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First Time in Japan

Written and checked by Upward Inc. · Last updated · How we check

Ueno, Shinjuku and Shibuya are all forgiving places to spend a first evening in Japan, and each of them is walkable from one station. What catches first-time visitors out is not the food but the bill, and this page explains it with the actual amounts the shops publish. These three areas also stop serving at very different hours, which is the other thing to settle before you choose.

Where to start

Each area has one branch of the same chain where every food item costs the same, which makes a first order simple. Everything on the food menu is ¥410 including tax at TORIKIZOKU Ueno Chuo-dori, TORIKIZOKU Shinjuku Higashiguchi and TORIKIZOKU Shibuya Center Gai.

In Ueno, walk out of the Shinobazu Exit of JR Ueno Station. That is the exit the Ameyoko market area is reached from, and most of the izakaya listed here are one to five minutes from it. For the park instead, use the Park Exit.

In Shinjuku, most of what is listed here sits on the east side of the station. The Torikizoku branch is two minutes east of the Central East Exit, on the eighth floor of the Peace Building, and ICHIRAN Shinjuku Chuo Higashiguchi is in the basement of the same building.

In Shibuya, start from the Hachiko Exit. The Torikizoku branch is three minutes north-west of it, and ICHIRAN Shibuya is three minutes the other way along Inokashira-dori, next to Shibuya Marui JAM.

Five places in Ueno that are easy on a first night

Each of these has either a menu in English or a way of ordering that needs no Japanese.

  • TORIKIZOKU Ueno Chuo-dori — every item, food and drink alike, is ¥410 including tax, and the English menu is a PDF updated in October 2026. Open until 5:00 every day.
  • KUSHIKATSU TANAKA Ueno 6-chome — battered, deep-fried skewers ordered one at a time, from ¥88 to ¥352 including tax, with a menu printed in English, Chinese and Korean.
  • ICHIRAN Atre Ueno Yamashita-guchi — tonkotsu ramen at ¥1,180, ordered by ticking a paper sheet at your own counter booth. The shop page is in English, Chinese, Korean and Thai, with a subtitled video showing how to order.
  • Chiba-chan Ueno Ameyoko — a 180-seat everyday drinking restaurant with an English menu and free Wi-Fi, three minutes from the Hirokoji Exit. Small dishes start at ¥110 including tax.
  • Ramen Kamo to Negi — open 24 hours, one minute from the North Exit of Okachimachi Station, 19 seats, all non-smoking. Cash only.

Five places in Shinjuku that are easy on a first night

The same test applies here: a menu in English, or ordering that needs no Japanese.

  • TORIKIZOKU Shinjuku Higashiguchi — every food item is ¥410 including tax, and the English menu is a PDF updated in October 2026. Open until 4:00 every day, from 14:00 on weekdays and 12:00 at weekends, with 4 counter seats and 62 table seats.
  • KUSHIKATSU TANAKA Shinjuku Kabukicho — deep-fried skewers from ¥88 to ¥352 including tax, ordered one at a time, with a menu printed in English, Chinese and Korean. It has 56 seats and serves until 3:00, or until 4:00 from Friday to Sunday.
  • ICHIRAN Shinjuku Chuo Higashiguchi — tonkotsu ramen at ¥1,180, ordered on a paper sheet, open 24 hours. All 28 seats are single booths at the counter, with no table seats.
  • Sushizanmai Shinjuku Higashiguchi — ordering is by tablet with dish names printed in English, nigiri starts at ¥140 a piece, and all 84 seats are non-smoking. It is three minutes from the East Exit and closes at 22:00 from Monday to Thursday, 23:00 from Friday to Sunday.
  • YONA YONA BEER WORKS Shinjuku Higashiguchi — the drinks and food menus are printed in Japanese and English, every listed price includes tax, and the whole pub is non-smoking. Beers are poured in 250ml, 400ml and 550ml sizes, and a three-beer tasting set is ¥1,800.

