Standing bars with good sake
Open 3-10:30pm (LO; Sat, Sun 2-10) daily.
A popular Nagoya-based chain, Yata carries only junmaishu-grade sake, which is served along with sake-focused snacks in a casual, standing-bar setting. Small dishes like smoked chicken breast and...
Open 3-10:30pm (LO; Sat, Sun 2-10) daily.
Open 11am-11pm (LO) daily.
Kubota sake from Niigata is the specialty at this mostly-standing sake bar in the Parco "Chaos Kitchen" basement restaurant floor. There are also around seventy or eighty other sake choices, a good...
Open 11am-11pm (LO) daily.
Open 5-11pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
This lively sake-specialty standing bar offers an excellent selection of limited-edition brews from top-ranked craft breweries. Sake is served in small tasting-size glasses that allow you to explore...
Open 5-11pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Open 5pm-3am daily.
This stand-up bar specializes in one-cup sake from around the country; the selection perhaps isn't as exciting as a regular sake bar, but the atmosphere is convivial and the shop makes a good first...
Open 5pm-3am daily.
Kuwabara Shoten - Liquor shop: Gotanda
Open 5-9pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
This liquor-store standing bar offers a nice variety of sake for tasting, served in 30ml, 60ml and 180ml sizes. Simple sake snacks like pickles, potato salad and sardines in oil are also available.
Open 5-9pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Open noon-10pm daily.
A combo sake retailer and standing bar, Asano is a great place to try before you buy, with more than 130 different sakes in stock. Or you can just drop in for a quick tasting flight and perhaps...
Open noon-10pm daily.
Open 11am-9:30pm (LO). Closed weekends.
People don't come to Shinshu Osake Mura for the atmosphere, or the music (there isn't any). There aren't even any chairs. The reason to visit this hole-in-the-wall, standing-only sake bar, located...
Open 11am-9:30pm (LO). Closed weekends.
Open 5-9:30pm (LO). Closed weekends.
Kuri stands out among the crowd of funky standing bars in the Shimbashi Ekimae #1 Building for their well-chosen selection of sake from small craft breweries, offered at very reasonable prices. The...
Open 5-9:30pm (LO). Closed weekends.
Open 11am-9pm (bar 12:30-8:30) daily.
This stylish design shop showcases products from Niigata, including the prefecture's most famous export - sake. They stock around fifty kinds of sake, and they're equipped with a small standing-bar...
Open 11am-9pm (bar 12:30-8:30) daily.
Open 10:30am-9pm (Sat -8, Sun -7) daily.
A branch of the huge Kimijimaya liquor store in Yokohama, this Ginza outpost offers a good selection of sake and runs an informal standing bar corner as well. Fourteen types of sake range from...
Open 10:30am-9pm (Sat -8, Sun -7) daily.
Open 10:30am-8pm daily.
Food products from Kochi Prefecture are sold in the first-floor "Tosa Market" retail shop, including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Unusual items include rice ice cream and yokan candies in...
Open 10:30am-8pm daily.
Open 10:30am-8pm daily.
One of the largest single-prefecture antenna shops in Tokyo, this four-story shop sells a big selection of food and drink as well as other local Hiroshima products. There's a regional-cuisine...
Open 10:30am-8pm daily.
Open 5-9pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Run by a liquor retail shop, this stand-up bar offers a small selection of sake, inexpensive small plates of food, and jazz on the sound system. The attached liquor store is open from 10am.
Open 5-9pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Open 3-10pm (LO). Closed Mondays.
Some eighty varieties of sake are ready to sample at this comfortable standing bar, along with traditional sake-drinking fare served in dainty portions. One nice touch here is that sake is served in...
Open 3-10pm (LO). Closed Mondays.
Open 11am-2:30, 5-10:30pm (LO). Closed weekends.
Standing Bar Joe offers a dozen or so seasonal sakes by the glass, a handful of Japanese craft beers on tap, plus shochu, wine and cocktails. The food menu is relatively compact, but it offers a...
Open 11am-2:30, 5-10:30pm (LO). Closed weekends.
Open 5-11:30pm (Sun 4-10) daily.
The setting at 3 Bis is charming and super-casual - the unfinished-plywood walls and bar are covered with marker-drawn messages from past customers, and the upstairs dining room is reached via a...
Open 5-11:30pm (Sun 4-10) daily.
Open 9am-8:30pm (Sat -5:45pm). Closed Sundays.
