Tokyo/Ebisu

From World travel guide

Ebisu (恵比寿, archaically also Yebisu) is a district of Tokyo, Japan.

1 Get in
2 Get around
3 See & Do
4 Eat
5 Drink
6 Buy
7 Sleep

Get in

Ebisu is a station on the JR Yamanote line, one stop south of Shibuya. The Metro Hibiya subway line from Roppongi and central Chiyoda also stops in Ebisu.

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Get around

Ebisu is compact enough to cover on foot. A convenient moving walkway connects to the popular Ebisu Garden Place.

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See & Do

Ebisu's prime attraction is the Yebisu Garden Place [1], a new "city in a city" developed on the former site of a former brewery. Access is via the JR station's Garden Place exit, which leads to a moving walkway leading into the district.

Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography (東京都写真美術館, Tokyo-to Shashin Bijutsukan), in Yebisu Garden Place, [2]. A must for fans of photography, with multiple floors of constantly changing exhibitions of the best photography from around Japan and the world. Open daily, entrance fees depend on the exhibits you wish to visit but there are often some free ones as well.

Beer Museum (麦酒記念館), in Yebisu Garden Place. A mildly interesting permanent exhibition covering the brewing process in general and the history of Sapporo Breweries, which also brews Japan's most popular beer Asahi as well as the upmarket Yebisu label. There is even a Virtual Brewery Virtual Adventure to try. Open from 10 AM to 6 PM daily except Monday. Entry is free, and you can sample 4 types of beer for ¥400 if so inclined at the end.

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Eat

Ebisu has a good selection of places to eat, mostly slightly upmarket. The Garden Place also has a large number of restaurants, including the inevitable faux-German beer garden on the ground level and fancier places up on the top floors of the skyscraper.

Kabto (兜), Ebisu-Nishi 1-5-5. Charcoal grill (tankayaki) restaurant that looks way more expensive then it actually is. Not a bad choice just for drinks either, which start at ¥400 for a draft beer.
Kanon (かのん), Roob 6 Building 2F, Ebisu-Nishi 1-13-3, [3]. Popular Okinawan izakaya offering all the usual Ryukyuan favorites plus a large selection of awamori (Okinawan liquor). Figure on ¥3000 per head to eat and drink well. Open 5 PM to 4 AM daily (closes at 11 PM on Sundays).
Zest Cantina, Ebisu 1-22-19 (3 min. from East exit), 03-5475-6291. Good Tex-Mex cuisine and drinks in an expansive space modeled after a Western saloon. Other branches in Roppongi, Shibuya and other locations.

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Drink

Ebisu is also a trendy nightlife district, with many slightly quirky bars and clubs.

What The Dickens, Roob 6 Building 4F, Ebisu-Nishi 1-13-3, [4]. An extremely popular British pub in the heart of Ebisu. Fairly expensive (anything imported costs close to ¥1000), but has one of the best selections of British beer and cider in town. Closed Mondays.

Milk, Roob 6 Building B1F, Ebisu-Nishi 1-13-3, [5]. A legendary nightclub and self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Enjoy Space" serving all sorts of offbeat musical fare, ranging from hardcore techno to Japanese punk. Fairly steep entrance charges, ¥3000 (with two drinks) is typical.

The FooTNiK, Ebisu 1-11-2-1F (East exit, on Ebisu-Dori), tel. 03-5795-0144, [6]. A British pub where there's always football on the telly.

Aoyuzu, Daikoku Bldg B1F Ebisu 1-8-14, [7]. A bar with good music. You can book parties here.

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Buy

There is a large shopping mall and department store right in JR Ebisu station, but this pales compared with the offerings in next-door Shibuya.
Yebisu Garden Place also has its fair share of boutiques, including a Mitsukoshi department store. The Beer Museum's souvenir shop deserves a special mention, as this is probably the only place on earth that sells gift-wrapped packages of beer jelly.
Good Day Books [8], Ebisu 1-11-2-3F (upstairs from FooTNiK, above), 03-5421-0957. Good selection of new and used books in English. Closed Tuesdays.

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