Beer retailers
Tanakaya (Mejiro - Liquor shop). 3953-8888
This spacious basement shop near Mejiro station is one of the best liquor shops in town. It's certainly number one when it comes to its selection of American microbrew beers, with dozens and dozens of brews that we haven't found anywhere else. They also stock an impressive choice of Japanese micros and Belgian craft beers, sake and awamori, Calvados and liqueurs and plenty more. Cash only.
mapMejiro 3-4-14. (on Mejiro-dori just a few seconds west of Mejiro station) Open 11am-8pm. Closed Sundays.
Shinanoya (Shinjuku Kabukicho - Liquor shop). 3204-2365
A good selection of wines and spirits and a dozen or so European beers at discount prices, plus random imported food items.
SunmapKabukicho 1-12-9. (on the main central street, across from Tokyo Kaisen Ichiba) Open 11am-4am daily.
National Azabu (Hiroo - Retail). 3442-3181
One of the best of the international supermarkets, with the widest range of imported foods in Tokyo (along with Nissin in Azabu-Juban). You'll find good selections of wines, cold cuts and imported cheeses, muesli and other breakfast cereals, canned soups, cake mixes, candies and many other European and North American products. They deliver within about a 20-minute radius of the store.
SunmapMinami-Azabu 4-5-2. Open 9am-8pm daily.
Nissin (Azabu-Juban - Retail). 3583-4586
Meat is Nissin's strong point, with over a dozen types of cold cuts, a cornucopia of sausages, and unusual items like pheasant, rabbit, and even kangaroo meat. And the third-floor wine shop is worth a visit in its own right - particularly for its wide choice of Australian and California wines in the under-Y2000 price range.
SunmapHigashi-Azabu 2-34-2. Open 9:30am-8pm daily.
Sekai no Beer Hakubutsukan (Oshiage - Beer bar). 5610-2648
Rather than trying to represent the entire world, the "World Beer Museum" narrows its focus to brews from five beer-producing countries - Belgium, Germany, the UK, Czech Republic and the US - along with a "world food" menu of representative dishes from those same countries. Choose from 15-20 beers on draft, or another 150 by the bottle. Prices are a tad higher than average, but not outrageously so, given the location.
SunmapOshiage 1-1-2, Tokyo Solamachi 7F East Yard 2. Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
National Den-en (Denenchofu - Retail). 3721-4161
This sister of the temporarily shuttered international supermarket National Azabu offers a similarly diverse selection of imported foods and wines. Despite their suburban location (midway between Denenchofu and Jiyugaoka stations), they deliver within most of the central-Tokyo area that was served by National Azabu.
SunmapTamagawa-Denenchofu 2-6-21. Open 10am-11pm daily.