English-speaking-only bar opens in Osaka and Tokyo, yellow cards for those who don’t follow rules

Bar Sick! is only open to English speakers.

In Japanese schools, English is a compulsory subject, but once students graduate it can be hard for them to find opportunities to use the language they’ve spent so many years learning.

Here to help with that is Shibuya-based company Cloud N Co., who’ve come up with the idea to open two bars in Japan — one in Osaka and one in Tokyo — where speaking English is compulsory.

Called Bar Sick! or “Sick!” for short, the new drinking holes are strictly English-speaking only, with staff consisting mostly of bilingual women in their 20s with native-level English conversation skills. Presumably, the name of the bar comes from the slang meaning of “sick”, referring to something that’s particularly great or impressive, rather than the literal meaning of the word.

▼ The Tokyo branch of Bar Sick! (pictured below) will be opening up in Nishi-Azabu, an area that’s home to a large number of foreign residents and embassies.

Japanese is completely banned at both bars, and anyone who does accidentally speak Japanese will be yellow-carded as a warning. Those who rack up a certain number of yellow cards (the bar hasn’t specified yet if it’s two or more) will be required to purchase and down a tequila shot as punishment. Non-alcoholic drinkers won’t be able to escape punishment either, as they’ll have to buy and down a non-alcoholic shot instead.

This strict enforcement of the rules is said to help create an environment where patrons have to speak English, just as they would when visiting a bar in an English-speaking country overseas.

The bars are set to operate on a time-based all-you-can-drink system, with patrons at the Tokyo location charged 3,000 yen (US$20.79) for 30 minutes and those at the Osaka location charged 1,500 yen for 30 minutes.

This may sound pricey, but for those who want to improve their English skills in a real-life setting, it’s a small price to pay for free English conversation and unlimited drinks, especially when language schools in Japan charge a similar amount for English tuition, without any drinks or relaxed banter.

No prior reservations are required, and patrons won’t have to invest in any textbooks or learning materials before their visit — simply walk in, grab a drink and let your English flow. Both bars will open on 1 October.

Bar Information

Tokyo

Address: Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Nishi-Azabu 1-4-33
東京都港区西麻布1-4-33
Open: 7:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. (weekdays) 7:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. (Fridays, Saturdays, and the day before a public holiday)
Closed Mondays
All-you-can-drink charges: 1,000 yen for every 10 minutes
Cashless payments only (PayPay and various credit cards accepted)

Osaka

Address: Osaka-fu, Osaka-shi, Kita-ku, Tenjinbashi 4-7-27
大阪府大阪市北区天神橋4-7-27
Open: 7:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. (weekdays) 7:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. (Fridays, Saturdays, and the day before a public holiday)
Closed Mondays
All-you-can-drink charges: 500 yen for every 10 minutes

Related: Bar Sick!
Source, images: PR Times
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