Anyone who’s ever lost themselves in the pages of a Murakami novel will have dreamed of this: a classic, low-lit Tokyo bar full of cool characters, dreamy background jazz and superbly skilled bar tenders. High Five is all that and more, an understated yet memorable space perched four floors up with views over the Ginza railway tracks. Cocktail-making is elevated to an art form here; the drinks are
mixed with care and precision and head bartender Hidetsugo Ueno is one of the top men in his field. The bar is tiny but this intimacy is part of its appeal and it allows you to study a master at work: blending, pouring, and even sometimes checking the temperature with a thermometer– judging every element as he goes. Every aspect of the experience has been taken into account, includes the snacks you are served as you take your seat at the bar and wait for the show to begin.
