Camera Cabaret
In the electronic shops that line the alleyways in Akihabara is a camera store with a difference. Camera Cabaret is filled with all manner of collectibles – from a film camera with two golden stallions flanking the lens and a giant hand crank to roll the film, to vintage Dianas and Holgas, and novelty keyring cameras. There's an instore DJ and the shop is staffed by enthusiasts who are passionate about their collection. For those already familiar with Lomo and the current trend for funky cameras with multiple lenses, this also happens to be the Tokyo headquarters of Superheadz, the company responsible for reissuing the technicolor Holgas and retro-style Blackbird, Fly cameras. They sell some other odd gadgets as well, including the audio toy the Buddha Box. The staff are happy to explain all of their cameras and demonstrate products if requested.
• Camera Cabaret, Hideshima Bldg. 2F, 1-15-12, Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, +81 3 5428 5162, superheadz.com/cabaret
8Bit Cafe
8Bit Cafe in Shinjuku takes the prize for coolest nerd bar in Tokyo. Located on the fifth floor of an old building with no elevator, 8Bit Cafe is not the easiest place to find, but well worth the quest. By the third floor, you'll start hearing the blips and blops of game music down the stairwell. Once you reach the fifth, you'll be surrounded by retro Japanese video games, toys, T-shirts and intoxicated college students. There's a bar counter and a few large tables along with a game area.
The drinks menu is extensive. Doctor Mario is one of their signature cocktails - served in a science lab beaker and paired with a test tube containing two little pills. The drink itself is a Doctor Pepper base with a variety of alcohols stirred in; the pills on the other hand, according to the staff, are merely edible.
The real draw is the game area by the entrance. This is where all those memories of being planted in front of a TV with an Nintendo Entertainment System in the 80s flood back, with the added bonus of being old enough to drink. On a quiet night, you won't have to wait to have a turn. There's a monitor with an old Famicom (NES) and a Sufami (Super NES) attached to it. Next to that, a bin filled to the brim with games. All the classics are there, Super Mario, Street Fighter 2, Bubble Bobble. There are two controllers and two stools. With such a unique collection of games nostalgia, 8Bit Cafe is almost a required pilgrimage for gamers looking to pay their respects in the motherland of Nintendo.
Being a Tokyo bar, there's a standard table fee of 500 yen per person. Drinks range from 700 yen to 880 yen and a bowl of nuts will run you 500 yen. Not bad for a Tokyo theme bar. There are events from time to time where DJs mix Chiptune, you can check the schedule on their site (Japanese).
• 8Bit CafeShinjuku Sanchome Station (Metro), Exit C-5, walk to the right and it's the Q-Building, 5th floor. Hours: weekdays 7pm-2.30am; weekends and holidays 7pm-5am. Closed on Tuesdays
Cafe Comme Ca
Tokyo cafes serve up some excellent desserts for tea time, but finding the right spot is no easy task. There are dozens of amazing cafes to choose from, and you can easily spend a good 10 minutes deciding between the place that serves zebra chai tea and one that serves blueberry cheesecake donuts. I've been searching for the perfect balance of good coffee or tea and big desserts that won't break the bank for years. And now, finally, it has revealed itself.
Cafe Comme Ca in Shibuya is fairly simple, stark even, and shares the same space as two clothes shops. It specialises in giant tarts loaded with seasonal fresh fruits – fruit that would cost an arm and a leg at the supermarket - tangy mixed berry tarts to sweet mango tarts laced with custard and cream. There are even tarts without fruit like matcha and adzuki tart. They're all the same price, 550 yen per slice, and a cup of coffee is only 220 yen (score!). The proportions of the tarts are absurd by Tokyo standards and they dwarf all other cake options in the area which are also more expensive. Definitely a hit if you're looking to impress someone or just desperate for a fruit fix.
• Cafe Comme Ca, Shibuya Station, Hachiko exit. Walk up the main shopping street, past Sakuraya, take the first right and Loft is diagonal from that position. It is to the right of the Loft department store. Hours: 10am – 8pm
Jon Siegel is an art director residing in Tokyo, Japan. He runs a creative agency in Shibuya and spends his free time documenting Tokyo's oddities, secrets, and culinary wonders which hit the web in the form of his blog ninjaflavour.com
