Discovering Tokyo's secrets relies on a mixture of research, recommendations, and - should you have the time - luck. What is important to note is that Tokyo simply can not be digested as one giant whole. The greater area is home to some 33 million people, with 12 million of those in the city itself. Rush hour extends to pretty much the entire train schedule. Recently, The majority of stores, restaurants and such like have succumbed to a western influence - if not in name, in philosophy. To its credit, the appearance of a ‘conbini’ (24 hour convenience store) or even a ‘nan demo’ (literal translation is ‘whatever’, in the west, maybe best interpreted a 'knick knack' or thrift store - one floor is food, the next costumes, the next designer jewellery) like ‘Don Quijote’ can provide the opportunity to stock up on essentials or find that souvenir you never knew someone wanted.
Both western and Japanese franchises are commonplace in Japan's capital, and they can provide comforting or frustrating familiarity in equal measure. Themed bars and restaurants are also plentiful, having branches all along the Yamanote line. While it can be reassuring to know what you are getting (and especially how much you will be paying), there has become an increasing desire among locals and visitors to seek out privately owned establishments with a unique identity.
Wandering the maze of streets of downtown can be a very rewarding experience. Finding somewhere interesting but off the beaten track feels special. There are a number of areas and stores in Tokyo that make up a checklist for tourists to get their ‘otaku’ fix, be it figures, manga, cat cafes or something more… ‘Acquired’.
Every September, thousands of gamers and developers flock to Japan’s flagship (but certainly not only) event, the Tokyo Games Show. Despite its distance from the wrong side of the city centre approaching an hour, it draws huge crowds. Akihabara is the closest gamer hot spot, and very high on tourists must-see lists. On the Showa dori side of Akiba (for short) station, away from the immensely popular AKB48/ Gundam cafes, the strip of electronics stores and arcades is the other side of Tokyo's gaming culture coin.
A short walk from the busy traffic, round a corner or two, you will find an innocuous but beloved bar called Game Bar A Button. Its owner cuts a slender yet trendy figure, and he is the instigator at the centre of many music events and meet-ups across Tokyo; A Button itself is host to such events from time to time. As retro cool and striking as the outside neon is, it is the bar's unique interior decor that brings in industry types and tourists alike. A Panasonic Q - a Nintendo GameCube / DVD combo never released outside of Japan - greets you at the door, which should tell you all you need to know about this place.
A plethora of gaming memorabilia covers every surface and provides an incredible insight into not only the commercial side of gaming, but its technical heart, too. An original PS3 sits right below a PSP that is used as a jukebox, playing everything from Famicom Final Fantasy and Mega Man to Metal Gear Solid 2's epic main theme. Squeezed in is a bulky and well-worn PC-style box boasting a logo gamers with a fondness for history will recognise: a Dreamcast development kit. Opposite the bar, there is a stack of home consoles, including one of the most sought after treasures: a boxed Nintendo 64DD.
It’s as much of a museum as it is a watering hole. Books and portable consoles are there to be enjoyed, while looking just above your head will ignite a child-like excitement as you gaze through the immense tangle of wires and peripherals, including a couple of rare crossover controllers. A handful of Nintendo amiibo sit next to a Game & Watch collection, and the congested meishi (business card) board littered with recognisable insignia highlights this place's industry relevance, as well as its kitsch appeal.
For all its glorious paraphernalia, this is not a big place. It would not at all be out of place in Shinjuku’s Golden Gai - a kilometre square block of bars and restaurants that seldom cater for more than a dozen people. A Button has a counter for about eight chairs and a table that can seat four people - that’s your lot. Both Golden Gai and A Button’s charm are their ability to make their patrons feel like they are walking into a bubble of fond memories; it’s the garage full of stuff you had as a kid, but had to throw out. It’s reading about a game from your childhood and then being able to have a quick blast. It's a cave of all that is treasured in the video game industry.
Like so much of Tokyo, it is best discovered by yourself, but the next best thing is introducing it to other, like-minded people, as anyone who walks in will find and gravitate towards their particular favourite thing. Get there at opening time, sit back with a pint of their great craft beer, and take it all in.
This article was originally published by nintendolife.com on Fri 30th March, 2018.
Comments 27
Tokyo is one of those places I just feel like I need to visit. Hopefully by the time I finally get to it I can visit here. It really sounds like a place that I would not only visit but try and open one of myself. I generally love theme bars.
I realy want to go back to tokyo.only went one time before.but dont have the money right now.i hope later.
@Alto I'm in, let's get our own started =D I've been building my collection for years, I just need to figure out how to display it and share the love now.
@roadrunner343 it would be the best ever! Mario Mondays, Toad Tuesdays, Wario Wednesday’s... you see the potential! The urinals and toilets can be designed live save rooms. The bathroom keys could be red keys. Beer tokens are star fox rings. The stairwell to the basement would play the underground theme (world 1-2). Beer taps are Samus upgrades ... aaahhhh!!
My best find in Tokyo was a Dreamcast with fishing rod, gun, controller and 4 games for 300yen.
That was in an odd shop up one of the many multi-floored buildings.
Been there and met the owner who very kindly let me hold both the Panasonic Q and the 64DD. I was happier than a 10-year-old on Christmas Day.
