Oktoberfest. In May. In Tokyo.

It’s May in Tokyo and naturally, all thoughts turn to… bratwurst and beer.  Right? Isn’t it natural in the spring to think of beer gardens and thick, amber ales?  Oh wait, that’s autumn.  Nevermind.  But never fear, those of you who love this food year-round!  There’s Oktoberfest in May in Tokyo.  It goes on through this Sunday, May 27th in Hibiya Park.

My husband and I stopped in because he works right by Hibiya Park.  We always get a kick out of watching the Japanese take on other cultures.  As usual it was picture-perfect.  The women were perfectly dressed in the poufy dresses and the men had liederhosen.   Many different stands sold many different beers.  There were many different stands for sausages, too.  Bratwurst, sausage, knackwurst – you name it, it was there.

We ended up splitting a sampler for lunch.  In true Japanese style, it was perfectly arranged on a perfect plate with just the right amount of sauerkraut on the side.  We drank beer, of course.  It was all rich and filling and hearty.  It wasn’t quite spring-like, and it was far from the light and refreshing Japanese food to which we are accustomed.  But it was familiar and delicious – savory and satisfying.

We would highly recommend a visit.  There are tables at which to sit, and on a nice day, the park is gorgeous and all decked out for spring with its greenery and flowers.

Here are a few more images for you:

Every plate looked *exactly* like the photo