As Tokyo Game Show closed a day early due to an approaching typhoon, Ukiyo Game Bar opened its doors to gamers and game makers in need of a dry seat and a stiff drink.

Since 2019, Ukiyo Studios has provided marketing, public relations, and business development services to game makers, working with companies like Devolver Digital and Pocketpair to showcase their games at industry conferences across the globe. On Sept. 14, the company launched its latest venture: a bar and cafe located in the middle of Tokyo’s Ginza district. 

After seeing a poster advertising Ukiyo Game Bar while walking the show floor at Tokyo Game Show 2026, I knew I had to drop by, so I reached out to Ukiyo Game Bar co-founder and director On Takahashi, who was tending the bar when I visited a few days later. My drink of choice was a Tanuki Pon’s Sour, one of three indie-game-themed special cocktails the bar was serving for the week of Tokyo Game Show. 

“At the events, we do really elaborate stuff. It’s fun, but it also feels very fleeting, very temporary,” Takahashi said. “So we were like, ‘you know what, let’s build a physical space where all of these cool video games that we work with can be housed 365 days a year.’”

Tucked away above a fried chicken restaurant, Ukiyo Game Bar is a cozy spot with seating for about 20, with Takahashi saying the space was packed on Sept. 21, TGS’s typhoon closure day. In addition to a fully stocked liquor shelf and a coffee machine, the bar features gaming setups and controllers arrayed around the room, each showcasing a different indie title from Ukiyo’s client portfolio.

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