86 Best Bars in Japan

Okinawa is the birthplace of karate and a place of pilgrimage for black belts from all over the world. During the day they punch, kick, and block under the tutelage of martial arts legends, then in the evening they eat and drink at the Dojo Bar. British ex-pat James Pankiewicz started the Dojo as a place where both locals and foreigners could mingle—it has great food and atmosphere. Try a shot of goya juice. Across the road is the Asato Dojo where you can try karate for the first time, or keep up with your training while visiting Okinawa.

This wood-paneled one-room izakaya pub doesn't look like much, but it regularly fills up with expats and locals. Visitors and regulars sit around the communal tables to swap stories and adventures. Watch out for flying bottle caps, though—the staff have a knack for popping open beer bottles with chopsticks.

In this authentic Mexican cantina, your palate will be tempted by a choice of more than 550 kinds of tequila and mezcal—Japan's largest selection. Most of the varieties here aren't available anywhere else in the country, so the steep prices may be worth paying. Food options are mostly Mexican appetizers. Just be aware this place also offers cigars, so things can get smoky.

Unlike most beer halls—but like many of Japan's best watering holes—this Harmonica Yokocho neighborhood institution is shoulder-to-shoulder snug, which actually helps to make it a very convivial place to enjoy Belgian draft beers or Japanese spirits. To go with your drinks, try the fish and chips. The bar is on the second floor; the ground floor has a well-stocked liquor shop.

Many great gay nights out begin at this welcoming street-corner bar, which is hard to miss because of its torii shrine gate and all the patrons spilling 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, with locals and visitors mingling for hours or just meeting up for a quick drink.

The emphasis here is on nama, unrefined, unpasteurized sake. Tons of types of sake from over 60 breweries are available daily. Since nama is short-lived, too delicate and fresh to transport or export, it's not widely available overseas. You can accompany your choices with Japanese fare, served here as small bites in the izakaya style. Reservations are recommended.

Cheap and cheesy, Arty Farty is hit or miss. It's a good spot to go with a group of friends to kind of take over the place. Or it might be a nice spot for single travelers to find a group of like-minded folks. Be ready to pay to get in, though this cover charge does include a drink.

An eclectic clientele is drawn to this tiny, artsy bar decorated with gilt-framed paintings, deer heads, and numerous chandeliers. Luckily, its sign will light your way in Golden-Gai's tiny alleys.

With subdued, dark wood interiors and relaxed ambience, Bar K is the best place in Osaka to sample a range of Japanese whiskys. The knowledgeable bartenders also mix excellent cocktails.

A drink in this dimly lit, late-night, basement haunt favored by anime fans, would be the perfect way to finish a day of shopping at Nakano Broadway. Beer, whiskey, and cocktails are on the menu, anime figurines dot the counter, and anime plays endlessly on the bar’s TV. Indeed, the bar's name, mugen, means "infinite," and the owners have several thousand DVDs in their collection.

Should a cocktail be on your mind, hit up Bar Six, on the sixth floor of the Amuse Museum, and enjoy the views of the Senso-ji Complex from the outdoor balcony.

Tatsuro Yamazaki opened this cocktail bar in Susukino in the late 1950s and was still serving well into his nineties, before passing a few years ago. In that time, his bar established itself as one of Japan's classics; he became a legend on the drinks scene, winning international awards with concoctions like the sweet, vodka-based Sapporo, one of 200 original cocktails on the menu. The staff keep the traditions going in old-school fashion, with plaid waistcoats and white shirts and ties, and they can also mix up standards or suggest a good whiskey. It's closed Sunday, and there's a ¥800 seating charge, as well as 10% service charge.

With everything from jazz and J-pop to soul and funk, this three-story joint offers one of the best food-and-live music experiences in Tokyo, all with panoramic views of Roppongi. Patrons love this venue partly because they're so close to performers like George Clinton, Neneh Cherry, and Howard Jones. Shows usually kick off at 7 and 9:30 pm on weekdays, 6 and 9 pm on Saturday, and 4:30 and 7:30 pm on Sunday.

Stop here for the smooth, relaxed atmosphere, and sample some of the 10,000 soul records the owner, Takeshi, has on display behind the bar. If you're in the mood to hear Marvin Gaye and the Isley Brothers, this is your place. There's usually a cover of ¥500.

