Solo travel in Japan: Hidden beer garden in Tokyo is a haven for single visitors

This rooftop in Kabukicho is a hidden oasis where all diners will feel welcome.

Japan is well set up for solo travellers , with counter seating at restaurants and private karaoke booths being some of the ways that parties of one can have a good night out while enjoying their own company.

However, there are still some places in Japan that might seem like too high a hurdle for a solo traveller to clear, with one of them being rooftop beer gardens .

Our reporter Yuuichiro Wasai found himself in this position recently, when he was in the mood to visit a beer garden he’d heard about, but wasn’t able to line up free time in his schedule with any of his friends before the end of summer.

Rather than miss out on this very quintessential Japanese summertime experience, he decided to bite the bullet and headed up to the beer garden himself.

As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he started to feel a little anxious at the prospect ahead of him, because beer gardens tend to be a lively, convivial experience usually enjoyed by groups of friends.

However, as he looked around, he began to feel more comfortable, as he realised that the place had just the right mix of casual flair and bustling activity that helped him blend into the crowd.

Though he’d feared that his solo beer garden trip might be a hellish experience, this place turned out to be heaven, quite literally, as it’s called “ Tenku no Machi – Shinjuku Asia Yokocho ”, which is translated into English as “ City of Heaven Asian Yokocho “. ▼ “Yokocho” means “alley” Reaching for a menu before taking a seat, Yuuichiro browsed through dishes like carbonara and churrasco, and an international selection of beers, including Heineken and Zima, all of which didn’t seem to match up with the place’s “ Asian Yokocho ” moniker, but the options looked delicious so he wasn’t complaining.

The table Yuuichiro was shown to initially had only menus for individual dishes and drinks but he later learned that all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink plans are also available.

He wasn’t here for a long beer-guzzling feast, though, so he was happy to order individual dishes, and he felt that the venue offered good value considering its location. ▼ One of the biggest draws here is the view.

This building is in Kabukicho, adjacent to the building with the giant Godzilla head, so it’s an exciting place to sit and experience the area from a different angle.

With the streets of Kabukicho stretching out below, Yuuichiro felt like he’d discovered a hidden gem in Tokyo, unknown to the people below.