Kōrakuen & Akihabara
This quirky little place shares space with Studio Uamou and the cartoonish characters of designer Takagi Ayako. On the menu are beer, teas and light pasta…
Must-see nightlife in Japan
Matsumoto
A Belgian beer bar overlooked by Lord Ganesha, the Hindu 'God for every man', in the Japanese Alps. Quirky, but it works. It's up the stairs above the…
Hiroshima
A reliable Irish-style pub with a welcoming Irish expat manager, good beer, good food and occasional live music. It draws a mixed crowd of expats and…
Shikoku
Across the alley from the backside of the Richmond Hotel, this is a friendly, American-themed neighbourhood bar. You may get hit with a ¥500 cover charge.
Nagano Region
This casual place on the main street goes off in winter once the lifts are closed for the day. There are big-screen TVs, lots of beer on tap and foosball.
Sendai
See Japanese club music in all its bouncy, uptempo brilliance. Lots of MCs, drum machines and glow sticks, and frenetic clubbers hidden under hoodies.
Osaka
This small, long-running gay bar in Dōyama-chō is welcoming to locals and visitors alike. There's no cover charge and drinks are reasonably priced.
Shikoku
This underground reggae and hip-hop club is a hive of after-hours mayhem thanks to the excellent sound system, generous drink deals and young crowd.
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
Stand for hot dogs (¥550), chips (¥250) and beer (can/draft ¥350/550) with terrace seating on the edge of the bay at Odaiba Kaihin-kōen.
Kanazawa
This decent-size German beer hall has been pulling pints and serving wurst, cheese and pasta to a mix of locals and foreigners since 1968.
Harajuku & Aoyama
This glass jewel box from architect Kengo Kuma sits prettily in the landscaped garden on the grounds of the Nezu Museum. Coffee is ¥650.
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
This branch of the Craft Beer microbrewery chain, with some 30 ales available, specialises in roast chicken on its food menu.
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Branch of the microbrew-pub Craft Beer Market with over 30 craft beers on tap (including obscure Japanese brews).
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Pizza is the speciality at this branch of the Craft Beer pub chain, where there are some 30 ales available.
Hokkaidō
Come here to sample the local microbrew, Ōnuma Beer (大沼ビール), on tap – or get bottles to go.
Kansai
For when you need your latte and wi-fi fix. It's across from Kinosaki Onsen Station.
Kyūshū
Across the main road from the samurai houses and marked by a slightly dented, red double-decker bus, this teahouse serves award-winning English-style teas…
Nagasaki
Away from the Shianbashi nightlife district but worth the trip, this cool spot has a wine shop fronting a warren of rooms for sampling wines, shōchū (a…
Nagoya
This pub advertises itself as 'Commonwealth owned and operated': what you do with this information may depend on how homesick you feel. If you go, you'll…
Osaka
Zerro has a good range of drinks (from ¥500) and food, energetic bilingual bartenders, and a street-level location ideal for a spot of people-watching…
Kumamoto
Gaijin (foreigners) and local Japanese frequent this 2nd-floor pub. There's dancing some weekends, and each night has a different vibe depending on who's…
Nagoya
On a Sakae side street, the Aussie-themed Rock attracts locals and expats. An incongruous menu includes such imports from Terra Australis as crocodile…
Sapporo
Thanks to reasonable prices and no cover charge, this bar is usually packed with a mix of foreign and local clientele, even on weekdays. Drinks have gone…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Artist Yoshitomo Nara (known for his portraits of punkish tots) and design firm Graf teamed up in the mid-aughts to create this cafe with wooden…
Osaka
The name is Italian for '500', appropriate since everything at this small cocktail bar costs ¥500. It's not far from the corner of Sakai-suji; look for…
Downtown Kyoto
At the northern end of Kiyamachi-dōri, this little reggae bar is a decent place for a drink on weekdays, but on Friday and Saturday nights you’ll have no…
Himeji
Bright and modern – and across from JR Himeji Station (north side) – this cafe does a good 'morning set' (until 11am) of coffee and different kinds of…
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
On the ground floor of an office building, this contemporary design cafe serves up coffee and lunch specials (from ¥900) in a colourful, relaxed setting.
