uniqlo. Be sure to look for the guide holding a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS sign!

Notes

Included

• Specific drink and dish from each location

Excluded

• Accommodation
• Foods and drinks not specifically stated by the guide
• Transportation expenses before and after the tour

Tour Availability Disclaimer

All listed events, activities, and experiences are subject to availability. Please note that while certain tour options may appear bookable through our platforms, this does not guarantee that every experience can be carried out as scheduled in the tour itinerary. Many activities require direct confirmation with our partner venues, and availability may vary based on the date and other factors. Should any part of your ordered itinerary require adjustment or deviation from the original schedule, or if a specific experience is unavailable, we will contact you promptly to discuss suitable alternatives or amendments.

Other Information

• This tour involves walking in the outdoors. We recommend that you wear shoes and clothes which are easy to walk in. Please check the weather forecast before you head to the meetup point and prepare an umbrella or raincoat if necessary.

• In winter the temperatures may drop below freezing, and even during the daytime temperatures may not exceed 1-2 ℃ on some days. Please wear warm clothing and footwear appropriate for snowy and cold conditions. There may also be snow and ice on the road/sidewalk, and so you should take care to not slip by preparing the correct shoes for such conditions.