Tokyo’s Philly-themed bar is throwing a Super Bowl watch party — and it’s for Eagles fans only
Nihonbashi Philly’s owners have fielded messages from so many customers wanting to watch the Super Bowl at their tiny bar, they’re screening them with Eagles trivia and mandating green attire or Eagles gear.
Come 6:30 a.m. Monday, dozens of football fans more than halfway around the world will cram into the living room-sized confines of Nihonbashi Philly, Tokyo’s Philadelphia-themed bar, to watch Super Bowl LIX. It’ll be standing room — and Eagles fans — only: Nihonbashi’s owners have requirements for admission.
“This is must you do,” the bar announced on Instagram this week. “💚 Wear Eagles Gear or Green 💚 We will ask some questions about Eagles 🦅 if you could not answer means no Birds, so we are going to refuse to enter."
Asked about the rigor of the questions, Nihonbashi co-owner Tomomi Chujo promised, “It’s easy one! Like, when were the Philadelphia Eagles founded?” (I, a born-and-raised Eagles fan, would need Google for that one.)
The trivia is lightly intended — “I want to do something funny,” Chujo said — but she and her husband and co-owner, Kosuke, have received so many messages from people wanting to watch the Super Bowl in Nihonbashi Philly, they decided to set some boundaries. The bar normally has 12 seats, but they fit as many as 100 people inside for last month’s NFC Championship game. For the Super Bowl, Chujo said they’re removing all the bar’s tables and chairs. She guesses they might squeeze in 120 people.
For anyone in Tokyo who finds themselves left out, Nihonbashi Philly helpfully directed them to alternative spots to watch the game, including Hooters in Ginza.
The litmus test isn’t so unusual. Consider Big Charlie’s, the South Philly corner bar operated by and for Kansas City Chiefs diehards. (It’s also, ironically, the Philly bar that’s received the most media attention during recent Super Bowl runs.) For a second time, the bar is “closed” for the Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl. This essentially means it’s a members-only affair; when I stopped by the bar on Super Bowl Sunday in 2023, an armed guard was stationed at the steel-gated door. Honestly, this makes a world of sense. South Philly’s Chiefs fans are not looking for trouble. “We want to keep it low-key,” a regular told The Inquirer this year, declining further coverage.
Just as Big Charlie’s is Arrowhead East for Chiefs fans, Nihonbashi Philly serves as the City of Brotherly Love’s satellite in Japan. There are cheesesteaks on the menu, Philly sports memorabilia on the bar, and Steve Powers' drawings on the walls. If it weren’t for the homemade Cheez Whiz and hoagie rolls, it’d be just like something you’d find in Old City. And it’s frequented by Philadelphians. “They want to have our cheesesteak and take a photo with my husband,” Chujo wrote in a message.
The bar has become so popular among travelers — recent visits from famous Philadelphians include Questlove (and the rest of the Roots) and skateboarder Jimmy Gorecki — business has never been better. “Everyday [is] so hard, but they bring me happiness!” Chujo said.
She’s confident they’ll be celebrating in Tokyo come Monday afternoon: Every time the bar has hosted a watch party this season, the Eagles won.
“Which means we are going to be a Super Bowl Champion!!!” Chujo said. “I’m thinking of having a parade with customers from the restaurant to Nihonbashi [station] when I win the championship! Like a Broad Street parade!”