Yurei Bar
Take a journey to the underworld and have a bite at Tokyo’s quirky ghost bar!
- Unfortunately, Yurei closed its doors for good as of August 17th, 2019.
Halloween in Japan is clearly this bar’s time to shine, but regardless of the season any dull evening can be vastly improved with a daring visit to Yurei Bar.
Hold your breath and slowly make your way down the stairwell as you cross into the spirit world and enter jigoku (hell). Fear not, you will not be alone in your journey as your recently deceased host/hostess will guide you through your supernatural evening.
Your host is one of many ghosts working at this bar and each has their own themed drink relating to their untimely demise. Be sure to inquire with your host and listen to a chilling tale while a delicious poison concoction is prepared before you. Unfortunately, many of the hosts cannot speak English, so the story may be lost on you.
Having now crossed the veil, it’s impossible to lose interest in the foreboding yet welcoming world around you. Everything from the themed menu to the grotesque, Leatherface-inspired bathroom decor will surely keep anyone’s attention. Take caution, though, while that severed hand used to summon your host is (probably) fake, the coffin in the center of the restaurant is not. If you’re not careful you might find yourself lying in it before the night’s end.
Funeral time?
The menu of ghastly treats will offer something for every palate (mortal or otherwise), but the most popular feature is the Russian Roulette that’s result isn’t fatal but awfully scary.
If your party should choose to gamble with their lives they may choose to play one, two or all three rounds at roughly ¥150 per person each round. While many will be able to return to their body once they leave the restaurant, the loser of the Russian Roulette will have a mouth full of wasabi and might join the other spirits at the Yurei Bar. In fact, the loser will receive a hitaikakushi (triangular headband worn by ghosts in Japanese folklore), funeral garb and will lay in the aforementioned coffin while a funeral is performed for the recently departed.
Overall, the food is average and reasonably priced but the atmosphere is really what sells this place and makes it a unique dining experience in Japan. It is definitely an English friendly restaurant, and those who don’t speak much Japanese should be able to still have a great time with the help of accommodating staff.
Topics: bars, food and drink, halloween, Mimi Dietderich, Offbeat, tokyo, Yurei Bar
