Hidden local shops and bars in Asakusa

Asakusa has many delicious and famous restaurants such as sushi, tempura, mugitoro, and sukiyaki.
For those who have been to famous restaurants, or have already been to such restaurants and would like to try something new, here are some popular spots that are a little deeper into the city.

Shochan

There is a street called “Hoppy Street,” which is lined with cheap bars with a casual atmosphere where you can enjoy the food and other items at a reasonable price.
Many vinyl stalls like the Korean food stall “Pohjang Macha” line the 80-meter-long street.
Hoppy Street is a popular sightseeing spot in Asakusa and is visited by many people from home and abroad every day. It is a must-visit spot for those who love to drink.
 

 
Shochan is one of the most popular restaurants on Hoppy Street. One of the most famous items on Hoppy Street is beef stew. You can usually find it in every restaurant.
Beef tenderloin stew is a delicious dish with tender beef tenderloin that has been simmered for a long time and a soy sauce-based seasoned soup. Shochan’s stew is very tasty with large pieces of tofu, and the tofu is also very well seasoned.

I prefer sake, so I had nigori sake that day, but if you like beer, you should definitely try hoppy. Hoppy is a beer-tasting drink, hence the name of Hoppy Street. It is a beer-tasting soft drink made with malt, hops and yeast, and mixed with shochu. Low in calories, sugar, and brine, it has become very popular among health-conscious people in recent years. It goes perfectly with beef stew!
 

 

 
It might be fun to visit various restaurants on Hoppy Street to compare food and drink. Please enjoy the world of downtown Asakusa to the fullest while savoring sake and stewed dishes.
*Please note that only cash is accepted at Sho-chan*.
 
Sho-chan
2-7-13 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Business hours: 12:00 – 21:00
Closed: Monday and Tuesday
https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13010507/
 

 

Sake no Daimasu Kaminarimon Store

Located near Asakusa Nakamise-dori, this sake bar is run by a liquor store specializing in Japanese sake. Sake from all over Japan is available at reasonable prices.
It is a combination of a sake shop and a Sake Bar.

The shop offers a wide selection of sake, with more than 100 items available at any given time, starting at 90ml. You can also buy sake at the store and bring it into the bar space for an additional 500 yen.
They also have snacks that go well with sake, so you can enjoy both the sake and the food.
 

 
I had a bottle of sake from Hokkaido. For snacks, I decided on the restaurant’s most popular snack, cream cheese marinated in miso. The cream cheese marinated in miso was delicious, with just the right amount of saltiness that went very well with the sake. The restaurant also offers a menu of meals to satisfy even the hungriest of palates.

Please note that the restaurant is available for two hours, and the rules for using the restaurant are to order at least one drink per person and one food per group.
 

 
You can enjoy a variety of sakes at the Sake Bar, or purchase a bottle of your favorite sake.
 
Sake no Omasu Kaminarimon Store
1-2-8 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
tel: 03-5806-3811
Business hours:
Weekdays 16:00-23:30
Weekends and holidays: 12:00 – 23:30
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays (or the following day if a national holiday falls on a Monday or Tuesday)
http://www.e-daimasu.com/sakebar/
 

 

Fukuchan

Fukuchan is an izakaya with a retro Showa-era atmosphere located in the Asakusa underground shopping arcade. In addition to Fukuchan, the Asakusa underground shopping arcade also has standing buckwheat noodle stores, small restaurants, and the NINJA BAR, which is popular among foreign customers.
 

 

 
Fuku-chan was also a location for the movie “Perfect Days”
In Japan, visiting the location of a favorite film is called a pilgrimage to a holy place, and after the movie was released, many people visited this restaurant on a pilgrimage to a holy place.

The movie “Perfect Days” depicts the unassuming daily life of the main character, who works as a toilet cleaner. German master Wim Wenders and Koji Yakusho, one of Japan’s leading actors, teamed up for this film.
Koji Yakusho, who plays the main character, a toilet cleaner, won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes International Film Festival, one of the world’s three major film festivals. If you have seen the movie, you may recognize this appearance.
 

 
The dishes in the film are not on the actual menu, but were prepared by the film crew.
Although not in the film, Fukuchan’s specialty is yakisoba! The regular portion is 400 yen and the large portion is a reasonable 500 yen.
It has a nostalgic and familiar taste to Japanese people, just like the food at festival stalls. On this day, we simply ate the yakisoba by itself, but we recommend topping it with a fried egg for an even better taste. There is also beef stew here, so it is fun to compare it with Hoppy Street. It is also open from noon, so you may visit for lunch.
*Please note that Fukuchan accepts cash only*.
 

 
Fuku-chan
Asakusa Underground Mall, 1-1-12 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Business hours:
[Tuesday-Friday]
11:00 – 21:00
[Saturday and Sunday] 11:30 – 20:00
11:30 – 20:00
Closed: Monday
https://retty.me/area/PRE13/ARE9/SUB902/100000018761/
“Perfect Days”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27503384/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_Perfect%2520Days
 

 
What did you think of Asakusa’s deep spots?
We would be happy if you could experience the downtown atmosphere and fall in love with Japan.
Please visit various stores and enjoy sightseeing in Asakusa to the fullest.