I bought Shenmue 1 in Tokyo for 100 yen
And a Virtual Boy for 6500 yen, about €50
Lovely write-up, Jon. Nice to get a Tokyo/Japan based article with a personal touch - especially when it's all too easy to just repeat 'JAPAN GETS ALL THE BEST THINGS' ad nauseam with little extra insight.
Would be interested to know more about the drinks menu!
Very cool! Another place id get lost and lose all sort of need to get back home.
Might help if you made the location clear. I think you are saying it's near Akiba station, but other times it sounds like it's in Shinjuku. Google says it's in Akihabara... So confusing.
I live in the states and I could imagine something like this Brooklyn, but I fear it would be drenched in a dated and off-putting level of hipster chic. Are the people who go to a bar like this just... normal folks with a shared interest who want a beer? That's the vibe and I really like that.
@riChchestM
I've got not the slightest idea why you find this confusing. The article clearly states that it is located in Akihabara and that it is close to Akiba station. As you obviously already have searched for it via Google Maps, you should also see that the latter information is also true, because according to Google Maps the place is located about 500m north-east of the eastern exit of that station.
Moreover, I really don't understand why you think the article would instead describe it as being in Shinjuku???
Also keep in mind that in Japan the streets don't have names and the buildings don't have numbers like they have here in the west (well they do have numbers but those numbers add up to city blocks and not streets and they are churned out in arcane ways) and this already explains why it's hard to give a more detailed location. But fortunately we got google maps today. Believe, it was really a hassle finding places in Japan before that service was available!
I'm not a drinker, in any way, shape, or form. I do like the video game theme, though. There's more than likely a place like this, that isn't a bar, in that general area.
@Capt_N stay tuned, there's a couple of other places I've visited that are more centered around gaming than drinking.
This article reminds me somewhat of the Japan articles from Super Play magazine back in the day. Which is a good thing. Thanks!
@Eigotaku: I do stay tuned.
You need to do a feature on Arcade Club in the UK. Awesome retro heaven place!
Tokyo, one day soon - I'll be in you.
I was there just a few months back.
It's tiny, only space for a handful of folks! It's what I'd call "honest". It's really just a dusty collection of old bits, a proper dive bar really, so don't expect much more.
The chap was really nice to me when I was there though, turns out he's a huge fan of English football and showed me through his albums of classic English stadia from the 90s! Brilliant!
He also claimed to have worked on the Sega DC in some capacity, although my Japanese wasn't good enough to know what he did exactly.
Anyway, if you're in the area, stop off, they have a nice selection of ales and beers I thought! Cool to see it covered here...
Tokyo is a really cool place to visit. There is a LOT of fun things to do. Cool places to go. Awesome things to see. But it is a city's city. People are always in a hurry and completely willing to plow over you to get by. Tokyo's massive popular is likely the reason for Japan's reputation of overcrowded trains too. And I wouldn't say the people are rude, but they aren't exactly friendly either. I have come to prefer Osaka and Kyoto to Tokyo for most things. More pleasant people, somewhat less crowded, and people are very friendly.
This sounds cool, but not the exact place I would like to visit. If all it has on offer is reminiscing about fond memories I would prefer to hit up one of their famous arcades instead.
@Alto
@roadrunner343
I only have one thing to say to you guys, in response to your scheme... when do you open?
If I never go to Tokyo in my life my life will be a major disappointment.
If anyone ever goes to northern France (Strasbourg area) look up a bar called "la phonograph" awesome 80s style video game bar. Bathrooms even play Mario Bros music whenever anyone opens the door.
This would be worth the trip to Japan
It's a bar? Aside from the exterior, I see nothing in the pictures that says it's a bar. So confusing.
This is the only place in Tokyo that I was unable to figure out. My Japanese is moderate, so I was at least able to stumble through all the interactions I had, but this back alley bar had zero english when I went and the man at the door refused to slow down his speaking so I could figure out what he was asking. I stood waiting outside the front door not knowing a thing about this place other than I needed a beer and wanted to have a good time. The man stepped out, didn't let me in, kept asking what floor I was supposed to be on in Japanese and when I responded in Japanese that I had no idea what he meant he just kept repeating it over and over again. He then asked me to wait outside a minute. I didn't. I left. Not sure if you needed a reservation or if he just had no idea why a single person alone would want to go there, but I didn't stick around.
My biggest problem in Tokyo was that finding anything to do for singles was completely impossible. I'm not a drinker, I haven't drank a drop since college, but because I couldn't find a single thing in Tokyo to meet people I ended up looking for every bar and kisaten I could find in the hopes of having Japanese conversations with other people. Every single bar/kisaten is set up for groups that are already put together and wanting to dine together by themselves. There is no place to sit at the bar for anyone looking to strike up a conversation with a stranger. You are sequestered to a table alone where you drink alone. I found one lively bar in Shibuya that looked like everyone was having a blast together and dancing and singing, but it was so packed that I didn't push my luck. My one regret for my Tokyo visit was not being able to find a place to meet other Japanese folks. They are so quiet in their daily lives and prefer to stick with friends and not associate with strangers, so I was pretty much stuck alone for the whole trip. Next time I go in a few months I'll have to start asking people for suggestions.
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