A hidden bar in Tokyo opened by the creator of Study in Japan

It has been quite an extraordinary year for Chris Broad. The last time The Taiwanese Newspaper interviewed the Japanese YouTuber was in 2023. Discussing the publication of his first bookA year later, Broad has racked up a host of impressive new achievements: he’s become a Sunday Times bestselling author, completed a 1,000km charity ride with other YouTubers, helped raise $1 million, and was invited to dine with Japanese and British royalty at Buckingham Palace. To his millions of subscribers, Broad’s everlasting ambitions are nothing new (remember the chess-boxing days?), but his latest project is opening up a new era of Lost — A bar in the heart of Shibuya — Indeed.

Tokyo Weekend caught up with him to find out more.

Window seat with a view of Shibuya streets | Photo: Lisa Knight

The story of opening Lost Bar

Find the perfect location

So how did Broad find the process of opening a bar? He describes Lost It’s the culmination of months of hard work. Inspired by a week-long pop-up sake bar he and his partner Sarah hosted in Kyoto last year, the couple decided to take the plunge and open a more permanent space in Tokyo, but it was initially difficult.

“We knew we wanted a place that was central and easily accessible, but when we started looking, there wasn’t any,” Broad explains. Fortunately, a few months later, the duo stumbled upon a second-floor space just minutes from Shibuya Crossing, and their luck changed. With the interior in need of a major overhaul, the existing floor-to-ceiling windows set the tone for the bar’s redesign: “Like many bars in Tokyo, this is enclosed in a building, so it provides plenty of natural light and people-watching.” The finished product is an airy, fresh atmosphere, with crisp velvet seating, and a passionate bar team helping with day-to-day operations.

Lost Bar: Drinks, atmosphere, and more

Once you pass the hidden entrance to the gashapon machine, you’ll find Studying in Japan YouTube channels are sprinkled throughout the bar, from the menu of themed cocktails and mocktails developed by the in-house mixologist (Broad’s personal favorite is the “Like A Magic Mule,” a lavender-flavored Moscow Mule that we can confirm is delicious) to the hallways showcasing memorable quotes from his YouTube universe.

Creating an inviting space was a priority, as many visitors stop by during their vacations — and there are already stories of customers quickly becoming friends with those sitting nearby, and in some cases, even taking trips to Japan together. Broad himself enjoys the opportunity to stop and meet people, applying his creative thinking to offline spaces. But since he’s known for balancing multiple projects at once, we had to ask — what’s next for him? Studying in Japan?

“On the Beach” mocktail | Photo: Lisa Knight

Upcoming Projects

Broad’s talent for cinematography is well known, and his long-term goal is to shoot more feature-length projects. In addition to shooting Lost, he is quietly working on a feature-length documentary about the Japanese earthquake. Interviews include Tokyo Mayor Yuriko Koike, scientific experts in the field, and well-known figures such as families affected by the disaster in the Noto area. The January earthquake and tsunamithe documentary looks very fascinating and is expected to be released before the end of the year.

Broad is also planning a second book, which he says will focus on travel. Passionate about tackling the overtourism of the “Golden Route” (Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto) typically covered in guidebooks, his next book will feature all 47 prefectures, complete with anecdotes, stories and off-the-beaten-path recommendations from his own travels around the country, which he hopes will “revolutionize travel.”

Lost location and hours of operation

There are no reservations for Lost yet (just show up!) but the staff hopes to be able to arrange reservations soon.

address: 〒150-0042 Grand Tokyo Shibuya Building 2F, 33-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 2pm to 11pm.

Availability: The bar has different seating options to suit individuals and groups, and the staff recommends coming early if you want to avoid the queues.

price: There is no entrance fee to the bar. Drinks are around 2,000 yen.

Follow the bar on Instagram: @lostbarjapan to stay up to date with the latest news.
To keep up with Chris’s many projects, follow him on Instagram: @abroadinjapanor Click here to watch his YouTube video.

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