Japanese Bangkok: discover a secret world of yakitori, micro bars, and sushi restaurants – it’s like being in Japan without going there

Thailand’s capital, especially the central areas of Sukhumvit and Phrompong, is home to a large Japanese community, and that means great bars and restaurants

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A Japanese restaurant in Bangkok. The Thai capital is home to a large Japanese community. Photo: James Wendlinger

Published: 5:00am, 15 Oct 2019Updated: 5:23am, 15 Oct 2019

Thanks to its sprawl and tendency to overload the senses, visitors to Bangkok could be forgiven for missing what amounts to an entire secret world, flourishing right alongside some of the more tourist-friendly haunts. A city hiding just under the surface, more akin to Tokyo or Osaka: the rewarding world of Japanese Bangkok.

Over the past few decades Thailand has quietly become a home for Japanese factories and offices, as well as an education hub for overseas Japanese, and now hosts one of the largest populations of expatriate Japanese in the world.

More than 100,000 Japanese call Bangkok home, mostly professionals and young people drawn to the country for its comparatively low cheap cost of living and as an escape from the strict social mores that define and constrain life in Japan.

For visitors, discovering this community – concentrated in the Sukhumvit Road and Phrompong neighbourhoods – can feel like gaining entry to a rarefied world full of impeccable dining, nightlife and relaxation for a fraction of the cost of the same experiences in Japan.

Tourists on Sukhumvit Soi 26 in Bangkok. Photo: James Wendlinger

“I’ve always loved Japanese food and culture, so it’s great living in a city with a large Japanese expat community,” says Bangkok resident Larry Gordon, a quality and development manager for a jewellery company.

“I never feel like the experience is watered down for foreign tastes and it’s fun to explore what’s on offer. It’s like travelling without going anywhere.”