Five places in Shibuya that are easy on a first night

Each of these publishes either an English menu or an English shop page of its own.

  • TORIKIZOKU Shibuya Center Gai — every food item is ¥410 including tax, with an English menu and an English shop page. Open until 4:00, or until 5:00 on Friday and Saturday, with 3 counter seats and 55 table seats.
  • KUSHIKATSU TANAKA Shibuya Hyakkendana — skewers from ¥88 to ¥352 including tax, a menu in English, Chinese and Korean, an English shop page and free Wi-Fi. It has 58 seats and serves until 1:00 every night.
  • ICHIRAN Shibuya — the same ¥1,180 bowl and the same paper order sheet, open 24 hours, three minutes from the Hachiko Exit. All 21 seats are single counter booths, and children's ramen and children's tableware are both listed.
  • Oreryu Shio-Ramen Shibuya Center Gai — salt ramen from ¥830, with the official ramen menu written in both Japanese and English and a description of each bowl. All seats are non-smoking and the shop serves until 7:00 the next morning.
  • GBF – Goodbeer faucets — an English website, English spoken, 24 beers on tap and 50 kinds in cans, five to seven minutes from the station depending on your line. Its own FAQ states that there is no cover charge, no otoshi and no service charge; it is closed on Mondays and is reached by lift.

What gets added to the bill

Most Japanese izakaya and bars add a per-person charge on top of what you order. It is often called otoshi or a table charge, it is not a tip, and you cannot decline it. These are the amounts published by the places on this site.

In Ueno:

  • KUSHIKATSU TANAKA Ueno 6-chome — ¥319 including tax for each guest aged 20 or over, whether or not they drink alcohol, and each of those guests must order at least one drink. Soft drinks count.
  • Chiba-chan Ueno Ameyoko — a table charge of ¥473 including tax per person, at least one drink each, and 10% added to anything ordered after 22:00.
  • Nihonshu Genka Sakagura Ueno Okachimachi — an entry fee of ¥540 including tax per person. In exchange there is normally no appetizer charge, no one-drink minimum and no minimum food order.
  • The TRAD — ¥1,200 including tax per person, covering a small appetizer, service and the seat. A private room adds ¥2,000 per group.
  • SAKE BAR UENO SHOJYO — ¥500 per person, which includes a small appetizer.
  • Tachinomi Kadokura — nothing if you stand at the bar, ¥200 per person if you take a chair seat.
  • Shutei Juraku Ueno and UENO TORIFUKU both add a per-person charge, but their own official pages give two different amounts for it, so confirm it at the table. At Torifuku the charge does not apply if you order a course.
  • The Auditorium has no seating charge and no service charge at all.

In Shinjuku:

In Shibuya:

  • KUSHIKATSU TANAKA Shibuya Hyakkendana — ¥319 including tax per guest aged 20 or over, with the same one-drink minimum.
  • UOTAMI Shibuya Jinnan — ¥498 including tax per person for the otoshi, plus 10% of the bill if your first order is placed between 22:00 and 5:00.
  • Tower's Bar BELLOVISTO — a table charge of ¥2,000 per person from 19:00, which does not apply at the counter. Listed prices already include a 15 percent service charge and 10 percent consumption tax.
  • Bar Ishinohana — ¥500 per person, stated on the bar's English pages though not on its Japanese ones, and each guest must order at least one drink or one dish.
  • GONPACHI SHIBUYA — a minimum charge of ¥1,000, ¥1,100 with tax, per person from 17:00. SUSHI GONPACHI SHIBUYA, in the same tower, also has one from 17:00, but its web page and its menu give two different amounts, so ask on arrival.
  • ICHIRAN Shibuya — the same unpublished late-night charge between 22:00 and 6:00.
  • GBF – Goodbeer faucets — no cover charge, no otoshi and no service charge, as its own FAQ states. Opening a canned beer costs ¥300 outside the 15:00 to 18:00 happy hour.
  • WOMB and clubasia charge admission per event instead. At clubasia a drink charge is added on top of the ticket.

