Tokyo Whiskey Bars

Seen all the main sights in Tokyo and want something new to experience. How about visiting one of Tokyo’s famous Whiskey Bars.

Scotland may be the home of Whiskey, but there is no better place on the planet to sample this liquid of the gods than Tokyo. Tokyo’s whiskey culture is at another level with dozens of small bars offering thousands of top quality whiskies. The Japanese have a broad taste in Scotch, American Bourbons and locally produced whiskey.

There are a multitude of bars in Tokyo. Some are tiny, dark basements others more stylish places with bow-tied experts mixing drinks.

The following are some of Tokyo’s highly recommend whiskey bars


Shot Bar Zoetrope – Half-way up a high-rise in Shinjuku, this is a great place to sample some unfamiliar foreign whiskeys.

Location: Third floor, Gaia Building #4, 7-10-14 Nishi Shinjuku

Website: homepage2.nifty.com/zoetrope

Campbelltoun Loch – This basement bar is a favourite with serious drinkers because it stocks nothing but the finest whiskey. It can only seat 8 customers at a time so if you get a set you are drinking with the local elite.

Location: Matsui Building B1, 1-6-8 Yurakucho Chiyoda-ku

Ginza S – Another basement bar, but darker and more glamorous than the above.

Location: Chuo-ku B2, Ginza

Website: ginza-s.com

The Helmsdale – Has a very Scottish appearance with tartan carpets and Scottish football on TV. A visit here takes you back to a traditional pub in the mother country.

Location: Minami Aoyama 2F, Minato-ku

Website: www.helmsdale-fc.com

The Mash Tun – Inside is a taste of Scotland with bare concrete walls, a few tables and a rotating stock of around 250 quality malts.

Location: Kami-Osaki 2F, Shinagawa-ku

Website: themashtun.com

Quercus – This is a very homely and affordable bar and the type of place that you want to end up at 4 am.

Location: Okuma Boulevard B1, Higashi-Ikebukuro

Bar High Society – This bar occupies a whole corner of the 27th floor of the Park Hotel. It is also the HQ of the Japanese branch of the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society.

Location: Shiodome Media Tower, Higashi Shimbashi, Minato-ku

Website: parkhoteltokyo.com

10 Things to do on a Budget in Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan’s modern capital is one of the most exciting places on the planet, but this doesn’t mean a holiday to this amazing destination has to break the bank. Like most places in the world, a trip to Tokyo can be done either in luxury or on a shoestring budget. I’ve been lucky to have been able to travel around most of Japan in my ten years of living there and overall I have found Japan to be an incredibly affordable holiday destination.

If you are planning a trip to the land of the rising sun, be sure to check out these things to do in Tokyo, for people travelling on a budget!

The Imperial Palace Gardens

- Located in the heart of Tokyo, the Imperial Palace is a must see tourist attraction, whether you’re travelling on a budget or not. Visit the magnificent gardens surrounding the home of Japan’s emperor and Imperial family. It is an easy walk from Tokyo Station and entry is free.

Visit Harajuku

- A trip to Harajuku is the experience of a lifetime. This is the home of Japanese street fashion and cosplay and the best spot in Tokyo for people watching. Also located close by is the famous Meiji Shrine.

Visit a Shinto Shrine

- Most temples and shrines in Tokyo are free to visit. The more famous ones will charge an entrance fee but this is usually as little as USD$6. Various religious festivals are held throughout the year, with the shrines themselves being a major attraction. Colourful features and intricate detailing can date back hundreds of years to when the shrines were first built.

Buy something from a Vending Machine

- Yes, I know most countries have vending machines, but in Japan they’re at another level. Using a vending machine in Japan is like taking a step into the future with high tech machines that can recommend drinks for you based on the weather and your age and gender. You can pretty much find them on every street corner in Japan. Tokyo has Vending machines that sell just about anything and the prices are very reasonable, sometimes cheaper than a shop.

Karaoke!

- If you’re going to have one night out in Japan, make sure it’s at a karaoke box! The Japanese love to sing and it’s one of the best experiences you’ll ever have. Your night doesn’t need to be expensive with karaoke boxes offering great deals for small groups that include food and drinks.

Get Electric in Akihabara

- Better known electric town, it is the home of technology. Tokyo’s gadget district is frequented by millions of visitors every year. If you’re travelling on a budget, it may be a good idea to leave your wallet at home for this shopping experience. Although you can find some pretty good deals there!

Yoyogi Park

- If you’re looking for some free entertainment, you can’t go past a Sunday afternoon in Yoyogi Park. Local bands battle it out, dressed in the craziest rock gear you’ve ever seen!

Sumo Wrestling

- While sumo wrestling bouts can take a chunk out of your spending money, you can see sumo wrestlers in action during training matches, for free. Training venues aren’t generally made public, so talk to your hotel concierge about finding one nearby.

Eat Noodles!

