Adachi

Kita-Senju in Adachi was the first post station on the Nikko highway in the Edo period. People and goods passed through, inns and eating houses gathered, and that character carried into today's drinking district. Place names and shop names from the post-station era are still in use.

The distinguishing feature is opening time. Several bars open around three in the afternoon, and by then customers are already seated — people coming off night shifts mixed with the retired. Drinking in the afternoon draws no attention here. Finding a bar open at that hour in central Tokyo is not easy.

Many are taishu-sakaba, the popular tavern format. Sharing a large table with strangers is normal, and sitting down assumes it. If that feels uncomfortable, ask for a counter seat instead — a request of that size is usually accommodated.