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Abbey Road
Abbey Road is one of the two Roppongi clubs with uncannily good live Beatles tribute bands. Pull up a chair and prepare to be flabbergasted by the house Beatles cover bands - all Japanese, all seriousness, and appearances aside, pretty dang impressive. Aside from the cover, there's a two-drink minimum. Book ahead if you can, especially on weekends.
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B-Flat
Located in a part of Akasaka that empties and grows quiet at night, this hip jazz club often features local and European talent, as well as healthy doses of Latin jazz. As the owner recently passed away, so too may the club - check locally when you're in town.
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Blue Note
Serious cognoscenti roll up at Tokyo's prime jazz spot, where you can get up close and personal with greats like Maceo Parker and Chick Corea. Walk down Kotto-dōri towards Nishi-Azabu, and hang a left when you see Papas Café.
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Cavern Club
Eerily flawless renditions of Beatles covers have to be heard to be believed, sung by four Japanese mop-heads calling themselves the Silverbeats. This club is named for the place where the Beatles first appeared in Liverpool. Reserve a table ahead of time.
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Club Asia
This massive club is worth a visit if you're on the younger end of twentysomething. Events here are usually jam-packed every night. Occasionally the club hosts some of Tokyo's bigger DJ events and hip-hop acts.
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Club Quattro
This venue feels more like a concert hall, but it's actually more along the lines of a slick club. It books local and international bands of generally high quality. Though there's no explicit musical focus, emphasis is on rock and roll with leanings toward world music.
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Crocodile
Crocodile has something happening almost every night. It could be jazz, it could be rock, it could even be country and western or Cuban. Get here early, as things are known to fill up fast, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
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Eggman
Follow the spiral staircase to the basement to hear blues, rock or light jazz musicians get low down. Most acts are local, and of the lighter, sweeter variety. Show up to see if tickets aren't completely sold out on a given night, and take a quick listen at the door to sample before committing. Most shows start around .
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Garam
Garam is a cool little reggae club with a friendly owner and no Rasta poseurs. The house DJ spins a mix of dub, hip-hop and roots reggae, but guest DJs also make appearances. The cover includes one drink.
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Harlem
Wanna see where some of those Japanese boys with Afros and corn rows are heading? On the 2nd and 3rd floor of the Dr Jeekahn's Building, this club is where Tokyo B-boys and B-girls come for soul and hip-hop spun by international DJs. The cover includes one drink.
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Hot House
This must be the smallest jazz dive in the world. Musicians play in twos and threes (there's no room for more). Audiences are usually a few dozen; get here early if you're set on sitting in for the evening.
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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.
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Jz Brat
This lovely, airy venue in the Cerulean Tower Tōkyū Hotel books consistently solid acts from Tokyo and abroad. The space seats just over 100, who are always treated to an intimate ambience. Though there's no formal dress code, you'll feel better dressing up rather than down.
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La.Mama
Just about every Japanese band from Buck-Tick to Melt-Banana has passed through here. The room is fairly spacious, but even when the place gets crowded you'll never be far from the stage. Shows usually begin around .
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Liquid Room
Some of the world's greatest performers have graced the stage of the Liquid Room, from The Flaming Lips to Linton Kwesi Johnson. This is an excellent place to see an old favourite or find a new one, but you'll have to buy tickets as soon as they go on sale.
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Loft
This well-respected, quarter-century-old Tokyo live house, whose chequerboard stage has hosted the feedback and reverb of many a Tokyo punk, is often grungy and smokey - with just the right level of sweaty intimacy. The music is always loud and usually good.
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Maduro
Make a dramatic entrance into Maduro from the 6th floor over the bridge and pond inside the labyrinthine Grand Hyatt Tokyo. Swanky and sleek, this is a chic spot to start your evening. There's live music nightly, but get here before to avoid the cover charge.
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Milk
One of Tokyo's best small live clubs, Milk features international and local punk, rock and underground. This is a cool space, with three underground levels and a crowd of wonderfully weird local characters. Check out the out-of-commission kitchen - a great place to chat and sip a vodka tonic between sets.
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New York Bar
Located in the stratosphere, both physically and socially, the New York Bar towers over the city on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo in west Shinjuku. With magnificent views, strong drinks and live jazz, this is a swank lounge for that special date.
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O-West
Another outpost in the 'O' empire of Shibuya TV, O-West is just across the street from its eastern counterpart and tends more towards punk rock and J-pop. As with its sister club, reserve your tickets in advance.
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Pit Inn
Shinjuku Pit Inn is one of the more well-established jazz clubs in Tokyo, showcasing the talents of both foreign and local jazz musicians. The jazz could be generally classified as classically mainstream. Phone ahead for reservations. The cover includes one drink.
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Ruby Room
This cool, sparkly gem of a cocktail lounge is on a hill behind the Shibuya 109 building. With both DJ'd and live music, the Ruby Room is an appealing spot for older kids hanging in Shibuya. The cover includes one drink, but if you dine downstairs at Sonoma, admission is free.
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Shibuya O-East
Shibuya O-East is the big mama of several related venues forming a compound of clubs up Love Hotel Hill. With its sheer size, this house draws bigger-name international and domestic acts.
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Shibuya-Ax
Shibuya-Ax has hosted big international names like Stereophonics, the Pogues and Cyndi Lauper as well as Japanese acts like Triceratops. It's a large, slick venue with its own line of proprietary merchandise. Look for the logo evoking the nuclear hazard symbol.
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Shinjuku Pit Inn
Shinjuku Pit Inn, which has been around for over 35 years, is not the kind of place you come to talk over the music. Aficionados come here to listen in silence to Japan's best jazz performers. Weekend matinées are half the price of evening performances.
