Will be in Tokyo next week staying in Akihabara, any thoughts on where one might pick up a bottle of Burg ot three?
Staying in Akihabara? Hmmm…not the first place that comes to mind for a hotel, but hey that is OK too. 
A few places to check out are
Wine Shop Party in Ebisu Garden Place
Bon Repas in Azabu Juban
Enoteca (any branch)
Another interesting choice might be Heavenly Vines in Ebisu (Canadian wine specialist with a fairly decent selection of things that are well worth trying)
I live here and would be very happy to assist further so feel free to email me at “mjm at inter.net”
Mike
Mate, I’ll find out from big D the few we went to, but you won’t have to look far…we found things like Leflvaive Chevalier in the supermarket under out hotel last time!!
There are several stores, so finding one close won’t be an issue…be prepared to pay. I think yen conversion is around 83:1. Good luck and safe travels!
I can just imagine you being sent down for milk and coming back with Chevalier Paul.
Thanks for the suggestions Mike.
If you are willing to move around a bit the Tokyu Department stores in Shibuya have decent selections of burgundy. There is one right at the station that is okay, But the better cellar is at the main store. What they have there is a question of timing, since things come in and then get sold out. There is a separate room that you have to ask to get access to that has some of the better stuff and older vintages.
You might have some luck with some of the other department stores in Ginza or Nihonbashi. I remember seeing a display of Leroy at one of them. I think it was in NIhonbashi, but I don’t remember which one. Sorry. In Department stores the wine shops tend to be on the food floors, B1 or sometimes B2.
There is a place called Yomo in Akasaka (between Akasaka Mitsuke and Tamaike Sanno stations) that has a cellar downstairs with quite a collection if you are looking for DRC and such. I haven’t been down into the cellar in a year or two (just go to buy whiskey there usually) but I assume the good stuff is still there. But this place is pretty hard to find and probably not worth the effort.
http://yomo-akasaka.com/winelist.html
Still tasted pretty good on the cornflakes…
Been to both of those, the separate room had some amazing wines on sale (like '45 Mouton etc), but some big numbers attached as might be expected.
The downstairs one was just a bit more modest (still some good older stuff though), and I bought some cheapish '05 Rougets there, and overall it was pretty good…
Department stores are about the last place you would want to buy wine in Tokyo. The channels any wine goes through to get there are absurd. Go specialty or better yet go to a decent wine bar and enjoy there. Elevage in Nishi Azabu is one that I would recommend.
Honestly though, I would buy very good and likely to be expensive wine almost anywhere but Tokyo. If it is for consumption while here, a wine bar is your best bet. If it is to have at home when you go home, there are far better and cheaper options tan Japan.
Mike,
While I agree with you in general, I didn’t find the pricing of the burgundies at Tokyu in Shibuya to be all that outrageous. Of course there are all sorts of currency rate calculations that make things more complex in terms of figuring out comparative prices. But I thought the choice at Tokyu for burgs was very good. The selection of burgs at other department stores wasn’t all that great, and, as you say, over priced, but I thought Jeremy might appreciate the Leroy selection (wherever it was) since those may be a bit harder to find, and Jeremy always seems to drink expensive wines, so cost doesn’t seem to be such a concern for him. There may be some local wine shops in Tokyo that have good burgundy selections, but since I don’t live there, I don’t know where they would be.
Danius
The hotels are questionable but the maids are excellent!
Mike, do you know if Maru’s Wine Bar in Roppongi is still there? I went twice in the mid-00s and had some great food and good deals on wine. They had some good Burgundy.
Danius,
Worst case scenario, a trip to Tokyu provides only data points. Best case, a gem or three is found. Would not be a wasted trip to look, this is for sure. (Qualifier: I know places that allow BYOB if a gem is found 
)
Craig,
Yes it is and that is a stellar suggestion! I have always found his selection (when he is actually in town) to rival even Elevage.
(店舗案内 ｜ MARU'S Bar マルズバー 公式サイト)
Mike
Jeremy:
Lots of good suggestions above. If you go to Party in Ebisu Garden Place, you might as well go to La Vinee, which is immediately adjacent and has a far deeper selection of Burgs. Another store worth looking at is Cave Fujiki, which is tucked into the new Mitsukoshi annex at Ginza (only 4-5 stops on the Hibiya line from Akihabara). It has a stronger selecion of Loire than burgs, but it stocks some interesting items at decent prices.
For wine bars, you might want to look at Izakaya Vin in Shibuya. There are usually some good prices on burgs and the confit is pretty snappy as well. If you need more details on any of the foregoing, please let me know.
Izakaya Vin is a good call for sure.
Another one that is fun is Tsubaki in Nishi Azabu. Great older selection there.
But seriously folks, we have at least 2 WBers in Tokyo and we have not yet suggested an offline? 
Mike
Tokyo can be an amazing place for wine. Remember coming across rather random places and small bars that had old Jayer and La Tache on tap in enomatic machines.
Get to a few places in Akasaka, (As noted above it is called Yomo) one is in the basement of a pretty dodgy looking place, but there are gems as prices don’t change often so somethings are overpriced and others are hugely underpriced.
There is also Wine Shop Sommelier in Roppongi.
Dean and Deluca in Tokyo Midtown often have a few gems but not always.
Meidi-ya often has some nice kit in the bigger outlets occasionally.
Enoteca have good stuff but can be on the expensive side.
There are some nice shops on the back streets of Ginza (Ys Wine Gallery is particularly good).
Isetan in Shinjuku have a brilliant shop with a good fine wine section through a corridor at the back as well.
The best for price however is definitely Wine Shop Sommelier.
There are plenty of other places. Including one near Akasaka-Mitsuke that is owned by Suntory, but prices aren’t always keen.
Plenty of good wine bars around the back streets between Midtown and Azabu-Crossing.
Having lived there I’ve been to many and haven’t often been dissappointing.
Also, if you have someone who speaks Japanese, I can try and get you a booking at a brilliant restaurant that does BYO for regular customers.
Thanks for all your suggestions guys.
