Must-see nightlife in Japan

  • Satsuma Eikoku-kan

    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…

  • Inokuchiya

    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…

  • Coat of Arms

    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…

  • Zerro

    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…

  • Jeff's World Bar

    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…

  • Rock

    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…

  • 500 Bar

    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…

  • A to Z Cafe

    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…

  • Cinquecento

    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…

  • Rub-a-Dub

    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…

  • The Canteen

    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.

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