I know next to nothing about JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure — despite it celebrating a 30th anniversary this year, I’ve never been particularly interested in checking out the series, although I have a few friends who seem to enjoy it quite a bit. One of these friends is Daniel Feit, who has written a really fun piece for Anime Now about a night on the town in Osaka, checking out three JoJo-themed bars. Even if I’m not a fan of JoJo‘s adventures, Daniel’s guide has made me want to check out these spots if ever I’m in Osaka again.
Category: Nightlife
The Bank
I’m not sure if I already new about The Bank or not — a bar located in a space near Yokohama that previously housed a bank — but it’s great to hear that it has re-opened, and it’s a spot I’d love to check out someday. Interesting to hear that it was Masamichi Katayama’s first project after founding his Wonderwall studio (back in 2000). Read more about it in this Spoon & Tamago post.
Halloween in Shibuya
Halloween being a big deal in Japan is a new-ish thing, and it’s been growing over the past few years. Pictured, costumed revellers out and about in downtown Shibuya this weekend. Found via this tweet.
Tokyo Venues for Audiophiles
Portland in Tokyo
This was definitely something that I was already seeing before I left Tokyo, and I see that it has continued with gusto. I’m referring to the growing love of all things Portland in Tokyo, via quirky cafes/bars that go as far as serving imported craft beers from the city. Here’s a piece that offers up a tour of a few of these spots, like Paddlers Cafe (pictured) and PDX Taproom.
I’ve often described how I enjoy drinking beers while out and about — street beers, yo — and since the closure of the Minami-Ikebukuro Park a few years ago, my main outlet in the ‘Bukes has been Ikebukuro West Gate Park. It’s more of a gathering place than a park, but it’s fun in part because of the “characters” it tends to attract. The routine is usually just to grab a few brews at the nearby combini (Sankusu, if you must know), but the other night my hometown friend Julie — in town for a month on a visit — invited me for a degustation in the park. When I met up with her, I was greeted with a Seibu department store bag filled with a few selections from the Ibaraki-brewed Hitachino Nest Beer. It was a great time, and I’m always a proponent of mixing high class (the beers) with low class (the spot) — and the cups we were drinking from were purchased at a nearby 100 yen shop.
The photo above of me was taken by Julie, and the rest, by me, cover our selections, and the park itself. The beers themselves were pretty much all great, except for the “Ginger Ale” brew, which was a bit rough (and 8%) — it’s worth noting that it’s also the only with a silly label, featuring some sort of crazy mascot.
I have a new piece up on CNNGo, covering the “performance art” izakaya Kagaya in Shimbashi. Big thanks to my Rough Guides colleague Simon Richmond for introducing me to the spot — we had a great night of eating and drinking there a month back, which some of you may remember as a string of tweets I did.
Spotted by Matt Alt in Akihabara: a sign for a bar, using a very recognizable casing.
I posted not too long ago about the Tokyo edition of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, and this time it’s for an event organized by the group that doesn’t involve sketching. “Dr. Sketchy’s Exhibition Party” will showcase the works of participants — including pieces by Dr. Sketchy founder Molly Crabapple — with a few cabaret performances thrown in: Miss Erochica Bamboo, Violet Eva, The Murasaki Baby Dolls, Cherry Typhoon, and Safi. It happens Saturday, November 22 at La Boheme in Aoyama (Kotto-Dori) — 3,500 yen with drink at the door, 2,500 with drink in advance or with flyer (email them).