Sake Bar Moto TOKYO: Standing Bar Meets Kappo, Right Inside Tokyo Station

From Tokyo Station's Yaesu exit, walk through the underground passage and take the escalator to the third floor of Tokyo Midtown Yaesu. A latticed wooden entrance comes into view. Moto TOKYO is a sake bar run by the Moto Group, which operates several sake-focused bars around Tokyo. It opened in March 2023 alongside Tokyo Midtown Yaesu itself, and has since become a go-to for sake drinkers around Tokyo Station.

The space is split into two areas. Near the entrance is the standing bar (12 counter seats), and behind a set of heavy doors is the kappo area (6 counter seats plus two private rooms). You can pop in for a quick drink at the counter or book ahead for a full course meal in the back.

80+ Sakes, With a Deep Aramasa Selection

The sake lineup stays above 80 varieties. The selection of Akita's Aramasa is particularly deep: No.6 S-type (¥1,700), Cosmos Kimoto Junmai (¥1,100), and even the hard-to-find X-type.

Aomori's Denshu Micro Bubble (¥800) is a dry sparkling sake. Nagano's Kamikura Nigori Hisoka (¥800) is a nigori that's unexpectedly sharp and dry.

You can order by the glass or do a tasting flight. Staff will ask what you like and help you pick. No sake expertise required.

Standing Bar, Kappo Kitchen

Even in the standing area, the food comes out of the kappo kitchen in the back.

The dashimaki tamago (rolled omelet, ¥900) releases dashi the moment you break into it with chopsticks. The daily fresh fish platter (¥1,500) lets you pick three from seven varieties. There are also small plates like grilled mackerel potato salad, seri ohitashi (Japanese parsley in dashi, ¥600), and yama-uni tofu (¥500), all built around sake.

The standing area charges a ¥500 otoshi (table charge) and runs about ¥3,000–4,000 total. It opens at 3 PM, no reservation needed.

The Kappo Area: Reservation Only

The kappo area serves course meals starting at ¥9,000. Matsukasa-yaki tilefish, Japanese black beef steak, seiko crab rice — the menu changes with the seasons. Budget: ¥6,000–15,000.

Two private rooms seat 4–6 guests (¥5,000 room charge).

Moto TOKYO is closed irregularly but often open on Sundays. Being directly connected to Tokyo Station, it's easy to drop in before or after a Shinkansen ride. The bar also hosts regular events with visiting brewers and pairing sessions with heirloom vegetables and natural sake.