
Did we strike gold or strike out with this rooftop beer garden on top of a Tokyo parking garage?
Our Japanese-language reporter Ahiruneko was passing through JR Tachikawa Station in Tokyo recently when an advertisement for a beer garden caught his eye. It was only a few minutes' walk from the station's South Exit, but the intriguing thing was that it was located on top of the Sanko Parking Garage. A beer garden on top of a parking garage?! That seemed almost sketchy in a way…
He thought he might be imagining things, but once he got to the garage, there was indeed a giant banner advertising the 'Tachikawa in the Sky Beer Garden.'
He also spotted a few signs on the ground level doubly confirming the fact that beer and yummy things were just an elevator ride away.
The entrance to the garage was very unassuming…
…and if you didn't know, it would be easy to think that this was just an ordinary place to park your car.
However, Ahiruneko followed the signs until he found a somewhat retro-looking elevator and stepped inside.
Next to the rooftop level button was a small visual for the beer garden. What exactly would be waiting for him when the door opened…?
As it turned out, it was indeed a proper beer garden!
The decorations were fairly minimalistic, but he appreciated the combination of J-pop streaming through the speakers punctuated by the timeless tinkling sound of wind chimes.
It was such a clear, beautiful sound whenever the breeze picked up.
This particular day happened to be on the weekend, when the beer garden opened in the early afternoon. Hardly anyone was there at around 2 p.m., likely due to the cloudy weather and possible chance of rain.
Ahiruneko wouldn't let that stop him from enjoying a little bite, though, so he perused the menu to see the different course options. There was a particularly good-looking deal called the 'Cheers! All-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink course.' For 90 minutes, you can have unlimited alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, and five kinds of food, all for only 2,580 yen (US$17) per person.
That was too good to pass up, so he selected that plan and made his way to the central counter to order a draft beer for his first drink. Nothing taste better than that when it's a humid summer day with a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
He then turned his attention to the food that was part of his all-you-can-eat course. There was karaage…
…French fries…
…salted cabbage…
…and yakisoba. They were all fairly typical Japanese street food offerings that you might find at a summer festival.
There were plenty of additional sauces and seasonings that he could add, too.
All were fairly basic menu items, but he figured that was probably how they kept the cost so low.
By the way, curry was the fifth and final food item included in the deal. The pots containing the curry and rice were located on a self-service table.
Interestingly, while a sign on the stand proclaimed that it was authentic curry rice made by a chef from Bangladesh, Ahiruneko couldn't help but think that it tasted like curry suited for the Japanese palate. There were also some finely chopped pieces of konnyaku (a food derived from the konjac yam) throughout the sauce. Regardless of whether it was indeed made by a Bangladeshi or Japanese chef, it was really good.
Ahiruneko definitely wanted to take advantage of the all-you-can-eat nature of his plan, so he ordered more karaage and yakisoba. He was a little taken aback when the second servings arrived and the portions were even bigger than the first ones! It would be hard to finish, but he'd do his best in the usual SoraNews24 way.
All in all, despite the dubious nature of a beer garden on the rooftop of a parking garage, Ahiruneko considers his find a win. The garden will remain open until September 16 this year, so please stop by if you'll be in the area.
You might also want to check out Ahiruneko's other recent visit to a beer garden–in that case, on top of a mountain.
Beer garden information Tachikawa Tenku Beer Garden / 立川天空ビアガーデン Address: Tokyo-to, Tachikawa-shi, Nishiki-cho 2-1-33, Sanko Parking Garage rooftop 東京都立川市錦町 2-1-33 屋上 三幸立体駐車場 Open: 5 p.m.-10 p.m. (Monday-Thursday), 4 p.m.-10 p.m. (Friday), 1 p.m.-10 p.m. (Saturday-Sunday)
Website
All images © SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Tokyo Weekender
3 hours ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Curry and Quests: Monster Hunter Wilds Teams Up with CoCo Ichibanya
This summer, curry-loving gamers are in for a treat. Capcom's Monster Hunter Wilds has joined forces with Japan's beloved curry chain, CoCo Ichibanya , for a nationwide campaign that brings the thrill of the hunt straight to your plate. Running until August 31, the 'CoCo Ichi Hunter' campaign invites diners across Japan to complete a series of three real-life 'quests,' unlocking exclusive prizes and limited-edition content along the way. The face of the limited-time campaign is 'NeCoichi,' a mischievous new curry-themed Palico character. List of Contents: A Three-Quest Feast for Fans Where to Play Related Posts Courtesy of Coco Ichibanya A Three-Quest Feast for Fans Just like in Monster Hunter , participants are encouraged to take on quests, but with a delicious twist. Quest 1: Eat Like a Hunter Dine in at a participating CoCo Ichibanya and spend ¥1,000 or more to receive an original Monster Hunter coaster. To claim your prize, show the dedicated reward screen on the campaign website or simply ask for a coaster. Designs are random, quantities are limited and certain locations may not offer the gift, so be sure to hunt wisely. Quest 2: Keep the Receipt Every receipt for a qualifying in-store or takeout purchase over ¥1,000 can be entered into a lottery for exclusive merchandise. While delivery and retail items are excluded, your everyday curry order might just turn into a rare find. Quest 3: Join the Hunt on X Follow CoCo Ichi's official X account and keep an eye out for the nine special campaign posts. If each reaches 10,000 reposts, everyone will unlock a set of Monster Hunter -themed SNS icons, headers and mobile wallpapers. And for those who help spread the word, there's a chance to win a ¥1,000 CoCo Ichi meal voucher. Where To Play The campaign is available at most CoCo Ichibanya locations nationwide, with a few exceptions including select stadium and event-based branches. A full list of participating stores is available on the official campaign site . Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just in it for the spice, CoCo Ichi Hunter offers a playful and flavorful way to celebrate two of Japan's favorite things: role-playing games and curry. Discover Tokyo, Every Week Get the city's best stories, under-the-radar spots and exclusive invites delivered straight to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy . Related Posts FamilyMart Eeevee Collaboration Snack Review: Does It Live Up to the Hype? 5 Unique, Out-of-This World Shops to Visit at Shinsaibashi Parco Why India is Not the Birthplace of Japanese Curry


NHK
4 hours ago
- NHK
Superman swoops into US immigration debate
A big-budget movie about one of America's most enduring superheroes has become a lightning rod for controversy in the US. What's going on?