- Throughout Japan you will find a variety of noodle dishes and restaurants. In my experience, the best noodles are found at the small traditional shops that are usually hidden away in alleys or between buildings. A yummy bowl of noodles will cost you around USD$4.

Island Hop

- If you want to travel, but known that world trip tickets come with a hefty price tag, try discovering the islands of Japan instead. Japan flights between islands are very affordable and give you the chance to experience various types of Japanese culture.

The Japan Rail Pass

Japan’s rail services are one of the best in the world. They are extremely efficient and go just about everywhere in Japan. If you plan to do a lot of travelling in Japan then you should consider the Japan Rail Pass. The pass allows for unlimited travel on the national JR network, including the shinkansen (bullet trains) excluding the Nozomi superexpress.

This pass can only be purchased outside of Japan and will save you travel money in Japan.

If you plan, like most tourists to travel the Golden Route of Tokyo – Kyoto – Osaka – Hiroshima it is well worth looking at this pass. You must be travelling in Japan under the visa status of “temporary visitor” to be eligible.


The pass must be purchased outside of Japan, and once in the country, be validated at a JR Travel Centre (located everywhere in Japan). When validated, reservations can be made at any Green Window at major stations.

The Japan Rail Pass comes in two varieties, one for each class of service, Standard (普通車) and Green car (グリーン車) also called first-class. The pass is time limited with three time periods available.

Japan Rail Pass Prices 

Note: Children aged 6-11 travel at half the above prices

Check out the Japan Rail Pass website for more details and information.

If you already live in Japan then you might want to check out one of the regional area passes such as the JR Kanto Area Pass

I’d love to hear from you if you have used any other passes and can recommend them to our followers. Please leave a comment below.

Dr NakaMats The World’s Greatest Inventor

Who is the world’s greatest inventor? Many people in Japan will tell you it is Dr NakaMatsu also known as Yoshiro Nakamatsu.

Dr NakaMats has been called the Edison of Japan and has invented thousands of products. He is still going strong at the age of 84 and is a quite a celebrity in Japan.


Some of his greatest inventions include:


• The Floppy Disk
• The CD
• Karaoke
• Brain Drink – the key to a long healthy life
• Pyon Pyon spring shoes – shoes with leaf springs on their soles so you can bounce around which makes walking a lot easier
• Cerebrex – an armchair that improves mental functions such as calculation and thinking by cooling the head and heating the feet
• The Water Engine Car - a car that runs on only water
• Underwater Notebook – notebook that is useable under water so he can record his inventions

How does Dr NakaMatsu come up with his great ideas?

Some of his inventing techniques and creative processes include:

• Listening to music
• Diving and thinking underwater where his brain benefits from the lack of oxygen. His best ideas come when he is 0.5 seconds from death
• Visiting his million dollar toilet room made completely out of gold

Next time you see an invention from Japan think of the famous Dr NakaMatsu.

Some other cool Japanese inventions

• Japanese Hair Washing Robot
• Japanese Ice Bra
• Air Conditioned Clothing
• Japanese Sense Roid

The Rules of Sushi

Like most things in Japanese life there are precise codes and formalities involved with eating the national dish of sushi. Its preparation, presentation and consumption are subject to a surprising number of rules.

Here are some of the most important sushi etiquette


Wasabi 

To mix or not to mix? The correct technique is to place a small amount of wasabi on each piece of sushi with your chopstick before eating. These days it is quite common for people outside of Japan to mix their wasabi in soy sauce as a dipping sauce for the sushi. I tend to do this myself and although not technically correct, it is acceptable.

Dipping 

What is the correct way to dip sushi into soy sauce? The rice part of the sushi should not touch the soy sauce as it has already been flavoured and will tend to fall apart easily in the sauce. Only the fish, seafood or other part of the sushi should touch the sauce.

How many bites?

Sushi is meant to be eaten in one bite. It is considered rude to bite it in two. If the sushi is too big, ask the chef to cut it in half. They will not be offended and are happy to oblige.

Fingers or Chopsticks? 

Sushi was traditionally eaten only by hand. These days most people eat sushi with chopsticks. How can I tell which to use? If you visit a restaurant where you are given a specific hand towel to wipe your fingers then the restaurant is recommending that you eat using your hands.

Where to Start? 

Yes, believe it or not there is a correct order in which to eat sushi. Start first with the most delicately flavoured fish and gradually proceed to stronger flavours or fattier fish such as tuna or eel, and finish with the sweet egg sushi.

Why is there ginger? 

The beautiful pink ginger is meant to be eaten between mouthfuls of sushi to refresh the palate, so it’s ready for a new flavour and to aid in digestion.

The 3 Golden Rules

Don’t forget these 3 keys rules: don’t stick your chopsticks upright in the rice; don’t cut a piece of sushi in half with your chopsticks; and don’t mix wasabi in your soy sauce.

These are formal rules of etiquette and while correct as long as you enjoy your sushi that is fine with me.

How to make Sushi Rolls