Best Bar Hopping in Tokyo: 7 Routes by Area (2026)

Most lists of “where to drink in Tokyo” stop at a name: go to Shinjuku, go to Shibuya, good luck. That’s not much help when you’re standing outside a station at 7 p.m. wondering which alley to walk into first. The best bar hopping in Tokyo comes down to order, timing and staying in one neighborhood long enough to actually enjoy it.

Japanese drinkers have a word for this: hashigo-zake, literally “ladder drinking,” moving from one place to the next rung by rung. This guide turns that habit into seven concrete routes, one per area. Each has a starting point, a second and third stop, the best time to go and the kind of night it suits.

Pick one route per night. Trying to squeeze Shinjuku and Asakusa into the same evening is the most common mistake visitors make, and you’ll spend more time on trains than at the counter.

How to Choose the Best Bar Hopping Route in Tokyo

Before the routes, a quick way to narrow things down. Tokyo’s drinking areas fall into roughly three moods:

• Postwar alleys (yokocho) — tiny counters, smoke from the grill, a few seats each. Shinjuku, Shibuya, Kichijoji and Akabane are strongest here.
• Under-the-tracks izakaya (gado-shita) — after-work crowds, cheap skewers, trains rumbling overhead. Yurakucho and Shimbashi.
• Old downtown taverns — plastic stools on the street, stew and shochu. Asakusa.

Then think about time of day. Some routes, like Akabane and Asakusa, are at their best from mid-afternoon. Golden Gai barely wakes up before 8 p.m. Match the route to when you’re free, not the other way round.

Route	Best for	Start time	Mood
Shinjuku	First-timers	6 p.m.	Smoky alley → micro-bars
Shibuya	A short, central night	7 p.m.	Compact and lively
Ebisu	Groups, food lovers	6 p.m.	Loud food hall energy
Yurakucho–Shimbashi	Salaryman Tokyo	6 p.m.	Under the train tracks
Asakusa	Daytime or early evening	3 p.m.	Old downtown
Akabane	Cheap drinking, locals	2 p.m.	Senbero culture
Kichijoji	A slower, west-side night	6 p.m.	Maze of lanes

Route 1: Shinjuku — Omoide Yokocho to Golden Gai

If you only do one Tokyo bar hopping route, make it this one. For many visitors, this is the best bar hopping in Tokyo, full stop. It’s the classic for a reason: two completely different drinking worlds sit on opposite sides of the same station.

Stop 1: Omoide Yokocho (around 6 p.m.)

Start at the west exit. Omoide Yokocho (“Memory Lane”) has about 80 premises, roughly 60 of them bars and restaurants, according to its official site. It grew out of a street-vendor market that appeared in the burnt-out ground right after World War II, and it still feels that way: narrow, smoky and crammed.

Most counters grill skewers, so this is where you eat. Order a beer or a highball, a few skewers, and keep it to one drink. You’re pacing yourself.

Stop 2: Walk across to the east side (around 7:30 p.m.)

Cross under the tracks to the east side. You’ll pass the edge of Kabukicho on the way, which is fine to walk through but not the place to follow anyone who approaches you on the street. Touts here are the main risk of a Shinjuku night.

Stop 3: Golden Gai (from 8 p.m.)

GO TOKYO, the city’s official travel guide, describes Golden Gai as around 280 bars in a tight block of six alleys, a few minutes from the east exit. Many seat only five or six people, and most open around 8 p.m.

Pick two bars, not five. Look for prices posted on the door, peek in, and if there’s a seat, take it. Three local rules apply across the area: no smoking in the street, no drinking in the street, and no photos without permission.

Still deciding which of the two alleys deserves more of your night? Our side-by-side on Golden Gai vs Omoide Yokocho breaks down the differences in mood, food and price.

Route 2: Shibuya — Nonbei Yokocho and the Back Streets

Shibuya is loud, young and bright, which makes its little pocket of old drinking dens all the more surprising.

Stop 1: Nonbei Yokocho (around 7 p.m.)

Nonbei Yokocho, “Drunkard’s Alley,” sits right beside the train tracks next to Shibuya Station. It dates to the early 1950s, and Time Out notes that some of its bars fit only four or five people at a time. Two parallel lanes hold roughly 40 tiny bars and izakaya.

