It’s An Electrified Tokyo Night!

I have shared many of my Tokyo adventures with you, but our last night was without a doubt the most memorable, thanks to this:

Introducing Golden Gai’s Musical Maestro!

Meet Yuko Yamazaki! He’s a great singer/songwriter from Japan… this great musician lives in Tokyo, and also happens to work at one of Golden Gai’s best mini-bars!

Welcome To Golden Gai!

Golden Gai is a great area in Tokyo that houses 275 bars in a three block radius – each one holding 6-10 people! Here is an aerial view at night, which I found online:

Here is what it looks like after dark – note that each bar has a narrow stairway next to it that leads to a second floor bar that is equally as small…it’s a great place to explore:

Golden Gai is a great Tokyo nightspot – staying open well into the night for tourists and locals alike. Some bars are less friendly to foreigners, but for the most part, signs make it clear that you are welcome to come in for a beer, whiskey or sake…which of course we did…

I have been to this bar district four times previously to this Tokyo trip, filming some great stories. Here’s the adventure we filmed with Host Alex Sim-Wise for G4 – the night she and her friend Rachel jumped behind the counter at Golden Gai’s anime bar:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/10/16/alex-sim-wise-explores-tokyos-smallest-bars-golden-gai-mini-bars-i-love-japan/

As you can see, the night lights of Kabuki-cho were ready for us:

Golden Gai is just a few blocks from the famed nightlife district known as Kabuki-cho, and we met there for our last night to Tokyo fun! Kabuki-Chi is full of nightclubs, bars, restaurants and crazy people…

“Um, What Time Do You Open Anyway”?

I told you that my son Jeff and his friend Chris were with us, and I wanted my son Jeff and Alex to see Golden Gai up close – but my first effort was a bit of a failure:

That’s right, it’s best to head out to party after dark – Golden Gai at 5p is a bit quiet! After dark however, things pick up and the musical fun begins!

Introducing Yuko Yamasaki!

My son Jeff found a great bar that had an eclectic mix of music, and since it only sat six people, the four of us almost filled it – and I got to meet the great Tokyo musician Yuko Yamasaki!

Yoko worked in the bar, serving drinks, playing music, and greeting us warmly – even though he spoke no english!

We got some drinks while Yuko put some classic Creedence Clearwater Revival on the CD player, and then surprised us by disappearing behind a short wall for a minute –

Yoko’s “Surprise” Potatoes And Bacon!

That’s right, in a small corner of the bar, Yuko whipped up a small plate of food for Alex!

After having a few beers, a bit of Japanese whiskey and lots of conversation, Yuko grabbed his guitar…

It turns out Jeff had been to this bar alone a few nights earlier and befriended Yuko, discovering that he was an incredible musician – and once he had his guitar tuned, he played us an original tune:

It was such a great night, and we ended up staying at Yuko’s bar for more than two hours!

Getting’ Your Tonkatsu On!

To end the night, we all poured into Coco Curry, a Tokyo institution, where they serve pork “tonkatsu”, a deep fried breaded pork cutlet served over rice and smothered in curry sauce…

It was an amazing musical adventure, and a delicious end to a great Tokyo adventure…of course, the entire trip was full of amazing food adventures like this one:

Of course, we ate our way through some amazing meals in Tokyo, including this sea urchin tempura…see more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/07/07/tokyo-food-musical-bento-boxes-sea-urchin-tempura-biting-down-hard-in-japan/

Also on the menu was a terrific “eel” bowl…

You can find out what an “eel waiting room” is by clicking on my story here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/07/04/the-magic-of-tokyo-2016-eel-waiting-rooms-golden-gai-drinking-cat-ads/

We also enjoyed “sushi for breakfast”, a unique experience that is about to change forever…

Here is my look at Tokyo’s legendary fish market, which is about to be re-located…some cool behind-the-scenes video is here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/07/06/tokyos-legendary-fish-market-sushi-for-breakfast-an-iconic-japanese-landmark-closes/

I also took the time to eat a burger in Tokyo – I mean, who am I, right?

I also bought myself a triple decker burger – plasticized! Check that out here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/07/09/tokyos-got-my-wagyu-beef-burger-amazing-kappabashi-plastic-food-burger-shirts-tokyo-rules/

Finally,, I showed Alex how to enjoy Tokyo’s legendary vending machines:

Did we eat creamed corn out of a vending machine? Well, here is a look at all of the unique items for sale:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/12/17/breaking-vending-machine-news-hot-creamed-corn-japans-wildest-vending-machines/

Let me know if you’ve experience the magic of Tokyo!

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