Drink hot sake at Tokyo train station’s “phantom platform”

A special winter drinking event you won’t want to miss.

There are many places where you can enjoy a tipple in Japan, but those seeking a truly Japanese experience will want to head to a special winter event where you can drink sake on a train station platform.

Called “Oden and Atsukan Station“, with “oden” being a hot fishcake onepot dish and “atsukan” being the word for “hot sake“, this special event pops up every now and then and sells out almost immediately due to popularity. What makes it so popular is that it gives visitors the rare chance to sip hot Japanese sake while enjoying hot food at Ryogoku Station’s legendary “phantom platform”.

▼ Ryogoku Station is close to the National Sumo Arena.

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The platform gets its name from the fact that it was last used to serve passengers three decades ago. As it’s now closed to the public but clearly visible from passing trains and other platforms at the station, it has an elusive, mysterious quality to it that makes it well suited for events and promotions.

▼ Like this one we saw last year, when it was used to promote Netflix’s Japanese drama Sanctuary.

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The Phantom Platform will be transformed into a cosy, brightly lit space for Oden and Atsukan Station, where visitors will be able to try a wide range of sake, including 10 varieties that won prizes in this year’s National Warm Sake Contest.

With 10 licensed sake brewers on the premises, serving drinks at optimal temperatures, all staff are professionals in the field who are able to provide you with tasting notes and guidance on choosing the right sake for you.

▼ Oden and Atsukan Station.

While sipping high-quality award-winning hot sakes is appealing in itself, another highlight is the chance to enjoy your drinks while seated under the cosy warmth of a heated kotatsu table. Though these tables are limited to those who nab them on a first-come-first-served basis, every visitor will receive a bowl of oden and 10 drink tickets, to be exchanged for your choice of sakes.

There’s also the added bonus of being able to watch trains whizz by you on the platform, creating a unique vibe you won’t get at any other drinking establishment. Places are limited, though, so you’ll have to reserve your one-hour spot in the schedule, which runs from 2:30-8:50 p.m. on 30 and 31 January, and 12:30-8:50 p.m. and 11:10 a.m.-4:10 p.m. on 1 and 2 February respectively.

Tickets are priced at 3,500 yen (US$23.35) each, or 4,000 yen for a ticket that includes a daytime walking tour of the area and a visit to a sumo stable. Spots are sure to sell out fast so be sure to grab your ticket online when they go on sale from midday 9 December.

Source, images: Press release unless otherwise stated
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