{"id":4505,"date":"2026-02-12T10:30:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T17:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=4505"},"modified":"2026-02-12T10:30:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T17:30:07","slug":"asakusas-yoi-no-yoi-bar-crawl-is-one-of-tokyos-best-local-nights-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=4505","title":{"rendered":"Asakusa\u2019s Yoi no Yoi bar crawl is one of Tokyo\u2019s best local nights out"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Just 1,000 yen per stop lets you drink, eat, and mingle with friendly strangers through this historic neighborhood.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Here at SoraNews24, we\u2019re always on the lookout for fun and exciting events to participate in, and sometimes that news comes from our enthusiastic readers who are keen to share their knowledge of local events. Just recently, one of our readers sent in a notification about a bar-hopping event in Asakusa<\/strong> that\u2019s perfect for even people who have no one else to go with, so we sent out our Japanese-language reporter Asami Oshima<\/strong>, who is always down to try out different places to drink<\/a>, to see what the event was all about.<\/p>\n

The event in question is Yoi no Yoi<\/strong>, which translates to \u201cDrunken Evening\u201d<\/strong>, and it\u2019s one of the largest bar-hopping events in Japan<\/strong>, running from February 2 to February 18, 2026<\/strong>, and being held in the Kannon-ura area of Asakusa<\/strong>, a historic district in eastern Tokyo.<\/p>\n

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Asakusa is best known for Sensoji Temple<\/strong>, Tokyo\u2019s oldest and most famous temple. With \u201cKannon\u201d being another name for the Buddhist deity enshrined within the temple, the \u201cKannon-ura\u201d area, refers to the neighborhood behind Sensoji Temple, as it is literally behind (\u201cura\u201d) the Kannon. While the front of the temple sees a plethora of crowded tourist shops<\/a>, Kannon-ura is more of a local, residential area<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

During the event, participating restaurants and bars throughout Kannon-ura offer a special 1,000 yen (US$6.51) set called a Sen-Tora set<\/strong>, which includes one drink and one small food dish<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u25bc Having these Sen-Tora sets on offer makes them an easy, affordable way to try multiple places in one evening.<\/p>\n

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The event, now in its sixth year, is held every February<\/strong>, and this year a whopping total of 113 establishments<\/strong> are participating, so you\u2019re bound to find a few places you like, and even if you happen to run into a couple of stores that are full or closed, you won\u2019t have far to go before you find another to try out.<\/p>\n

Asami arrived at Asakusa Station feeling confident, only to realize that she had no idea where Kannon-ura actually was. Even asking a station attendant didn\u2019t seem to help, as they looked just as puzzled as she did.<\/p>\n

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It turns out that Yoi no Yoi isn\u2019t a huge, citywide festival<\/strong> with banners everywhere, but more of a local neighborhood event<\/strong>. After briefly heading in the wrong direction (\u201cKannondoori\u201d turned out to be a completely different place entirely), Asami finally made her way toward the temple and into the correct area, officially starting her drunken adventure.<\/p>\n

\u25bc Similar sounding names, but Kannondoori (\u201c\u89b3\u97f3\u901a\u308a\u201d) is not Kannon-ura.<\/p>\n

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\u25bc Don\u2019t make the mistake of going to the area marked by the cross, head to the area within the red circle instead, just north of Sensoji Temple in the middle of the map<\/p>\n

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Asami\u2019s first stop of the evening was Taco44<\/strong>, read as \u201cTakoyoshi\u201d, a lively izakaya pub specializing in takoyaki<\/strong>, golf-ball-sized batter balls filled with octopus.<\/p>\n

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It seems the owner moved to Tokyo from Osaka to share a secret family recipe inherited from his late father.<\/p>\n

For the Sen-Tora set<\/strong>, Asami chose:<\/p>\n