Tokyo Nightlife Tips by Wild_Orchid

Nightlife Spot: Shinjuku streets and alleyways

I explored the streets nearby my hotel with a couple of my colleagues. We walked passed the Keio Plaza area and through some alleyways, and there were a number of ramen, sushi, tempura and beef rice shops. There were also a few nightclubs, a large shop selling cameras, computers & electrical accessories and a pachinko parlour called Aladdin and an AM-PM shop (like a 7-11).

If you ask me, yes, I felt it was safe enough and if I had been alone, I would have still explored the area on my own. No one hassled us or bothered us.

Tip: If exploring on your own, do bring a map along, because it is easy to lose your sense of direction and there aren't many English signs.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Address: Shinjuku-ku
Directions: Keio Plaza hotel and surroundings. Nearby would be Shinjuku Southern Terrace (JR Shinjuku Station - take the South or New South Exit)and Electric Street.

Nightlife Spot: Kabukicho district

The Kabukicho district is Shinjuku’s adult entertainment district. It consists of only a few streets and alleyways, but it's tightly packed together with adult clubs of all sorts & specialties.

Apparently there are kyabakura, or cabaret clubs which offer lap dancing & Esthe clubs and pink salons, which offer sex massage. There are also imekura, or image clubs which involve all manner of sexual role-playing. Don't know much about those places, but if it takes your fancy, please check them out and let me know! : )

While most of the entertainment targets men, at a certain street, there were a number of clubs catering for women. (see tip below for more exciting details!)

Apart from these clubs, there are tiny ramen outlets and sushi bars, pachinko parlour and the infamous Love Hotels. The names of each are unique, creative and sometimes appear to have no meaning in the English language. For example, I came across a love hotel with the strange name of Hotel Labio.

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Theme: Adult Spot
Dress Code: As we were there rather early (before 9pm), & it was a rainy night, the streets were rather empty, but there were men in business suits standing under their umbrellas in front of each club in a rather proprietory manner. I also noticed a couple of young women wearing school-girl like uniforms with ultra-short pleated skirts.

There was also another group of ladies, obviously out on a smoke break, wearing knee length white faux-leather jackets with large buttons down the front (remember Emma Peel of The Avengers?) with tall leather boots, and peeking out from underneath I caught a glimpse of their long, filmy undershirts in hot red. I also saw a lady in traditional kimono, waving her friend goodbye before disappearing back into the club.

In a nutshell, anything goes!
Address: Shinjuku-ku
Directions: JR Shinjuku Station - take the East Exit
Marunouchi Line-Shinjuku Station
Seibu Line-Shinjuku Station
Odaikyo Line-Shinjuku Station

Nightlife Spot: Shinjuku-Kabukicho

There is something for everyone at Shinjuku's Kabukicho area. Apart from the usual entertainment for men, there are streets that are exclusively for women. Some clubs have photos of the available men and next to each, there is a number, with No.1, being the Most Popular Guy of the club, No. 2 being the next most popular and so on.

On the outside of one such club, my female colleague and I jokingly picked one of the men from the photo display and coincidentally picked the same guy! (a rather cute Japanese guy in his late 20's, clean-cut, with glasses, slightly studious looking), only to be informed by our guide that the picture was that of the club owner, who was a multi-millionaire and quite famous in Japan! hahaha (I guess we were lucky that it was early yet and the club was still closed! LOL)


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Theme: Adult Spot
Dress Code: No jacket required!
Address: Kabuki-cho Shinjuku-ku

Nightlife Spot: Kabukicho, Shinjuku (Part II)

At Kabukicho,every kind of adult entertainment awaits you. From strip clubs and hostess bars to pachinko parlours and Love Hotels. (Although prostitution is illegal in Japan, enforcement of the law is almost nonexistent, and nowhere is there talk of a Bangkok-style cleanup.)

A unique store that I came across had bright neon lighting and looked just like a large record shop,but on the inside, instead of music CDs, it was filled with photographs of women, men and addresses & contact details of clubs and types of clubs.

My tour guide explained that this was a recent development, and it offered new type of service, basically as a one-stop information centre for those looking for certain types of adult entertainment.

The one in the picture carries the interesting name of Hot Men’s Box (HMB). For men (or women) who don't have time to shop around, this would be just the place to go!

