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…
Must-see nightlife in Japan
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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 …
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)…
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…
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…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Dandelion makes it's own single-origin bean-to-bar small-batch chocolate right here in Kuramae, a neighbourhood long known for light manufacturing (and…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
This Scottish craft brewery's Tokyo outpost is nestled off the main drag. Apart from its own brews, there's a great selection of other beers, including…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Ghetto – the name comes from the characters for 'moon' (ge) and 'light' (to) – is one of the small bars inside Shimo-Kitazawa's iconic (and rickety)…
Central Honshū
Although this is more of a wine merchant where you can sit and sample the merchandise than a wine bar per se, it's still worth popping in if you're…
Asakusa & Sumida River
In the former Yanagibashi entertainment district, this cafe, bar and gallery was once the home of geisha and popular singer Ichimaru. Rotating exhibits by…
Downtown Kyoto
This is a slick Ponto-chō bar that welcomes foreigners and draws a fair smattering of Kyoto’s beautiful people, and wannabe beautiful people. In summer…
Southern Higashiyama
This stylish, minimalist Gion bar in an old geisha house is a great place for a quiet civilised drink. There's no menu, so just prop up at the bar and let…
Osaka
With its 1940s interior intact and waitresses in long skirts, American is a classic jun-kissa – a shop from the first wave of cafes to open in Japan…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Baird’s Brewery is one of Japan’s most successful and consistently good craft breweries. This is one of three Tokyo outposts, and you can sample more than…
Kansai
This cafe is in one of Oharai-machi's beautifully maintained wooden buildings, but set back from the street, with window- and terrace-front views over the…
Kumamoto
In business for two-plus decades, this dark, grunge-inspired bar is where Japanese rockers come after playing Kumamoto. Request a tune, and staff will…
Sapporo
At Sapporo's original hub for craft-heads you can choose from a selection of 250 beers, including many from owner Phred Kauffman's line of Ezo beers,…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Following a long-standing Tokyo summer tradition, this corner of Meiji-jingū Gaien becomes a loud and lively beer garden with seating for 1000 around a…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Sake brewery Kiuchi has been brewing its excellent range of Hitachino Nest craft beers since 1996. At this dedicated outlet you can have a very merry time…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Rhythm Cafe is a fun little DJ bar secreted among the windy streets of Shibuya sub-district Udagawa-chō (known for its record shops). It's run by a record…
Kansai
Small-batch-chocolate speciality shop Dandelion serves decadent hot chocolates (¥580 to ¥630), along with cookies and brownies (¥330 to ¥450); the stylish…
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