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[eiyosus]

This post may not have anything to do with teaching, but I�m going to be visiting an old smoking buddy in Tokyo and was wondering if anybody knew of any good cigar stores or bars that are cigar friendly (preferably not a �Gaijin Bar�). Right now I�m living in Kobe and am a frequent customer of Sugimoto (The biggest tobacco store I�ve seen in Japan) in Motomachi.

We�re going to be traveling around parts of Tokyo; I actually don�t know where he lives off the top of my head (probably around Shibuya) so any Cigar store is good no matter where it is.

I�ve seen those kiosks that sell (dried out) cigars, but I�m talking about a shop that specializes in Tobacco and has a nice selection. I figured if there�s a good one in Kobe, there�s probably a good one in Tokyo.

Any help would be appreciated!

[fluffyhamster]

I saw a "cigar bar" once (where you presumably would be encouraged to smoke/buy cigars along with your drinks), IIRC near the intersection of the road that leads out of central Shibuya and past Tower Records, and Omotesando (I didn't have time to venture in though - perhaps a good thing, as the charges could've been quite high). But generally bars in Japan don't welcome cigar smokers and may in fact have signs up requesting you not to smoke 'em (it'll certainly be hard to get away with the smoke clouds from anything much larger than cigarette-sized!) - cramped small and/or underground bars with inadequate ventilation, Japanese customers wont to complain about the non-Mild Seven smoking, fire-breathing foreigner and all that.

As for buying cigars, there's a reasonable store towards the back of arcade that runs under the central/"main" (i.e. old, run-down and small) branch of Kinokuniya in Shinjuku (near Studio Alta), called Ka(t)suya or something like that (they also have another sub-store off on a back street the other side of Shinjuku-dori, sort of behind loft, but this is more a kiosk and not always open). You can also try the more central department stores such as the nearby Isetan (they'll have cigar humidifiers working), but generally the range they offer is quite expensive (more like western prices if not more) and thus more "limited" (in terms of what you might actually be able to afford).

But my usual (more local) place of pilgrimage for cigars was Omiya. There's a little shop across from the bus area on the east (non-Bic Camera) side of Omiya station that sells among other products the very affordable but very nice Apostolado cigar from Nobel (five big fat wrapped and tubed cigars for 1800 yen the last time I got some), but be aware she is shut on Wednesdays. Then there's a shop just inside the 2nd floor entrance of the DOM building (reached by heading along the right-hand walkways from the station's west exit) that has a better range (if it's not the Apostolado that you're after!).

[Apsara]

I remember seeing a cigar bar on the left side of Omotesando as you go away from Harajuku station, possibly somewhere near the koban after the Meiji Dori crossing. I'm not a hundred percent sure it's still there, but it probably is.

[ripslyme]

[fluffyhamster]

Hiya Rip (Apsara too - glad you chipped in 'cos my directions for Shibuya were a bit dodgy. Shinjuku's more my scene)!

Rip, I've never met a fellow foreigner in the east-side cigar shop - glad to hear she's got more customers. Does she give you free lighters and samples? BTW, if those two stores were ever to shut, you'd be able to get e.g. JT Paloma (not a bad "emergency" brand) from the shopping center right by the visa place in Kita-Yono (there's a kiosk next to the one that sells the visa yen stamp thingies).

I've also just remembered the Tobacco and Salt Museum in Shibuya:
http://www.jti.co.jp/Culture/museum/Welcome.html

It's worth a visit just for the slight naffness (helps pass up to an hour), but I can't say I was impressed with the range of tobacco products for sale.

[eiyosus]

Thanks for all the great information! I will ask my friend about those places and see which is the most convenient place for us to go.

Thanks again!