This premier live-jazz venue isn't for everyone: prices are high, sets short, and patrons packed in, sometimes sharing a table with strangers. But if you check what is on and want to catch someone in a relatively small venue, this is the place. Expect to pay upward of ¥10,000 or more to see major acts.

Performances almost nightly with Japanese and non-Japanese musicians. Seat charge is ¥600, but the cover charge changes with the acts. The venue is on the third floor of the Ohto Building (also read as Kamo-higashi Building), a few buildings north of Shijo-dori on the west side of Yamato-oji-dori. Doors open at 6:30 and performances start at 7:30.

This place feels like you've stepped into a Quentin Tarantino movie. Even the sound track is right: soul and funk LPs are artfully blended one to the other on dual turntables. Tasty pizzas and pastas are served up alongside good cocktails. It's northwest of Tokyu Hands department store.

Buri serves tasty ji-zake (local sake) from around Japan in the one-cup style. Imagine sake in a mini mason jar, paired with a range of tapas-like servings of sashimi, yakitori, salads, and prosciutto, albeit in a mostly standing-room-only setting. There's also beer on tap. Just a five-minute walk from Ebisu Station, this casual bar fills up quickly on weekends, so it's best to stop in early to grab that bench by the window.

Alongside the Meguro River, a few minutes southeast of Naka Meguro Station, the very hip, rustic contemporary–style Cabin has an extensive range of world whiskies and rare local tipples, as well champagne and cocktails. Since the inspiration was a yamagoya, or mountain hut, meat dishes dominate the food menu.

After browsing the fashions in Minami's boutiques, pop into Café Absinthe in neighboring Kita-horie for Mediterranean and vegan food, plus good music. Live performances usually start at around 9. The music and the crowd are very international and very laid-back.

Though there's jazz here most nights, on Friday evenings, the basement of this club is the place to be for nearby, sister-property Jazz Spot Intro's jam sessions. You can enjoy Tokyo's take on Italian food while you're waiting for the music to start.

Located in a basement below the streets of downtown Kobe, this friendly bar is a shrine to all things associated with the Beatles. The owner is a massive fan, and the bar is a re-creation of the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Fab Four first made their name. There are regular performances by Beatles tribute acts, making it a great place to listen to some live music and discover more about Japan's ongoing obsession with this band.

Popular Metro frequently hosts famous DJs from Tokyo and abroad. The range of music played—experimental dance, hip-hop, reggae, disco, salsa, and more—is very broad.

Up-and-coming Japanese rock bands and popular Western bands play at this intimate venue. The sound system is excellent.

A 100-year-old tenement house, all dark woods and creaking sounds, houses one of Koenji’s most unique bars. You can pick up and read any of the hundreds of books that are on hand in addition to ordering snacks and cocktails, some of them inspired by literary legends. Occasionally, the bar hosts events featuring authors or sketch artists.

In these intimate and luxurious surroundings you can listen to not only jazz but also soul, R&B, J-pop, and world music. The club has such an excellent sound system that musicians such as Ron Carter have recorded live albums here. Fine French cuisine lures music lovers for special nights out.

This Susukino bar with brick walls has 30 domestic craft beers on tap, ranging from crisp pilsners to hop-heavy IPAs, all listed on a chalkboard above the main bar, where you can take a stool at the counter. Alternatively, take a seat by the window for a view of the nightlife outside and enjoy some bar food; the menu includes good pastas and grilled meats. It's about 30 meters west of Susukino's main crossing.

Part cocktail bar, part event space with DJ nights, movie screenings, recitals, and art exhibitions, neon-lit Debris is a stylish hangout for Daikanyama’s creative set. The mixologists here can mix up classics, but they also get creative with artisanal spirits as varied as Cocalero from the Andes or Indonesian Nusa Caña rum made with cloves and nutmeg. Most events have a cover charge.

Located in the Ichibangai bar and restaurant district, this cluster of a dozen covered food stalls, each with counters that barely seat six or seven people, is a great place to try Hida-gyu beef, Takayama ramen, yakitori, and other dishes that pair well with Takayama's sake. You'll probably end up chatting with locals too.

This venerable bar claims to be Shinjuku's oldest—established in 1951—and has hosted actors and filmmakers like 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, a distilled grain spirit, with juice and soda). The atmosphere is vibrant, the four floors are almost always packed, and food is served. There is a small outdoor seating area, but keep in mind that smoking is allowed in some areas.