Good to know

  • Carry cash, but check first whether it is any use. AFURI Shibuya Dogenzaka is fully cashless and states that cash cannot be used, while Ramen Kamo to Negi in Ueno and Sushi Tatsu in Omoide Yokocho take cash only. At Tachinomi Kadokura the standing area is paid in cash as each item is handed to you, so bring coins.
  • Eitaro Sushi accepts credit cards at dinner only, and the Omoide Yokocho association lists payment at Gallery Bar Albatross as cash. That listing was last updated as of March 2021, so treat it as a reason to carry notes rather than a guarantee.
  • Late hours cost more. All three branches of ICHIRAN add a late-night charge between 22:00 and 6:00 without publishing the rate: Ueno, Shinjuku and Shibuya. Chiba-chan adds 10% after 22:00, SHIROKIYA 10% between 22:00 and 5:00, and UOTAMI 10% on a first order placed after 22:00.
  • Shops have house rules, and they are published. At KUSHIKATSU TANAKA in Ueno, Shinjuku and Shibuya you must not dip a skewer in the sauce twice: the pot is shared within your group and thrown away after the meal. Bar Ishinohana lists its own as no shots, no cigars, no baseball caps and no bomb-style drinks.
  • Two Shibuya venues check identification at the door. WOMB requires a photo document for its late-night events, a driver's licence, a passport or a My Number Card, and does not allow re-entry once you leave. clubasia also requires photo identification at night events, and refuses entry to men wearing sandals.
  • A few places ask you to dress for it. Tower's Bar BELLOVISTO and Sushi Ito Ikkan both state a smart casual dress code, and at Sushi Ito Ikkan men in T-shirts, shorts or sandals may be turned away.
  • Some shops close when the food runs out rather than at the listed time. FUUNJI Shinjuku and AFURI Shibuya Dogenzaka both close when the soup is gone, and FUUNJI takes no reservations and breaks between 15:00 and 17:00 every day.
  • BAR SAMURAI is a quiet basement bar, not a show bar. The owners state on their own site that they have no flame shows and no sword performances, and that they are often mistaken for a bar that does.
  • Smoking rules decide where you can sit. In Ueno, The TRAD and The Auditorium allow smoking in the whole room and admit no one aged 20 or under, and in Shibuya Oreryu Gyozaro states that smoking is allowed and does not mention a non-smoking section. Non-smoking throughout: 2nd COOPER, UENO TORIFUKU, YONA YONA BEER WORKS, FUUNJI, Sushizanmai Shinjuku Higashiguchi, Oreryu Shio-Ramen and Sushizanmai Shibuya Tokyuhontenmae.
  • Do not follow anyone who stops you in the street to sell you a bar. Touting for venues that serve alcohol is banned in every public place in Taito ward, and Chiba-chan states that it uses no touts and asks you to contact the shop if someone on the street claims to work for it.
  • Smoking while walking and dropping litter are both banned in outdoor public places in Taito ward, heated tobacco included.
  • Do your money and information errands before the evening. At Keisei Ueno Station the currency exchange counter is open 6:15 to 19:00, the Tokyo Tourist Information Center until 18:30, and the baggage counter until 18:00.
  • Check your last train. Lines through Ueno stop between about midnight and 1:00. At JR Ueno Station the ticket offices at the Iriya, Central and Shinobazu exits sell until 23:50, while the Park Exit office closes at 20:00.
  • If you miss it, each of the three has somewhere open all night. Open 24 hours: Isomaru Suisan Ueno 6-chome, ICHIRAN and Ramen Kamo to Negi in Ueno; Isomaru Suisan Nishi-Shinjuku, ICHIRAN Shinjuku and Sugoi Niboshi Ramen Nagi in Shinjuku; Isomaru Suisan Shibuya Udagawacho and ICHIRAN Shibuya in Shibuya.
  • Others serve into the morning without staying open all night. In Shibuya, Oreryu Shio-Ramen serves until 7:00, Sushizanmai Shibuya Tokyuhontenmae until 6:00 with last orders at 5:00, and Oreryu Gyozaro until 5:00 with last orders at 4:30. In Shinjuku, SHIROKIYA serves until 5:00 and Sushizanmai Higashi Shinjuku until 5:00 with last orders at 4:30.