This is not a place for a group of six. Come as a pair or solo, and expect to chat with whoever is sitting next to you.

Stop 2 and 3: Stay on foot

From here, the best move is to wander into the streets on the other side of the station rather than jumping on a train. Shibuya rewards walking: standing bars, small cocktail bars and late-night ramen are all within a short stroll.

We’ve mapped out a full evening in our Shibuya bar hopping tour guide, including how to find the back-alley bars that don’t show up on a search.

Route 3: Ebisu — Ebisu Yokocho and Beyond

Ebisu is where a lot of Tokyo residents go when they want a good night out without the crowds of Shibuya, one stop away.

Stop 1: Ebisu Yokocho (from 6 p.m.)

Ebisu Yokocho is an indoor izakaya arcade near the station, built on the site of the old Yamashita shopping center. Time Out lists it as opening in 1998 and notes that most of its businesses run from 5 p.m. until very late. The food range is unusually wide for a yokocho: wine bars, sushi, oden, grills and even monjayaki.

Some shops are smaller than 25 square meters, which is why tables and stools spill into the passageway. It’s noisy and cheerful, and it works well for groups in a way that Golden Gai doesn’t.

Stop 2: A quieter bar nearby

After Ebisu Yokocho, look for a small cocktail or whisky bar in the surrounding streets. Ebisu has a grown-up bar scene, and the contrast between the arcade’s noise and a hushed counter is half the fun.

Route 4: Yurakucho to Shimbashi — Under the Tracks

This route shows you the salaryman side of Tokyo. It’s less photogenic than Golden Gai but closer to how many office workers actually drink.

Stop 1: Yurakucho gado-shita (around 6 p.m.)

Under the brick arches of the elevated tracks near Yurakucho Station, izakaya fill up as soon as offices let out. Gado-shita means “under the girder,” and that’s exactly where you’ll be sitting, with trains rumbling overhead every few minutes.

Expect yakitori, beer and a crowd in suits. Stools are low, tables are packed close, and it’s one of the easiest places in Tokyo to get a feel for after-work drinking culture.

Stop 2: Walk south toward Shimbashi

Follow the tracks south. The area between Yurakucho and Shimbashi is lined with more under-the-tracks spots, standing bars and Chinese and Korean restaurants. Shimbashi has a reputation as “salaryman heaven,” and on a weeknight you’ll see why.

Stop 3: End wherever looks busiest

There’s no single must-visit bar here. The rule is simple: go where the locals are already crowded in. A full counter is the best review you’ll get.

Route 5: Asakusa — Hoppy Street for Day Drinking

Asakusa works best as an early route. Do the temple in daylight, then drink as the sun goes down.

Stop 1: Hoppy Street (from mid-afternoon)

Hoppy Street (Hoppy-dori) runs north to south for about 80 meters on the west side of Senso-ji. The izakaya here put plastic tables and stools straight out on the street, and many are open from daytime.

The street is named after Hoppy, a beer-flavored drink with very low alcohol (around 0.8%) that’s usually mixed with shochu. It’s also called “Nikomi Street,” after the slow-cooked offal stew that most shops serve in their own version. Order one of each.

For which stalls to try and when to go, read our Hoppy Street Asakusa guide.

Stop 2: Senso-ji after dark

Take a break from drinking and walk to Senso-ji once it’s lit up. The grounds are quiet at night, and it’s a good way to reset before a final drink.

Stop 3: One more round back in the side streets

Head back toward the streets around Hoppy Street for a last drink. Asakusa winds down earlier than Shinjuku, so don’t plan this route as an all-nighter.

Route 6: Akabane — Tokyo’s Senbero Capital

Akabane, in northern Tokyo, is the route for people who want to drink where tourists rarely go. Ask local drinkers where to find the best bar hopping in Tokyo on a budget, and many will name it. It’s also the cheapest on this list.

Stop 1: Akabane Ichibangai (from 2 p.m.)