Did you notice that the HMB lettering looks rather suspiciously like HMV records's lettering? hmmm

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Theme: Adult Spot
Dress Code: Act out your fantasies: The environment at the club could be a mock office, a classroom, a doctor's office. even, sexual harassment on a subway car! (caveat: all information here is strictly from the internet and not from my personal experience!!)
Address: Shinjuku-ku
Directions: JR Shinjuku station, East Exit

Nightlife Spot: Roppongi Intersection

Ropponggi is where you will find many foreigners & visitors congregating. There are pubs, jazz & dance clubs but as I was only in Tokyo on a short visit I was unable to personally check them all out. (as if anyone could-there are so many!)

I noticed a Hard Rock Café, TGI Fridays, Starbucks which were all located in and around the Roppongi Intersection (at the intersection of Roppongi Dori & Gaien-Higashi Dori) at Roppongi.

I did visit Gas Panics (supposedly just behind TGI Fridays-but I walked around the side streets three times before actually finding the entrance to this club- there was a long queue waiting to get into the lift.
Spread out onto 3 floors, this club attracts a younger crowd - and many Americans - drinks are from 600 Yen, and there is very attentive service. The signs on the wall tell you that you have to order a drink or else you can't hang around. The lower floor (2nd floor?) was filled to the brim, so I went upstairs where it was quieter. Good choice: large video screen, less noisy, cosy little round tables with high stools and three women doing a spot of bar-top dancing. I believe they were customers and did not actually work there!

At Roppongi Intersection, you’re sure to find something just for you.

Tips for Women Travellers: There were a few men hanging around on the streets (handing out flyers or surveying the crowd for potential customers), so if you don't want any unwanted attention, it might be better to go with a friend or in a group, especially at night.

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Theme: Dancing
Dress Code: Casual or formal, but above all, try to fit in. For example, you might want to be cool and trendy at some dance clubs, and others have a more relaxed atmosphere and you can wear jeans and nice shirt or tops. Anyway, the Japanese always look well-groomed and well-dressed, so take your cue from there.
Gaspanic Bar
2F & 3F Gaspanic Bldg.
3-15-24 Roppongi
Tokyo, 106-0032 Japan
Phone: +81 (0)3 3405 0633
website: www.gaspanic.co.jp/
(English language)
(Gaspanics has a branch in Shibuya too)
Wall Street
No. 2 Togensha Bldg.
2F 3-15-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Tokyo, 106-0032 Japan
Phone: +81 (0)3 5415 3251

El Cafe Latino
Win Roppongi 1F
3-15-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Phone: +81 (0)3 3402 8989

Clubs open from 5 or 6pm till the early hours.
Address: Minato-ku
Directions: Exiting at Roppongi Station, take the exit that leads you to Cafe Almond (with green and white awnings). From there, head towards the side streets, sort of behind TGIF. Some clubs are not at street level.

Nightlife Spot: Roppongi

Ropponggi Intersection has something for everyone. It is a popular spot for foreigners and you will see many people thronging the streets late into the night.

I did enjoy my visit to Motown (in front of Wall Street). It plays upbeat remakes of the Motown Greats and attracts the 28-45 age-group, good mix of Asians and Europeans, drinks from 800 Yen, no cover). What does my taste in music tell you about me? (he he). There was also a little dance floor where a Japanese Michael Jackson look alike all dressed in white and dark sunglasses was grooving to the moves with a couple of girl pals.

I was also keen to visit the rather famous El Cafe Latino but didn't have the energy to stay up all night.

If you have time, Wall Street (very near Gas Panics), looks very elegant from the outside and has been recommended on certain websites, but I didn't get a chance to go in. It is located on the 2nd floor of a dinghy building, with many of its cocktails bearing financial terms. Apparently from other sources, drinks are from 500 yen during Happy Hour.

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Theme: Dancing
Dress Code: Dress up and you'll fit in for sure. You can wear jeans, but put on a nice top that is classy.

Sorry, the picture was not taken at Ropponggi but in Shinjuku. It simply would not be cool to have brought my camera along when going to have drinks with friends. I certainly didn't want to look like a gawky tourist!
Address: Minato-ku
Directions: Near Roppongi Intersection.

Nightlife Spot: Shinjuku Times Square

With the Times Square (Takashimaya) shopping mall as the focus point, and lots of street shopping, small restaurants, a few food stalls, some pachinco parlours, some clubs, this part of Shinjuku is very much alive, day and night. Take a slow walk and take in the sights and sounds of Shinjuku.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Address: Shinjuku-ku
Directions: Shinjuku station take the "South Exit"