Asahi Shimbun
11 hours ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Yamada ‘played it by ear' as he conducted Berlin Philharmonic
Japanese conductor Kazuki Yamada's improvisational skills guided him through one of the most high-profile guest performances of his conducting career. 'I played it by ear, just as I always do,' he said. 'I was excited by the way the orchestra transfigured.' In June, Yamada appeared on stage with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time and drew applause from the audience. Yamada, 46, shared his impressions of the fulfilling time he spent with one of the leading classical music orchestras in the world. CONDUCTING IS ABOUT 'CARRYING' 'The orchestra organizes 100 top-notch soloists, who are performing in the way they each prefer,' Yamada said. 'A swell arises, however, when they unite. They become mutually linked, both in music and in appearance. The better that things work out, the more wildly, and incredibly, the swell begins to grow.' He added: 'I was thinking about how I could add air into the harmony. Nobody there, apparently, had ever experienced an approach like that. They were, like, 'Oh, this guy is going to try something novel with us. OK, why don't we take him on?' They likely decided to deal with me in that way.' The Berlin Philharmonic was founded in 1882 by young musicians as a self-governing body. It went on to be a time-honored, prestigious orchestra, where famed composers Johannes Brahms and Antonin Dvorak conducted their own pieces and Herbert von Karajan built a golden age. Yamada is the 15th Japanese to have wielded the baton on the illustrious stage, where every aspiring conductor fancies taking a turn. Yamada took the rostrum during the Berlin Philharmonic's regular concert held from June 12 through 14. He told about the experience in a casual manner, as opposed to the way that Yutaka Sado talked passionately, and excitedly, about how he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic in 2011. Yamada chose to perform, instead of pieces of the German school, works by an Italian composer (Ottorino Respighi's 'Fontane di Roma'), a Japanese (Toru Takemitsu's 'I Hear the Water Dreaming') and a French artist (Camille Saint-Saens' Symphony No. 3, 'Organ Symphony'). In selecting these pieces, Yamada sought advice from Daishin Kashimoto, a close friend, who has served as first concertmaster with the Berlin Philharmonic since 2010. 'He encouraged me by saying, 'Why don't you try a French piece?'' Yamada said. 'I found that reassuring. After all, he is the only person that fully knows both me and the orchestra.' For reasons of scheduling, Kashimoto was unable to appear on stage with Yamada, who, however, said he didn't mind. 'I think it worked out all right in the end,' Yamada said. 'I am afraid I would have been reliant on him if he had been there. And that could also have been counterproductive if that were to make the others believe that he and I, fellow Japanese, were helping each other. Well, to tell the truth, however, I would have wanted him to be in the audience.' Yamada said that while he was performing on stage, he recalled an episode he had been told about by the late Hiroyuki Iwaki (1932-2006), who also previously served as music director of the Philharmonic Chorus of Tokyo and conducted the Berlin Philharmonic himself. In Yamada's words, Iwaki quoted Karajan as often saying, when the native of Austria was artistic director with the Berlin Philharmonic, that conducting is not about 'driving,' but is about 'carrying.' Yamada said he understood for the first time what that description meant. 'I realized that I am not there to control,' he said. 'Perhaps, in a sense, an orchestra is not so much like a car as it is like a horse. The horse has a strong willpower itself. I have to respect that when I am astride it. I am there to show where we should be going, but I am not there to force it.' Yamada continued: 'We are on totally equal terms, so I am always face to face with all the 100. I realized that this sense, which says this orchestra would be all right even without the conductor's cues, represents, more than anything else, the tradition that Karajan nurtured.'