July is a great month for getting outside and enjoying the many festivals that happen all over Tokyo.
The rainy season is finally over, only to be replaced with the sweltering heat of summer. Not to worry, here’s 5 chilled out ideas for getting the most out of this month in Tokyo, without spending too many yen.
1. Dress up in a Yukata and Stroll through a Festival
If you are a festival enthusiast, July is the month for you. It opens with the July 7th Tanabata celebrations and closes with the Sumida River Fireworks on July 26th, with a collection of festivals in between. (check out our recommended Top Festivals for July)
The city can be unbearably hot and humid, but you don’t have to worry much about rain cancelling or ruining your festival. Furthermore, you can finally get a couple of good wears out of that yukata (summer kimono) you picked up at a flea market in Harajuku a couple of months back.
2. Grab a Chilled Craft Beer with Friends
Many Tokyoites complain about the beer scene in Japan, citing a lack of interest and availability of their favorites brews. But you don’t have to resign yourself to drinking at home alone with some cheapo kombini beer; there a plenty of places to enjoy a unique and tasty, yet reasonably priced, craft beer in Tokyo.
July evenings are a cool, refreshing break from daily Tokyo life. This is a great month to hit some of the many outdoor beer gardens and relax with friends after work. Check the rooftop of your closest department store – you’re likely to find barbecues and kegs set up there.
Photo by Alpha
3. Grab Lunch at a Classy Restaurant
Tokyo is an excellent city for foodies, with delicious and mouthwatering restaurants left and right. The only downside is the price; high end restaurants offer high end food matched with high end prices.
Don’t worry, though, you can have the best of both worlds – as long as you go during lunch. Many high-end restaurants offer a limited lunch menu for a fraction of the price of their dinner menu. In most cases, the quality is the exact same.
To take advantage of these lunch deals, try going for an early lunch on a weekday in Aoyama, Daikanyama, Nakameguro, or any of Tokyo’s other neighbourhoods where the scent of money permeates the air.
4. Go to the Weekend Ohi Racetrack Flea Market
Flea markets in Tokyo are a hidden gem just waiting to be explored. Unfortunately, many of them have erratic schedules and rely on word-of-mouth. Ohi Racetrack Flea Market, though, has a regular schedule and always happens at the same spot. It is considered to be the largest and most popular flea market in Tokyo, with an average of 600 vendors every week.
Like the name suggests, it’s on at the Ohi Racecourse every Saturday from 9:00am – 3:00pm. The closest station is the Oi Keibajomae station on the Tokyo Monorail Line.
5. Stock up your Home Bar at Liquor Off
If you tend to favor harder liquors or have a taste for expensive wines, check out the recently opened Liquor Off in Koenji. This is the newest addition to the “Off” chain stores, such as Book Off, Home Off, Hobby Off, Hard Off, Garage Off, and Mode Off. They sell expensive sake, cheap wine, drinking paraphernalia, and everything in between, at significantly discounted prices.
Photo by Tokyo Cheapo
Guest Contributor: Tokyo Cheapo
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“off” chains usually buy stuff back (like used books, dvds, music, etc.) and the sign says “o-uri-kudasai” or “please sell”, so does that mean they buy liquor….?
Yep. Un-opened only!