Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Tokyo Kagaya
Kagaya is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

Kagaya

Serving you alcohol with a side of insanity. Also, costumes!

Tokyo, Japan

Oliver Hong profile photo
Added By
Oliver Hong
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Mark Kagaya, owner and bartender of Kagaya   http://gaijintonic.com/2007/02/08/kagaya-m...
English Menu   EvE / Atlas Obscura User
Frogs!   EvE / Atlas Obscura User
Menu delivery   Janglish Jerry
A page out of Kagaya’s coloring book menu   There is no place like here
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Good bartenders usually have a special skill.

Sometimes they mix a good drink that keeps customers coming back over and over again, sometimes they juggle bottles and provide a show, and sometimes, they're just a sympathetic ear after a long day's work or an experience with heartbreak. Mark (not his real name) Kagaya (name of his shop), Kagaya's bartender and owner, doesn't really have any of those things going for him, but he has one thing that has patrons coming back for more: absolute insanity.

Located in the basement of a Tokyo strip mall, Kagaya has allegedly been passed down from generation to generation, leading to its current state. The big draw of the bar is the crazy shenanigans that take the form of yelling, screaming, costumes, (worn by both Mark and bar patrons) and a dash of amateur puppetry.

The brand of chaos that you get varies, judging from the personal accounts of former patrons, no two experiences in Kagaya seem to be alike. Sometimes ordering food takes the form of a twisted puppet show involving a teddy bear that showcases how good the food is, other times, you order by going through a coloring book. Kagaya-san works this izakaya-style bar with little help, usually just an old woman in her 70s to help out. If you talk to him about his life, according to different accounts, you might hear different stories. Sometimes he says the woman in the back is his mother; other times, she's just hired help. 

Stocked with alcohol, animal costumes, novelty mugs, and other toys, the whole bar slowly turns into a demonstration of what would happen if you unleashed a bunch of adults into a toddler's playroom and served them booze.

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Related Tags

Unique Restaurants & Bars

Community Contributors

Oliver Hong profile photo

Added By

Oliver Hong

T trailertrashrichard profile photo Janglish Jerry profile photo E EvE profile photo

Edited By

trailertrashrichard, Janglish Jerry, EvE

  • T trailertrashrichard profile photo trailertrashrichard
  • Janglish Jerry profile photo Janglish Jerry
  • E EvE profile photo EvE

Published

April 16, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://gaijintonic.com/2007/02/08/kagaya-maddest-bar-in-tokyo/
  • http://www.thereisnoplacelikehere.com/rtw/kagaya-bar/
  • http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/venue/364/Kagaya
  • https://youtu.be/4HXxTyZS_l4
  • http://kagayayy.sakura.ne.jp
Kagaya
B1F, 2-15-12 Shinbashi, Minato-ku
Tokyo
Japan
35.666451, 139.756065
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Events

Convention Expo

Tokyo International Audio Show

Hear rare, high-fidelity soundscapes as legendary audio brands unveil their latest innovations for curious listeners.

Fri, Oct 23

Tokyo International Forum — Chiyoda City

View More Events in Tokyo

Nearby Places

Shimbashi Station SL Square

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

'Antinous as Vertumnus'

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

The Giant Ghibli Clock

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tokyo

Tokyo

Japan

Places 231
Stories 13

Nearby Places

Shimbashi Station SL Square

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

'Antinous as Vertumnus'

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

The Giant Ghibli Clock

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tokyo

Tokyo

Japan

Places 231
Stories 13

Related Stories and Lists

12 Tokyo Concept Cafés That Go Way Beyond Cats and Maids

List

By Molly McBride Jacobson

A Sampling of Japan's Eccentric Restaurants

By Oliver Hong

Related Places

  • Marble Arch Inn.

    Manchester, England

    Marble Arch Inn

    An established watering hole whose unique history is as fascinating as its decor

  • The storied Mini Cooper

    Windhoek, Namibia

    Joe's Beerhouse Mini Cooper

    Atop one of Windhoek's most popular eateries is a monument to Namibia's most resilient vehicle.

  • City Park Grill

    Petoskey, Michigan

    City Park Grill

    As Ernest Hemingway scribbled notes for stories, he left a lasting impression on this bar: a charred hole where he extinguished his cigars.

  • Dinners are only available in the winter, when the yurt must be accessed by ski or snowshoe.

    Crested Butte, Colorado

    Magic Meadows Yurt

    Ski or snowshoe your way to a feast in the mountains.

  • These meat substitutes come close to the real thing.

    Queens, New York

    Bodhi Village

    Get to know the plant-based fare of Chinese Buddhist monks.

  • Kurdish cuisine shares some dishes, like meat kebabs, with other Middle Eastern cuisines.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Mesopotamia

    The only Kurdish restaurant in Japan invites you to learn and feast.

  • Nokishita711's cocktails are made with custom infusions of unlikely ingredients.

    Kyoto, Japan

    Nokishita711

    Sip “liquid cuisine” made with meat, vegetables, and insects.

  • Fried, meat-filled khuushuur pastries with two kinds of chilled salad.

    Morton Grove, Illinois

    Mazalae Mongolian Restaurant

    Just outside Chicago, one of the few traditional Mongolian restaurants in the U.S. serves a misunderstood cuisine.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.