If you are under 20, please refrain from entering.
Also known as ueno-/-okachimachi-/-yushima
Ueno, Okachimachi and Yushima form a stretch of old downtown across Taito and Bunkyo wards: the Ameyoko market between JR Ueno and Okachimachi stations, and Yushima on the slopes west of Shinobazu Pond. Buildings of hostess clubs and snack bars line the station fronts and the Yushima hillside.
Step out of the Shinobazu exit of JR Ueno Station or the north gate of Okachimachi and you are on Ameyoko, which runs about 500 m between the two. Ueno Station has the Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku and shinkansen lines, the Tokyo Metro Ginza and Hibiya lines and Keisei Ueno, with direct trains from Narita Airport. Yushima Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda line is the stop for Yushima; exit 3 is two minutes from Yushima Tenmangu shrine, and Ueno is within walking distance.
Ameyoko is a market street of multinational street food, seafood, sweets and clothing, where the vendors' calls and cooking smells give it its downtown character. At night, hostess clubs (kyabakura), girls bars, snack bars and lounges occupy the floors of the buildings around it and in front of Ueno Station. The Okachimachi side is jewellery wholesalers and izakaya, with snack bars running along the lanes by the station.
Yushima is the gate town of Yushima Tenmangu, the shrine of learning, and along the slopes rising from Shinobazu Pond it gathers small lounges, snack bars and clubs into a calmer, more grown-up drinking district than Ueno. One venue in Ueno, then one in Yushima, is the local routine.
Tokyo's nuisance-prevention ordinance bans persistent touting in public places. Ueno 2, 4, 6 and 7-chome are areas designated by the Public Safety Commission, where waiting conspicuously to solicit for adult-entertainment and hostess-style businesses is also banned. Do not follow anyone who approaches you; check the price board for the hourly rate, nomination (shimei) fee and drink charges before going in.
Listed in Ueno / Okachimachi / Yushima right now: Girls Bar (1 venue). You pay a set fee by the hour, with nomination (shimei) and drink charges on top, so confirm the total with each venue before you sit down.
Ueno / Okachimachi / Yushima is generally fine for a night out. The main risk is bottakuri, a padded bill at the end. Stick to venues that post their prices, skip street touts steering you into ‘free’ bars, and confirm the set fee plus any nomination or bottle charges before you order.
Payment methods vary by venue. Check the listing and confirm with the venue before booking.
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