16 Best Nightlife in Tokyo, Japan

In this authentic Mexican cantina, your palate will be tempted by a choice of more than 550 kinds of tequilas and mescals—making this the world's largest selection. Most of the varieties here aren't available anywhere else in Japan, so the steep prices may be worth paying. Foods are mostly Mexican appetizers.

Don’t let the name “beer hall” confuse you: this Harmonica Yokocho institution is shoulder-to-shoulder snug, as many of the best yokocho watering holes in Japan are, helping to make it a very convivial place for Belgian beers on tap, as well as sake and spirits. To go with your drinks, try the fish-and-chips. It’s a small portion but done well.

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.

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.

This dimly lit basement bar has become a late-night haunt for anime fans. Beer, whisky, and cocktails are on the menu, while anime figurines dot the counter, and anime plays endlessly on the bar’s TV. The owners have several thousand anime DVDs in their collection, so you never know what will be on.

Alongside the Meguro River, a few minutes southeast of Naka-Meguro Station, the very hip Cabin—designed with what it describes as a “cotemporary rustic” theme—has an extensive range of world whiskies and rare local tipples, as well Champagne and cocktails.

This 100-year-old tenement house, all dark woods and creaking sounds, is one of Koenji’s most unique bars. Part library (you can pick up and read any of the hundreds of books), it also serves cocktails and bar snacks, and even has some cocktails on the menu inspired by literary legends. Although it's only open after 6 on weekdays, it's also open from noon to 3 on weekends.

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.

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.

This relaxed bar for "women who love women" is a cozy den of vintage lamps and cafélike ambience. Men are welcome on Friday; Saturday is women-only.

Tokyo's oldest Western-style bar hasn't had a face-lift for decades (the main building is registered as a tangible cultural property) and that's part of what draws so many drinkers to this bright, noisy venue. The other major attraction is the Denki Bran, a delicious but hangover-inducing cocktail (comprising gin, red wine, brandy, and curaçao) that was invented here about 100 years ago and is now stocked by bars throughout 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.

Like most of Tokyo's high-end hotels, the Peninsula has a high-rise bar. But unlike many staid hotel bars, this 24th-floor spot with a forest of chrome trees, designed by Yabu Pushelberg, is lots of fun.

A sake and beer store specializing in drinks from Nagano prefecture, this standing-room-only place also functions as a very casual bar where you can sample approximately 50 kinds of sake (pay by the 110-millileter glass), a dozen craft beers from brewers such as Shiga Kogen, and interesting snacks like spiced cow's tongue. A great option is one of the many reasonably priced three-sake sampler sets. It's tricky to find, being on the first floor of a very dated office building opposite the west exit of Shimbashi Station, but look for the big statue of a tanuki (raccoon dog) with extremely large testicles that's outside the building, then go in and turn right. The staff are very friendly and speak enough English to help with the sake choices. Beers are in bottles and cans in the fridge in the tiny backroom; you have to take them to the counter yourself to buy them.

It's often said that Ginza has all the best bars, and Star Bar may be the best of the lot. Owner and bartender Hisashi Kishi is the president of the Japan Bartenders Association, and his attention to detail in the narrow, dark, and calm room is staggering.

Asakusa has plenty of izakaya, especially on Hoppy Street, but for just a drink (and without the smokiness of many izakaya), the Tavern has a great selection of local and overseas whiskies, as well as sake and cocktails, not to mention Ken, the very cheerful owner-bartender. It's closed on Tuesday.