Entertainment in Japan
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A-Bar
This is a raucous student izakaya with a log-cabin interior located in the Kiyamachi area. There’s a big menu to choose from and everything’s cheap. The best part comes when they add up the bill – you’ll swear they’ve undercharged you by half. It’s a little tough to find – look for the small black-and-white sign at the top of a flight of concrete steps above a place called Reims.
reviewed
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Ageha
This gigantic waterside club rivals any you’d find in LA or Ibiza. Mostly international DJs appear here, with Japanese DJs filling out the mix. Counterbalancing the thumping dance floors are lounge spaces and a little pool area. Free buses run to the club every half-hour from the east side of Shibuya Station on Roppongi-dōri; bring photo ID.
reviewed
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Sam & Dave
Like its sister bars around Japan, Sam & Dave's vacillates between being somewhere fun to shake your ass, and just another boozy big-beat meat-market nightclub. Hope for a good crowd and you could be lucky, whatever you fancy. It's best Fridays and Saturdays.
reviewed
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Yasai Bar Miruya
Tiny and cheerful, with veggie-inspired specials often paired with local sakes or shōchūs (distilled spirits). The sweet, energetic hostess proudly produces a well-thumbed Japanese-English dictionary and will pass it around for anyone to share - but plan on practicing your Japanese. Get off the tram at Uoichiba-dōri and continue for two blocks, looking on the right for the pastel yellow sign. If you reach the next tram stop you've gone too far.
reviewed
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Gael Irish Pub
A cosy little Irish bar on the doorstep of Gion. It offers good food, excellent beer and friendly staff, as well as occasional live music. It's a great place to meet local expats and see what's going on in town. It's up a flight of steps.
reviewed
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Rub-a-Dub
At the northern end of Kiyamachi-dōri, Rub-a-Dub is a funky little reggae bar with a shabby tropical look. It’s a good place for a quiet drink on weekdays, but on Friday and Saturday nights you’ll have no choice but to bop along with the crowd. Look for the stairs heading down to the basement beside the popular (and delightfully ‘fragrant’) Nagahama Rāmen shop.
reviewed
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Ing
This bar/ izakaya on Kiyamachi is one of our favourite spots for a drink in Kyoto. It offers cheap bar snacks and drinks, good music, and friendly staff. It’s in the Royal building on the 2nd floor; you’ll know you’re getting close when you see all the hostesses out trawling for customers on the streets nearby.
reviewed
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Dark Room
Dark, rocky and loud, this is a cool urban rock oasis with a killer sound system, pool table, foosball, friendly dudes behind the bar and a spiral staircase leading to a fun, summer-only rooftop patio.
reviewed
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Bobby's Bar
One of Tokyo's longest-standing and best-known gaijin bars, perfect for those in need of a warm barstool, a dartboard and reasonably priced drinks (from around ¥500). The crowd here is always international - a good mix of long-time expats and travellers.
reviewed
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Jazz Spot Intro
It’s a good sign when a little club allows a quarter of its floor space to be monopolised by a sexy grand piano. It also bodes well when the place is staffed by musicians who love to talk shop all night. At Jazz Spot Intro, all the omens are favourable.
reviewed
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Nekobukuro
For Tokyoites who may not have the time or space to keep their own pets, Nekobukuro provides a venue for short-term cuddling with surrogate cats. Creep up to the 8th floor of the Ikebukuro branch of Tōkyū Hands department store to get in on the kitten action.
reviewed
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Kuro-sawa
This chic izakaya (Japanese-style pub) is hewn from bare concrete and attractively low-lit, a fine setting to savour goodies like charcoal-grilled pork with ginger sauce. Look for the MOS Burger outlet on the ground floor.
reviewed
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Voodoo Lounge
Chilled-out and spacious, Voodoo is known for good live bands and DJs most nights, quality drinks at the long wooden bar and ¥100 beer on Thursday nights from 21:00 to 22:00.
