No culinary tour of Japan would be complete without a visit to an izakaya, where the food is hearty, close to home cooking, and is meant mainly as ballast for the earnest consumption of beer and sake. Sasashin spurns the notion of decor: there is a counter laden with platters of the evening's fare, a clutter of rough wooden tables, and not much else. It's noisy, smoky, crowded, and absolutely authentic. Try the sashimi, the grilled fish, or the fried tofu; you really can't go wrong by just pointing your finger to anything on the counter that takes your fancy. Reservations not accepted. Subway: Hanzo-mon Line, Suitengu-mae Eki (Exit 7); Hibiya and Toei Asakusa lines, Ningyocho Eki (Exits A1, A3).