Plan the rest of the night

The area pages walk each place in order, with hours and charges attached: Ueno from the station to the park, through Ameyoko and down to Okachimachi, then Shinjuku and Shibuya. The full list of places, with hours, prices and payment methods for each, is on all venues.

For an evening already timed out, see day 1, day 2 and day 3 in Ueno, or the Shinjuku evening.

If you are travelling as a couple, with children or on your own, the pages for couples, families, solo travellers and friends and groups narrow the same list down, and the guides cover manners, transport and what stays open late.

Every area in this guide

Ueno · Asakusa · Shibuya · Shinjuku · Roppongi · Ginza · Tsukiji · Tsukishima

Common questions

What is otoshi, and do I have to pay it?

Otoshi is a small dish brought to your table at many izakaya, with a per-person charge added to the bill whether you eat it or not. It is not a scam and it is not a tip. Around Ueno it runs from about ¥200 to ¥500 per person: Kushikatsu Tanaka charges ¥319 for each guest aged 20 or over, Chiba-chan adds a ¥473 table charge, and Tachinomi Kadokura charges ¥200 only for the chair seats, nothing at the standing counter.

Can I pay by credit card in Ueno at night?

Most of the larger places take cards, but some do not. Ramen Kamo to Negi is cash only. Eitaro Sushi takes cards at dinner but not at lunch. Several bars do not publish their payment methods at all. Carry enough cash for one meal even if you plan to pay by card.

What time do the last trains leave Ueno?

Lines through Ueno and Okachimachi stop running between roughly midnight and 1:00. If you miss them, Isomaru Suisan, Ichiran and Ramen Kamo to Negi are open 24 hours, and Torikizoku serves until 5:00.

Can children go to izakaya in Tokyo?

It depends on the venue. Kushikatsu Tanaka admits under-20s, including unaccompanied ones, and simply does not serve them alcohol. Torikizoku does not admit under-20s without an adult. The TRAD and The Auditorium refuse anyone aged 20 or under because smoking is allowed throughout. Japanese law bars under-20s from smoking areas even if they do not smoke.

Can you smoke in bars and restaurants in Ueno?

Both exist. The TRAD and The Auditorium allow smoking throughout, which is also why they do not admit under-20s. Ramen Kamo to Negi, 2nd COOPER and Tachinomi Kadokura are entirely non-smoking. Larger chains such as Isomaru Suisan keep a separate smoking booth.

Do I need a reservation?

For most places in Ueno, no. Izuei Umegawatei takes bookings by phone only and closes on Mondays. Eitaro Sushi asks for a reservation and has a cancellation policy. LIVER requires a booking on Saturdays. Small bars with ten to twenty seats fill up, so arriving before 19:00 helps.

Is there a late-night surcharge?

At some venues, yes. Ichiran adds a late-night rate between 22:00 and 6:00, though it does not publish the percentage. Chiba-chan adds 10 percent to orders placed after 22:00. Nihonshu Genka Sakagura charges a ¥540 entry fee instead, with no otoshi and no minimum order.

Is Ueno safe to walk around at night?

Ueno Park is open from 5:00 to 23:00 and the streets around the station stay busy late. Touts are banned by local ordinance; several venues, including Chiba-chan, state publicly that they do not use them. Anyone who approaches you on the street offering a bar is not connected to the places listed here.