The Other Side of Tokyo Nightlife
APRIL 7, 2023
Matt Klampert
KO SASAKI
story:
photo:
APRIL 7, 2023
Matt Klampert
story:
photo:
KO SASAKI
The Other Side of Tokyo Nightlife
PLACES
Get Drafted at MT Kichi
In the hipster neighborhood of Koenji, you might easily pass by MT Kichi if you didn’t know it was there. A narrow staircase to a nondescript hallway leads to a “military training ground” for “new recruits.” MT Kichi is a self-described military-themed amusement bar, even including a mock shooting range. Upon entering, guests are immediately sent to “drinking boot camp,” replete with military gear decorating the bar; uniform-clad bartenders are the “drill sergeants.” They are led by Shino Kato, the “Commanding Officer” of MT Kichi, who opened the venue nearly 10 years ago.
The rules are: You pay for all-you-can-drink by the hour, but the type of drink depends on your rank. A new recruit may be limited to beer, or only shots of whisky and vodka, for example, but completing challenges such as target shooting, bar quizzes or karaoke means “raising your rank” and graduating to fancier cocktails.
“I wanted to create a bar with a unique theme that would also be a good working environment for women,” says Kato. “I’ve always been interested in guns and shooting ranges, but MT Kichi has nothing to do with the actual Japanese Self-Defense Forces; it’s more of a fantasy women-only military group inspired by films and anime.” To reinforce the narrative, the TVs installed along the walls show a variety of skits that tell fictional backstories of the various staff members, who are somewhere between actors and idols. “We each have different roles in the group, and every night becomes like a performance, giving strict orders and meting out ‘punishments.’”
BYO Model Train to Bar Ginza Panorama
In Japan, “tet-chan,” or railway enthusiasts, are a passionate group. Tet-chan come to the train platforms with camera tripods in tow, eagerly mimicking the movements of conductors ushering trains to and from their destinations. They have their own subcal bar, too: The Panorama Train Bar. At the tet-chan haven, cocktails take inspiration from Japanese train lines, like the Yokohama Navy Blue, a mix of blue Curaçao, cassis and tonic. Beyond the cocktail list, Panorama stocks 40 different types of whiskey from all over the world.
The bar’s showpiece is a giant, to-scale replica of Shibuya—the fourth-busiest rail station in the world—with model trains traversing it. Customers are encouraged to bring their own model trains to the bar and take them for a spin. In this relaxed atmosphere, there are vintage train-themed photo books and schedules, and cards to play with while listening to jazz, but many are content to simply enjoy a drink and watch the trains go by.
4−25−4 Koenjiminami, Suginami City, Tokyo, 166-0003
At the discretion of bartender “drill sergeants” at this military-themed bar, “new recruits” can rise through the ranks to unlock better cocktails.
3F, 1-17-12 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0043