Japan Crafted Journeys
JP
Japan Crafted Journeys
Explore Kanto

FOOD / Kanto

FOOD

Standing Drinks at Kadokura in Ueno’s Ameyoko: A Casual Stop for a Drink and Classic Bar Snacks

Ueno’s Ameyoko arcade district is one of those deeply local drinking areas where people stop for a standing drink after work. In Japan, moving from bar to bar is called hashi-go, and in Ameyoko you can also enjoy a drink here and there while shopping or walking around the neighborhood. At Tachinomi Kadokura, about a one-minute walk from Ueno Station, you can try classic izakaya-style snacks like ham cutlet, stewed beef tendon, and tonpeiyaki.

FOODTokyo
The storefront of Kadokura lined with red lanterns, with the counter and menu visible inside.

A Drink in Ueno at Kadokura

Under the arcade in Ueno’s Ameyoko, office workers and regulars gather for standing drinks after the workday. Along one of Tokyo’s most down-to-earth drinking streets, Tachinomi Kadokura stands out with its red lanterns.

This is the kind of place where you stand at the counter by the entrance and choose food and drinks from the handwritten menu strips. Unlike a sit-down meal at a table, you can enjoy a drink while feeling the energy of Ameyoko, with the staff and other customers just steps away. It’s an easy place to drop in during a shopping trip or between stops on a walk through the area.

Kadokura’s Standard Bar Snacks

Two thick-battered fried cutlets on a plate with shredded cabbage and mustard on a wooden counter.
A classic izakaya plate of thick-battered fried cutlets served with shredded cabbage and mustard on a wooden counter.
Cutlets with sauce, shredded cabbage, and mustard on a plate.
Freshly fried cutlets topped with sauce, served with shredded cabbage and mustard on a wooden table.
A glass of draft beer beside a small bowl of simmered beef, onions, and carrots on a wooden counter.
A draft beer and a small bowl of simmered beef and vegetables, the kind of comforting pairing you find at a Tokyo izakaya.
Sauce being poured by hand over fried food and shredded cabbage on a metal plate.
A close-up of a Kadokura specialty being finished with sauce over fried food and shredded cabbage on a metal plate.

The classic ham cutlet is a thick slice of ham that has been breaded and fried. It comes topped with sauce and served with shredded cabbage and mustard. The portion is served in two pieces, making it easy to snack on while standing at the bar.

Tonpeiyaki is a dish of pork wrapped in egg and cooked on a hot griddle. It’s finished with sauce and mayonnaise and served with shredded cabbage. Alongside the fried ham cutlet, the egg-based tonpeiyaki, and the stewed beef tendon with offal and root vegetables, you’ll find a range of snacks that pair naturally with standing drinks.

How to Spend Time at a Standing Bar

Inside a Japanese izakaya with lanterns and hanging menu strips, where several customers are eating and talking at tables.
Inside a traditional Japanese izakaya, lanterns and hanging menu strips frame tables where diners eat and chat.

Inside, the space is centered on a counter surrounded by lanterns and menu strips. The close distance between staff and customers gives it the brisk, no-frills atmosphere that defines a standing bar.

You can check the notices near the entrance and around the counter for information on ordering and payment. At busy times, customers stand close together, and the atmosphere stays lively in a very Ameyoko way.

Combine It with an Ameyoko Stroll

An izakaya exterior at night with counter and table seating under a large Japanese sign, with many diners eating.
A busy downtown izakaya at night, where diners fill the outdoor seating under its noren curtain and large sign.
A night scene outside a restaurant with a red Chinese-style sign, where many customers are eating at counter and table seating.
A red-signed Chinese-style eatery in a nightlife district, with customers packed into the counter and table seating outside.
Shoppers walking through Ameyoko at dusk under neon signs, with seafood and produce shops on both sides.
As evening falls, shoppers stream through Tokyo’s Ameyoko market street, flanked by seafood, produce, and eateries under bright neon and a yellow arcade roof.

In Ameyoko, hopping from one place to another for a drink at each stop is called hashi-go in Japanese. Stopping at Kadokura for ham cutlet or tonpeiyaki during a shopping trip, then moving on to another place, is part of the appeal of Ueno’s concentration of bars and casual eateries.

Of course, you can also finish a day of shopping with a drink at Kadokura and wrap up your Ameyoko walk there. From the busy arcade street to the counter at the storefront, it’s a standing bar where you can feel the neighborhood’s energy up close.

Basic Information

Name: Tachinomi Kadokura (Taisyu Sakaba Kadokura)

Address: 1F, Forum Aji Building, 6-13-1 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005

Access: About 1 minute on foot from JR Ueno Station (Hirokoji Exit). About 1 minute on foot from Ueno Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (Exit A3). About 3 minutes on foot from Ueno-Okachimachi Station on the Toei Oedo Line (Exit A3). About 3 minutes on foot from Keisei Ueno Station (Main Exit).

Hours: Monday to Thursday, Sunday, and public holidays: 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:30). Friday, Saturday, and the day before public holidays: 11:00–23:00 (last order 22:30).

Closed: Open year-round

Information confirmed: 2026-10-03

Photo Gallery

Draft beer and a small meat dish topped with chopped green onions on a wooden table.
A simple izakaya set of draft beer and a meat dish topped with chopped scallions on a wooden table.