A well-stocked sake specialty store; don't miss the refrigerated rooms down in the basement. There's also a stand-up bar in back with around a dozen sake by the glass along with simple, inexpensive...
Open 9am-8:30pm (Sat -5:45pm). Closed Sundays.
Open 5-8:30pm (LO). Closed weekends.
This long-established sake retailer runs a standing sake bar a few nights a week, and it's well worth a visit if you can catch them when they're open. The formidable collection of sake is served in...
Open 5-8:30pm (LO). Closed weekends.
Open 10am-10pm daily.
This friendly standing bar showcases twenty different sakes from Toshimaya Brewery, a western-Tokyo kura with a distinguished 400-year history. Sake is served in 30ml, 60ml and 100ml sizes, so it's...
Open 10am-10pm daily.
Open noon-6pm. Closed Wednesdays.
This small sake retailer has a stand-up counter where you can try before you buy - there are usually around seven different sake bottles open, with two-part tasting flights priced from Y500 or single...
Open noon-6pm. Closed Wednesdays.
Open 10:30am-10pm daily.
This neighborhood liquor shop runs a very popular sake-tasting standing bar where you'll find a decent selection of craft sake and a serviceable menu of sake-friendly light snacks. It's a very...
Open 10:30am-10pm daily.
Open 5pm-midnight (Sat, Sun 3pm-) daily.
If you like sake and you're in the Tsukishima area, this stylish little standing bar is worth checking out for a quick drink and maybe a snack. They offer sake from 54 different brewers, half of...
Open 5pm-midnight (Sat, Sun 3pm-) daily.
Open 6pm-2am (Sun -11pm) daily.
A lot of Tokyo's most congenial standing bars also tend to be rather basic in their decor, food and service, so it was a pleasant surprise to find someplace as stylish and sophisticated as Comaru...
Open 6pm-2am (Sun -11pm) daily.
Sake tasting bars
Genka - Izakaya: Ikebukuro
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
The Genka chain of sake-specialty izakayas is known for their policy of selling sake "at cost." Each branch serves several dozen premium sakes at remarkably low prices, starting at just Y280 per...
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
Open 6-10pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays.
A very casual, all-you-can-drink premium sake bar, Yamachan combines the best aspects of an industry sake-tasting event (lots of varieties freely available, at a reasonable all-inclusive price) and a...
Open 6-10pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays.
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
The Genka chain of sake-specialty izakayas is known for their policy of selling sake "at cost." Each branch serves several dozen premium sakes at remarkably low prices, starting at just Y280 per...
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
With well-spaced tables and nicely laid-out central counter, this is a comfortable spot to explore the world of premium sake. It's also very economical - the Genka chain is known for their policy of...
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
Open 10am-9:30pm daily.
Around a dozen different sake varieties are ready for tasting at this casual standing bar, along with a dozen wines, several types of shochu, and Japanese liqueurs like yuzushu. The standing-bar...
Open 10am-9:30pm daily.
Open 11am-2:30, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Novel, fusion-style udon is the specialty here, but what first attracted our attention was the inviting little sake bar standing at the front of the shop. A couple dozen well-chosen craft sakes from...
Open 11am-2:30, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
The Genka chain of sake-specialty izakayas is known for their policy of selling sake "at cost." Each branch serves several dozen premium sakes at remarkably low prices, starting at just Y280 per...
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
Open 11am-10pm daily.
At first glance Eight Base looks like your typical prefectural antenna shop. There's a retail section up front selling crafts, produce and drinks from Aomori Prefecture, with a small dining area in...
Open 11am-10pm daily.
Open 10:30am-8pm daily.
If you're looking for sake, wine or specialty foods from Nagano Prefecture, you'll find an impressive selection here at this well-stocked antenna shop. There's a small bar area at the front of the...
Open 10:30am-8pm daily.
Open 10am-9pm daily.
This relatively quiet branch of the popular Hasegawa sake retail specialist is furnished with a small counter area where you can try out a tasting set of three sake of the month, along with a tiny...
Open 10am-9pm daily.
Open 11am-10pm (LO; Sat, Sun -9pm) daily.
Craft sake from Akita Prefecture is the specialty at this comfortable counter bar, which stands at the front of a chicken specialty restaurant called Honke Abeya. You can just drop by for a quick...
Open 11am-10pm (LO; Sat, Sun -9pm) daily.
Open 10am-11pm daily.
