Kichijoji’s Harmonica Yokocho is a maze of alleyways holding 56 hole-in-the-wall bars, each with the capacity to hold a few customers. Unlike places like Shinjuku’s Golden Gai, which have increased in both popularity and price, Harmonica Yokocho is still a local’s haven, you’ll see bartenders jovially chatting with customers they see once or twice a week. As a non-local, it’s intimidating to break the ice and join the conversation, let alone even enter the bars.
Enter Alejandro, a Kichijoji local and well-known expat in the community. You’ll give Alejandro your food and drink preferences beforehand and he’ll select five to six bars customised to your preference. It’s best to let him drive the bus, he’ll take you to places like Manryou, a 56 year old bar manned by the charismatic Ken-san, Sato Maru with its fruit infused sake cocktails or Kopanda, known for shochu mixed with hoppy, the quintessential salaryman beverage. No matter what, you’ll need a food fuel up and nomihoudai (all-you-can-drink) at Hanbey, a Showa era-style izakaya ran by partying college students unafraid to challenge you to a drinking contest.
The tour is intimate, Alejandro will introduce you to the bar owners and customers even if you don’t speak any Japanese. The tour ends around the last train but many decide to stick around longer since the bars are open until dawn. You’ll leave with a plethora of off-the-beaten-path drinking options and a group of new friends.
*The contact information below refers to the tour company, byFood. After booking, you will receive contact and meeting point information from the guide.