Comedian Kachan, who has a deep love for food, drinks, and the YNK area, gives us an exclusive first look at the new spot, “TOFROM YAESU”!

First, enjoy our carefully crafted yakitori!

The first place I visited was “Yakitori Omino Shizuku,” located on the 3rd floor of TOWER.

It’s a restaurant where you can enjoy yakitori-centered dishes in a relaxed atmosphere. At the counter, you can dine while watching the chefs at work right in front of you. In addition to the counter, private rooms are available, making it suitable for dinners with friends or business entertaining.

Nika-chan was also very intrigued by the atmosphere.

She actually tried the dish—the yuzu-scented tsukune—and said it was absolutely exquisite; she mentioned she’d definitely like to go there on a special occasion.

Combined with the excitement of watching the food being grilled right before your eyes, this is a restaurant where you can truly savor the dining experience itself.

“Yakitori Omino Shizuku” is a place to keep in mind when you’re looking for a slightly special dining experience.

A standing bar that made me blurt out, “That’s exactly how it should be!!”

Next, we headed to “Yamatoya,” a standing bar on the 2nd floor of TOWER.

This beloved Tamachi bar has now opened a location in Yaesu.

Step through the large noren curtain, and you’ll be greeted by a bright, casual atmosphere.You can casually enjoy dishes made with fresh offal sourced from the Shibaura meat market, a selection of homemade bar fare, and carefully curated drinks.

Here, Nika-chan sampled tsukune and simmered offal.

With people sitting next to us exclaiming, “This is exactly how it should be!!,” the place already has the atmosphere of a true “neighborhood bar.”

Nika-chan seemed to really take a liking to the place, saying, “I want to become a regular here!”

Just popping in for a drink on the way home from work.

It looks like this place will become the perfect spot for everyday life in Yaesu.

Tokyo’s “bar-hopping” spots that drinkers will love

Continue walking along the second floor, and you’ll reach the “Tokyo Kai” area, home to a variety of restaurants.

One of the appeals is that you can choose a restaurant based on your mood—whether it’s oysters, tempura, sushi, eel, oden, or something else.

“It’d be dangerous to come here after work (lol),” said Nika-chan, who loves food and drinks.

You can either take your time enjoying a single place or visit a few places that catch your interest.

It looks like there’s a new way to enjoy yourself in Yaesu: “bar hopping.”

“Mixology Salon”: Enjoying Tea and Alcohol Together

A “Mixology Salon” has also opened on the 2nd floor.

The salon is helmed by Shuzo Nagumo, one of Japan’s leading mixologists. It turns out that the salon’s original location was actually on the Tofrom premises, so he made a comeback to Yaesu to mark the opening.

The bar serves tea cocktails that combine high-quality teas, such as gyokuro and matcha, with spirits.

“I want to be the kind of adult who can enjoy spending time alone in a place with this kind of atmosphere,” she says. Perhaps this bar will bring out a new side of Nika-chan.

A long-established soba restaurant founded in 1902—experience its flavors in Yaesu

Next up is “Nihonbashi Yabuhisa.”

Founded in Meiji 35 (1902), this long-established soba restaurant has been a beloved fixture in Nihonbashi for over 100 years.

They use high-quality domestically produced buckwheat flour and serve soba using a traditional method they’ve been committed to since their founding. The rich broth, made with thickly shaved, fully aged bonito flakes, offers a flavor true to the Edo-style soba tradition.

A historic restaurant with over 100 years of history is located inside a new high-rise building.

This is another unique charm that only Tofrom can offer.

Specialty shops dedicated to “Iwashi Ichisetsu” have also appeared

Also on the 2nd floor is “Kanda Ohmatsu: Sardine Cuisine.”

Founded in Kanda in 2004, this restaurant sources the best sardines of the day from fishing ports across the country and serves them in a variety of dishes, including sashimi, namero, salt-grilled sardines, fried sardines, and fish ball soup.

“I had no idea sardines could be prepared in so many different ways!”

Nika-chan was amazed by the sardine-focused menu—a treat only available at a specialty restaurant.

The lunch set meal, priced at 1,000 yen (tax included), is sure to be a favorite among businesspeople working in Yaesu.

I was blown away by the matcha latte they made right in front of me!

Let’s take a break from food and drinks for a moment and head down to the first floor.

