Ebisu, Meguro & Around
Takkyū means table tennis and it’s a serious sport in Japan. This hilarious bar looks like a university table-tennis clubhouse – right down to the tatty…
Must-see nightlife in Japan
Kōbe
A big chain wouldn't normally be worth listing, but this Starbucks is different: it's housed in a beautifully preserved former ijinkan (foreigners' house)…
Ueno & Yanesen
Sample a cup of paint-thick matcha (powdered green tea; ¥450) at this tiny teahouse on the edge of Ueno-kōen. Tradition dictates that the bitter tea be…
Yokohama
Heady with the malty aroma of beer-making, this is Japan's first craft brewery (c1995) in the modern sense , where you can sample around eight beers (¥800…
Yokohama
Soak up the old Yokohama vibes at this former trading company building turned cafe-bar and French restaurant. You can join the well-to-do regulars for tea…
Tokyo
Daikaijū are the 'large strange monsters' of Japanese popular cinema, including the likes of Godzilla and Mothra. Get intimately acquainted with them at…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Down a side street of Higashi-Ginza is this tiny third-wave coffee shop serving single-estate brews with side orders of onigiri (Japanese rice balls) or…
Craft Beer Market Mitsukoshimae
Tokyo
If trawling Nihombashi's shops has given you a thirst, this craft-beer pub has some 30 kinds of ales and Japanese snacks available, such as fried chicken…
Ginza & Tsukiji
As well as French chef Thierry Marx's restaurant here, there's his casual bistro-bar where the outdoor terrace has a dress-circle view across to Ginza's…
Asakusa & Sumida River
This charming cafe occupies an old house on an alley running parallel to Kappabashi-dōri. Exposed beams are whitewashed and an atrium has been created,…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Part of a new wave of Shimo-Kitazawa spots run by the aptly named Nomouze (Let's drink) crew, chill spot Arena has a rooftop terrace and hosts the odd DJ…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Nonbei-yokochō – literally 'Drunkard's Alley' – is another of Tokyo's anomolous strips of tiny wooden shanty bars. This one in the shadow of the elevated…
Hokkaidō
This is brilliant: a cafe with an ashi-yu (foot bath) so you can soak your feet while sipping coffee (¥250). There's food available, too; try the 'zari…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
A long-time (in club years, at least) club-scene fixture, Womb is a reliable good night out on a Friday or Saturday if you want to lose yourself in the…
Sendai
When there's a global trend, like craft beer, the Japanese are never far behind. This small Craftsman outlet (a few are popping up around Japan) combines…
Ginza & Tsukiji
This beautiful teahouse from 1704 (and rebuilt in 1983) stands elegantly on an island in the central pond at Hama-rikyū Onshi-teien, reached via a long…
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
The people behind the Okura boutique next door have taken their folksy aesthetic and poured it into this backyard-style beer garden. On the menu: organic…
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
This gigantic waterside club is Tokyo's largest, complete with a pool and food trucks. Best to come in a group and definitely check the schedule in…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
A fixture on Tokyo's gay scene for many a moon, Arty Farty welcomes all in the community to come shake a tail feather on its (admittedly small) dance…
Downtown Kyoto
Tucked away in the quiet backstreets of Downtown Kyoto, this dimly lit, dark-wood cocktail bar is a good choice for an upscale drink (though at upscale…
Downtown Kyoto
Sama Sama is an Indonesian-owned bar that feels like a very comfortable cave somewhere near the Mediterranean. Grab a seat at the counter or make yourself…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Rawhide chairs, cruzas de rosas (crosses decorated with roses) and tequila shots for the willing make Agave a good place for a long night in search of the…
Ginza & Tsukiji
This long-running joint is friendly to gaijin (foreigners; literally ‘outside people’) and has been serving a wide-ranging crowd for years. It provides…
Downtown Kyoto
Speakeasy-style cocktail bars have been popping up in Kyoto of late, and this one hits the mark with its 'secret entrance' (look for the subtle bee sign),…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Take a pause for afternoon tea (¥700 to ¥1400) at this slick contemporary tea salon. The menu is seasonal, but will likely include a cup of perfectly…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Inside cosmetic company Shiseido's iconic lipstick-red building, Salon de Café is a classic Ginza spot for tea (from ¥1000 for a pot), decadent seasonal…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
With hammock-style chairs, free wi-fi and plugs for computers and smartphones, this is a popular cafe with the digital generation. Manga and anime are a…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Several storeys under a parking garage, Contact is as much a place to see and be seen as it is to dance. Come after 1am on a Friday or Saturday night to…
Hokkaidō
This cafe is inside historic Kawayu Station (built in 1936), which retains much of its original character – in the form of high, wood-panelled ceilings,…
Beppu
There's a handmade, arty feel to this renovated 1940s house, filled with exposed beams, period tile work and eclectic ephemera. All the better to sip…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
A visit to Akiba isn't complete until you've sipped a cappuccino topped with a frothy bear design in a maid cafe where the waitress is dressed in a French…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
A feel-good alternative to Roppongi's bars, Ōizumi Kōjō specialises in kombucha, a fermented type of organic tea that has a natural fizz and many health…
Kagoshima
This arty, mellow three-floor shop-bar-restaurant also has DJ decks and hosts occasional parties. It's popular with expat groovers and English-speaking…
Kagoshima
There's a lot going on in this retro-cool space c 1968: part cafe, part used bookshop, part artist gathering place. Coffee, hot dogs and local sweets are…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
This is Shibuya's most popular karaoke spot for two reasons: it doesn't have the same dated look as the generic chains and you get the first hour free …
Imperial Palace & Around
If you're looking for great coffee while sightseeing near Imperial Palace Park, head to this lovely cafe with its coloured stained-glass windows, inviting…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Secreted in the back of a flower shop is this fairy-tale teahouse with flower beds running under the glass-top tables and more overhead, plus cut blooms…
Western Honshū
This 2nd-floor lounge bar overlooking the Symphony Hall building makes all the right retro-chic moves, with mismatched furniture, ornate-glass lighting,…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Winning the award for most literal name, Shimo-Kitazawa Cage is a fenced-off cube under the Keiō Inokashira Line tracks. Get beers and snacks (from ¥400)…
Downtown Kyoto
The sign inside says 'Kyoto Loves Gin' and if you do too, you won't want to miss this quirky little bar. Owner Tomo infuses gin with interesting…