Akabane Ichibangai is a covered shopping street one minute from the station’s east exit. GO TOKYO counts approximately 100 drinking and dining spots in the area, and notes that afternoon drinking is part of the local culture here.

Akabane is famous for senbero: a word for getting pleasantly tipsy on about ¥1,000. Many places open early in the afternoon, so this is the one route where starting at 2 p.m. makes complete sense.

Stop 2: OK Yokocho

Duck into OK Yokocho, a very narrow alley off Ichibangai with a few dozen small bars and eateries. The roots go back to the postwar black market, and the crowd is overwhelmingly local.

Stop 3: Keep it moving

Akabane is built for short stops: one drink and one dish, then on to the next. By early evening you can be four places in and still have spent less than a single cocktail costs in Roppongi.

Route 7: Kichijoji — Harmonica Yokocho

Kichijoji is a short ride west of Shinjuku on the JR Chuo Line, and it feels like a different city. It suits travelers who want a relaxed night with a lot of character.

Stop 1: Harmonica Yokocho (from 6 p.m.)

Right by the north exit of Kichijoji Station, Harmonica Yokocho is a tight grid of covered lanes that began as a flea market after World War II. The name comes from how the rows of tiny shopfronts look like the reeds of a harmonica.

By day it’s fishmongers, sweets shops and clothing stores. At night the lanterns come on and standing bars and small eateries take over. According to GO TOKYO, most of the bars only appeared after the 1990s, which gives it a younger feel than Shinjuku’s alleys.

Stop 2 and 3: Lane by lane

The fun here is getting a little lost. Walk the lanes, stop where there’s space at the counter, and move on after a drink. You can cover three or four places without ever leaving the yokocho.

Practical Tips for the Best Bar Hopping in Tokyo

These apply to every route above.

Expect a seat charge

Many small bars and izakaya add a seat charge, often with a small snack called otoshi. It’s not a scam; it’s the system. Bars on a tourist path often post the charge on the door. If they don’t, just ask before you sit down. Our explainer on the otoshi charge covers how it works and why.

Bring cash

Smaller places in yokocho alleys are often cash only. Carry enough in small notes for the whole night so you aren’t hunting for an ATM between stops.

Keep your group small

Tiny bars are the heart of Tokyo bar hopping, and many seat only a handful of people. Two or three people can slip in anywhere. A group of six usually can’t, which is why Ebisu Yokocho and gado-shita work better for bigger parties.

One drink, one dish, move on

Pace is everything. Order one drink and maybe one small plate per stop, then leave. This is how locals do hashigo-zake, and it keeps you sharp enough to enjoy the third and fourth places.

Check your last train

Tokyo’s trains don’t run all night, and last departures vary by line. Look up your last train before your final stop, or budget for a taxi.

Ignore street touts

In every busy area, and especially around Kabukicho, the main risk is someone on the street inviting you into a bar. Walk past. The best bars in Tokyo don’t need to recruit customers on the sidewalk.

Self-Guided or With a Local Guide?

Every route above can be done on your own. The alleys are public, many bars post prices on the door, and you now know the order to walk them in.

What’s harder to do alone is getting past the door. Some of the best small bars are run by a single owner who speaks little English, and some regulars-only places will politely turn away strangers. That’s where having someone local helps most: they know which places welcome visitors tonight, how to order, and when it’s time to move on.

Want a Local to Lead the Way?

If you’d rather skip the guesswork, the Tokyo After 10 nightlife private tour is built around exactly this kind of night. A local guide takes you through the bars and alleys that fit your mood, handles the ordering and the charges, and makes sure you end up somewhere worth remembering.

Either way, pick one route, start early, and leave room for the bar you didn’t plan on. That’s usually the one you’ll talk about afterward.

About the Author

Ted

Administrator

Ever since I started working, I’ve been hooked on Tokyo’s nightlife — from hostess clubs to the more risqué side of things, I’ve explored it all. Whenever I travel for business across Japan, I make it a point to dive into the local night scene. With years of firsthand experience and curiosity as my guide, I started this blog to share the real, unfiltered world of Japan’s adult nightlife with foreign travelers. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned visitor, I hope this site helps you discover the hidden side of Japan after dark.

Author's posts