Nika-chan headed to the matcha brand “MATCHAMON.”

With the motto “Bringing delicious matcha to the world,” the brand embraces the “single-origin” philosophy, which allows you to enjoy matcha by exploring its region of origin, variety, and background.

Their matcha latte uses “Okumidori” matcha from Kagoshima Prefecture.

Nika-chan is also fascinated by the way the tea is prepared right in front of her every time she orders.

“I really want people from other countries to try this!”

Given its location at Tokyo Station, the shop is likely to attract attention as a place that introduces Japanese matcha culture to international travelers.

“Kappo Shimamura,” a long-established restaurant with a history spanning over 170 years

Next, we’ll visit “Kappo Shimamura,” a restaurant with a history spanning over 170 years.

Founded in the third year of the Kaei era (1850), this long-established restaurant has been in business since the Edo period and is a historic establishment whose name even appeared in the “Restaurants Ranking” during the Bunka era.

This venerable restaurant is now located in a modern high-rise building in Yaesu.

Nika-chan actually had a reservation booked for the very day it opened, and she was looking at the exterior with growing anticipation.

You can now experience the history of Japanese cuisine, dating back to the Edo period, right here in the future of Yaesu.

It’s a restaurant that perfectly embodies Tofrom’s concept of “connecting people, time, and place.”

It’s not just about food. Yaesu, where you can encounter “art”

And at this preview event, another thing that left a strong impression alongside the food was the world of art that fills the building.

On the 1st floor is the “BeOwned Gallery,” which creates opportunities to encounter artworks under the theme of “NEO WABI-SABI”—connecting Japanese aesthetics and traditions with modern urban life, technology, food, tea, and pop culture.

“It would be exciting to see restaurants and art collaborate in the future!”

Nika-chan, who toured the building, is also looking forward to future developments.

In addition, Tofrom will also launch a large-scale public art project that uses the facility itself as a stage.

“The City of Mermaids,” a story set in Yaesu directed by Shunji Iwai

“TOFROM YAESU TOWER ART: The City of Mermaids.”

The starting point for this project is the original story “The Town of the Mermaid,” written specifically for this facility by film director Shunji Iwai and set in the Yaesu neighborhood.

The story intertwines historical fact with fantasy to depict the connections between Japan and the rest of the world, the transition from Edo to Tokyo, and the passage of time in Yaesu.

Based on the world and stories of “The City of Mermaids,” eight artists—Kota Iguchi, Takuto Ota, Tomohiro Kato, Misa Kono, Hiroto Kobayashi, secca, Takahiro Matsuo, and MULTISTANDARD—created their works.

Works from various genres—including video art, art furniture, sculpture, and graphic art—are scattered throughout the museum.

The works are not merely independent of one another.

As you walk through the building and view the artworks, they come together to form a single story, allowing you to experience the layers of time and memories that have accumulated in Yaesu.

“I came here to eat, but look—there’s art here!”

It seems that kind of chance encounter will become one of the joys of visiting Tofrom.

This art project will be on permanent display starting September 10, and visitors can enjoy it for free in various locations throughout the building, from the underground bus terminal level to the 4th floor.

From time-honored traditions to new cultural trends. Experience the “future” of Yaesu

As I toured the facility with Nika-chan at this preview event, I realized that Tofrom is more than just a new dining venue.

From high-quality yakitori restaurants like “Yakitori Omino Shizuku” to casual drinking spots like “Yamatoya,” and historic, long-established establishments such as “Nihonbashi Yabukyu” and “Kappo Shimamura.”

In addition, new cultural trends such as matcha, tea cocktails, and art will be introduced.

“Let’s stop here today,” “Next time, let’s try that shop”—it seems like there’s a different way to enjoy it every time you visit.

“I want to drink as much as I’ve been holding back!! lol”

As she said that, Nika-chan really enjoyed this open house.

At the end, she said, “There were so many places I’d like to visit next time!”—and it seemed she had thoroughly enjoyed exploring the new spots in Yaesu.

Located in the Yaesu district, just a short distance from Tokyo Station, Tofrom is a place where Tokyo’s past, present, and future converge.

After we open on September 10, why not take a stroll through the building to find your favorite shop and your favorite piece of art?

Photo by Yamato Nishizawa