Deathmatch in Hell — Restaurant in Tokyo

Yo, I'm takin' you to Shinjuku, where the neon lights shine, Golden Gai's the place, and it's one of a kind. Hidden in the alleys, where the stories swell, You'll find a spot called Deathmatch in Hell. Where the theme is Horror Movies and Wayne’s world will be sure to look after you here.

Step through the door, leave your worries at the gate, In this tiny bar, the vibe is first-rate. Walls drippin' with culture, energy so high, Sippin' on sake while the spirits fly by. Bartender’s got the skills, mixin' drinks so tight, Every sip you take, man, it feels just right.

Crowded but cozy, it's a scene so chill, In Deathmatch in Hell, you feel the thrill. Locals and travelers, everyone’s a friend, In this Tokyo bar, good times never end. With every beat drop, the night comes alive, At Deathmatch in Hell, that's where you thrive.

Golden Gai magic, where legends are born, Deathmatch in Hell, where the spirits are sworn. Raise your glass high, let's make a toast, To the bar in Shinjuku that we...

This is my favorite bar in the entire world: a heavy metal and horror themed hole-in-the-wall dive in Golden Gai, Shinjuku, where every drink costs a mere ¥666, and is served quickly and jovially by Go, the owner and mastermind of its hellish interior aesthetic. From the bar made of glued-together clamshell VHS & DVD cases, to the walls plastered with movie posters and metal paraphernalia, to the iconic horror movie figurines behind the counter, every single piece of infernal effluvia SCREAMS with flavor and drips with character like the blood of countless hapless horror movie victims. It's all shock and schlock in here, with a pulse-pounding soundtrack of riffs and guitar solos beating into your skull like a ball-peen hammer, and drowning you to death in liquor, tonic and soda. It's HELL ON EARTH...or as some of us call it: home!

Rock on, Go! Metal is religion! Metal is life! Metal is...

I absolutely cannot recommend this bar enough! Having passed by it on my first trip to Japan, I made sure to not make the same mistake twice and stop in.

The vibes were immaculate from the nonchalant bar owner to the heavy metal blasting on the speakers. Rock albums adorn the walls and are stacked on the bar. Cheesy horror movies play on the TVs. Red lights aluminate your decent into hell.

We visited around 10pm on a Tuesday and it was standing room only with barely enough room to move. We gestured “#2” on our fingers and the bar owner, looked at us, shrugged and pointed at a vaguely empty space near the entrance. Love it!

Drinks all priced a 666¥. The bar was absolutely some of the most fun I had in Golden Gai! Pours on drinks were solid, some even heavy, absolutely worth a stop...