This offbeat standing-only sushi bar in Shinagawa has a bizarre baseball theme to it, but the concept behind the restaurant is a little easier to digest if you see it as an amalgamation of two of Japan’s greatest loves. Bullpen is named after the area where pitchers warm up before a game, and its sushi chefs all wear customised baseball caps.
Though the joint identifies as a modern pub, its single-minded goal is to provide an authentic sushi experience to a wide group of people – and you don’t have to love baseball to enjoy the sushi here. Each piece of nigiri is served one at a time, with toppings like maguro (tuna), akagai (ark shell) and sawara (Spanish mackerel) that wash down well with the beer and sake offered behind the counter. The lunchtime omakase is priced from ¥5,000, while dinner will set you back at least ¥7,000.