Located inside the antenna shop for Shiga Prefecture, this tiny bar offers a selection of 28 different sake from Shiga, served in 45ml tasting sizes (Y300), with the option of a four-part tasting...
Open 10am-11pm daily.
Open 11am-8:30pm (LO) daily.
Attached to the Toyama Prefecture antenna shop, this very specialized bar serves seventeen different sake produced in Toyama. Sake is Y700 for a glass, or you can order a three-part tasting flight...
Open 11am-8:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-8pm (Sat, Sun -6pm) daily.
Fukushima Prefecture is justifiably famous for their excellent sake, and you can try several of them in one sitting in the sake-tasting corner of this antenna shop. Three-part tasting flights are...
Open 11am-8pm (Sat, Sun -6pm) daily.
Open 5-10pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
A sake-specialty izakaya, Ponshuya offers more than 200 kinds of sake along with well-constructed sake-friendly delicacies. You can choose from 30ml, 50ml and ichigo serving sizes, so it's easy to...
Open 5-10pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Open 11am-9:30pm (Sun -7pm). Closed Mondays.
This casual, very lively tasting bar offers more than 100 types of sake along with a small menu of sake-compatible snacks. All sake is served in tiny 45ml glasses, so you can try several different...
Open 11am-9:30pm (Sun -7pm). Closed Mondays.
Open 3-11pm (LO; Sat, Sun 2-11) daily.
This lively sake-izakaya chain offers a selection of 40 different craft sake at surprisingly cheap prices - they start at Y280, and even premium brands like Aramasa start at just Y314 per serving. ...
Open 3-11pm (LO; Sat, Sun 2-11) daily.
Open 5:30-10:30pm daily.
Sake Lover is one of a trio of self-service, non-standing sake-tasting bars in Tokyo; the others are Nomel (also in Kanda) and Bucho featuring Yamachan (near Shinjuku Gyoen). The system is the same...
Open 5:30-10:30pm daily.
Open 3-10:30pm (LO; Sat 2-10::30, Sun 2-9) daily.
The Genka chain of sake-specialty izakayas is known for their policy of selling sake "at cost." Each branch serves several dozen premium sakes at remarkably low prices, starting at just Y280 per...
Open 3-10:30pm (LO; Sat 2-10::30, Sun 2-9) daily.
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
The Genka chain of sake-specialty izakayas is known for their policy of selling sake "at cost." Each branch serves several dozen premium sakes at remarkably low prices, starting at just Y280 per...
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
Genka - Izakaya: Kinshicho
Open 3-10:30pm (LO; Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
The Genka chain of sake-specialty izakayas is known for their policy of selling sake "at cost." Each branch serves several dozen premium sakes at remarkably low prices, starting at just Y280 per...
Open 3-10:30pm (LO; Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
Open 11am-10:50pm (LO) daily.
This well-stocked liquor store might be the best part of the 200-seat Sumida Food Hall inside Kinshicho Parco. Unlike the limited drinks selections at most food courts, here you can choose from a...
Open 11am-10:50pm (LO) daily.
Open 5-11:30pm (LO; Sat, Sun 11:30am-11:30pm) daily.
Gin no Mori is a sake-focused izakaya offering an impressive selection of bottles from smaller craft breweries around Japan, all quite reasonably priced. Small 90ml glasses are a convenient size if...
Open 5-11:30pm (LO; Sat, Sun 11:30am-11:30pm) daily.
Open noon-10pm (LO; Sun -8pm) daily.
A suburban branch of the beloved Moto group of sake specialty bars, Plat Stand is a casual, very relaxed drinking spot with friendly service and great food. Sake is optionally served in 65ml...
Open noon-10pm (LO; Sun -8pm) daily.
Open 5-11:30pm (LO) daily.
You can order wine, sake and beer at the very casual standing bar at the front of this shop, or settle down for a full meal at one of the tables in back. The kitchen turns out an eclectic menu of...
Open 5-11:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 3pm-1am daily.
Like its sister shops (Another8 in Meguro and After9 in Kyoto), this cozy neighborhood bar serves a well-selected lineup of both craft beers and sake in a stylish setting. The food menu ranges from...
Open 3pm-1am daily.
Genka - Izakaya: Kawasaki
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2-11:30) daily.
The Genka chain of sake-specialty izakayas is known for their policy of selling sake "at cost." Each branch serves several dozen premium sakes at remarkably low prices, starting at just Y280 per...
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2-11:30) daily.
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See also our listings for Sake-specialty izakaya.
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