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The sheer diversity of nightlife in Tokyo is breathtaking. Rickety street stands sit yards away from luxury hotels, and wallet-crunching hostess clubs can be found next to cheap and raucous rock bars. Whatever your style, you'll find yourself in good company if you venture out after dark.Most bars and clubs in the main entertain
The sheer diversity of nightlife in Tokyo is breathtaking. Rickety street stands sit yards away from luxury hotels, and wallet-crunching hostess clubs can be found next to cheap and raucous rock bars. Whatever your style, you'll find yourself in good company if you vent
The sheer diversity of nightlife in Tokyo is breathtaking. Rickety street stands sit yards away from luxury hotels, and
The sheer diversity of nightlife in Tokyo is breathtaking. Rickety street stands sit yards away from luxury hotels, and wallet-crunching hostess clubs can be found next to cheap and raucous rock bars. Whatever your style, you'll find yourself in good company if you venture out after dark.
Most bars and clubs in the main entertainment districts have printed price lists, often in English. Drinks generally cost ¥800–¥1,200, although some small exclusive bars and clubs can set you back a lot more. Be wary of establishments without visible price lists. Hostess clubs and small backstreet bars known as "snacks" or "pubs" can be particularly treacherous territory for the unprepared. That drink you've just ordered could set you back a reasonable ¥1,000; you might, on the other hand, have wandered unknowingly into a place that charges you ¥30,000 up front for a whole bottle—and slaps a ¥20,000 cover charge on top. If the bar has hostesses, it's often unclear what the companionship of one will cost you, but you can bet a lot. Ignore the persuasive shills on the streets of Roppongi and Kabuki-cho, who will try to hook you into their establishment. There is, of course, plenty of safe ground: in hotel lounges, jazz clubs, Irish-themed pubs, sake bars, and sedate retreats where the social lubricant flows past millions of tonsils nightly.
Major nightlife districts in Tokyo include Aoyama, Ginza, Roppongi, Shibuya, Shinbashi, and Shinjuku. Each has a unique atmosphere, clientele, and price level.
Even before Lost in Translation introduced the Park Hyatt's signature lounge to filmgoers worldwide, New York Bar was a local Tokyo favorite. All the style you would expect of one of the city's top hotels combined with superior views of Shinjuku's skyscrapers and neon-lighted streets make this one of the city's premier nighttime venues. The quality of the jazz and service equals that of the view. With the largest selection of U.S. wines in Japan, drinks are priced as you might expect, and there's a cover charge of ¥2,200 after 8 pm (7 pm on Sunday). Local jazz bands play on Sunday.
3--7--1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 163-1055, Japan
Almost every great gay night out begins at this welcoming street-corner pub with a large red shrine gate, where the patrons spill out onto the street. This is the perfect place to put back a few cocktails, meet new people, and get a feeling for where to go next. The crowd is mixed and very foreigner-friendly.
2--18--1 Shinjuku, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 160-0022, Japan
Cheap and cheesy, Arty Farty is a fun club, complete with a ministage and stripper pole. Those with aversions to Kylie Minogue or Madonna need not bother. The crowd is mixed and foreigner-friendly.
2--11--7 Shinjuku, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 160-0022, Japan
This tiny, artsy bar adorns its walls with paintings and deer heads, along with its many chandeliers, attracting crowds with its friendliness and affordability. The clientele will likely be an eclectic mix. Luckily its sign will light your way in Golden-Gai's tiny alleys.
1–1-7 Kabuki-cho, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 160-0021, Japan
This venerable bar claims to be Shinjuku's oldest—established in 1951—and has hosted Yukio Mishima and Akira Kurosawa among many other luminaries. It's also one of several bars that claim to have invented the popular chu-hai cocktail (shochu with juice and soda). The vibrant atmosphere feels more like a pub, and the four floors are almost always packed.
3--10--2 Shinjuku, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 160-0022, Japan
Video monitors at this club show contemporary music hits. On weekends the place is packed with rather quiet and reserved gentlemen, mostly in their thirties and forties, and is also quite popular among foreign residents and visitors—especially before a night out clubbing.
2--12--3 Shinjuku, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 160-0022, Japan
This could very well be the world's smallest jazz club. An evening here is like listening to live jazz in your living room. Live acts are trios at most, with no space for a full set of drums or amplifiers. Simple, homemade Japanese cooking (free of charge) helps make this a truly intimate experience. With 10 seats and no standing allowed, reservations are recommended. Entry costs ¥3,500–¥4,500.
3–23–5 Takadanobaba, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 169–0075, Japan
This small basement jazz joint is home to one of the best jazz experiences in Tokyo, with a Saturday "12-hour jam session" that stretches until 5 am. Live sessions run throughout the week except Monday and Friday, when the regulars enjoy listening to the owner's extensive vinyl and CD collection. Italian food is available.
2–14–8 Takadanobaba, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 169-0075, Japan
It should come as no surprise that French cinema is the proprietor's big passion. La Jetée is covered in Euro-cinema posters and was named after a French movie. It's a tiny place, but that means for more intimate conversations in Japanese, French, or English. If you're looking for a hard-to-find, quirky bar up a narrow staircase to round out your Tokyo experience, look for the cats painted on the door and head up.
1-1-6 Kabuki-cho, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 160-0021, Japan
Most major jazz musicians have played at least once in this classic Tokyo club. The veteran club stages mostly mainstream fare with the odd foray into the avant-garde. The emphasis here is strictly on jazz—and the place resembles a small concert hall. Entry runs ¥1,400–¥5,000.
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