reviewed
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Bar Plastic Model
Bar Plastic Model is one of the new joints run by a younger generation in venerable Golden Gai, with an ’80s soundtrack and decorated with retro knick-knacks.
reviewed
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Murphy's
This is one of the oldest Irish-style pubs in Japan, and a good place to rub shoulders with local expats and Japanese. It's on the 6th floor of the Reed Plaza Shinsaibashi building, a futuristic building with what looks like a rocket moulded on the front.
reviewed
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International Bar
There's free karaoke on Tuesdays at this tiny bar. Like the name implies, it's one of the original places in Fukuoka for locals and gaijin (foreigners) to connect, in a time warp of red velvet seating with hip-hop beats.
reviewed
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Yoramu
Named for Yoramu, the Israeli sake expert who runs the place, this is highly recommended for anyone who wants an education in sake. It's very small and can only accommodate a handful of people. By day, it's a soba restaurant.
reviewed
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The Bar
This hub of the expat community and its local friends draws a cheery mixed crowd who are proud of their city and keen to welcome visitors over a few cold beers. There's even a full-sized billiard table.
reviewed
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SWLABR
After the Bikan area closes down, relax with the good music and friendly staff at SWLABR. It's the green weatherboard house on the corner, a couple of blocks southeast of the station. Cocktails cost ¥600.
reviewed
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Recife
Arty and cool, this mellow multipurpose bar-restaurant also has DJ decks and hosts occasional parties. It's popular with locals and expat groovers, and has Latin-American eats.
reviewed
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Ryōgoku Kokugikan
Travellers who visit Tokyo in January, May or September should not miss the opportunity to attend a Grand Tournament at Tokyo's Kokugikan. Ringside tickets cost ¥14,300, boxes cost between ¥9200 and ¥11,300 per person, and arena tickets will set you back between ¥2100 and ¥8200. Tickets can be purchased up to a month prior to the tournament, or you can simply turn up on the day (you'll have to arrive very early, say 6am, to snag seats during the last days of a tournament). If you need additional assistance booking tickets, particularly from abroad, check out www.buysumotickets.com; it charges a ¥1200 service fee per ticket purchased.
During the rest of the year, you…
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Kabuki-Za (Kabuki Theatre)
Performances and times vary from month to month at Kabuki-za so check with the TIC (Tourist Information Center; ) or the theatre for programme information. Be sure to rent a headset for blow-by-blow explanations in English, and pick up a bentō downstairs. A full kabuki performance comprises three or four acts (usually from different plays) over an afternoon or an evening (typically 11:00 to 15:30 or 16:30 to 21:00), with long intervals between the acts.
If four-plus hours sounds too long, you can purchase last-minute tickets for a single act, although seats are only on the highest balcony. Since some acts tend to be more popular than others, inquire ahead as to which to…
reviewed
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Shimbashi Embujō Theatre
While Ginza’s storied Kabuki-za Theatre is being rebuilt until 2013, corporate owner Shōchiku will mainly stage the plays at its Embujō Theatre, which also puts on super kabuki, a rocking subgenre that incorporates modern stagecraft. A full performance of traditional kabuki comprises three or four acts (usually from different plays) over an afternoon or an evening (typically 11am to 3.30pm or 4.30pm to 9pm), with long intervals between the acts. If four-plus hours sounds too long, you can usually purchase last-minute tickets for a single act. Since some acts tend to be more popular than others, enquire ahead as to which to catch, and arrive well in advance.
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Metro
This is one of the most popular and vibrant clubs in town. It holds a variety of themed events and occasional live bands or international DJ events. It's inside exit 2 of the Keihan Marutamachi Station.
reviewed
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Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre
Architect Itō Toyō has broken all the rules with this 2004 building, and we love it. Its undulating exterior walls are punctuated with frosted glass cut-outs that look like rocks - very impressive at night. Among other performances, the Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre is the key venue for the Saito-Kinen festival. Heading east on Eki-mae-dōri from the city centre, it's just off the map on the right.
reviewed