Nagoya
Hideo-san, the personable owner of this wood-panelled gem, has decorated his out-of-the-way bar with bric-a-brac from extensive antiquing in America…
Must-see nightlife in Japan
Downtown Kyoto
Looking out on scenic Kiyamachi-dōri, Taigu (formerly Tadg's Gastro Pub) is a good spot for an evening drink. Choose from an extensive selection of craft…
Central Honshū
Run by the Canyons crew, this popular cafe-bar offers riverside barbecues in summer, a pool table, plenty of beer, hamburgers and occasional live music…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Tucked away on a corner near the bend in the river (next to the orange post box, hence the name), this petite coffee shop is the perfect spot for a post…
Osaka
In the bustling maze of restaurants and bars in the ultra-local area of Ura-Tenma (behind Temma station) is this branch of Beer Belly from the Minoh…
Downtown Kyoto
On a pretty stretch of canal on scenic Kiyamachi-dōri, Kiln's big windows frame the view and make it the perfect spot to stare lazily while waiting for…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Tokyo's third-wave coffee scene is seeping into the old student haunt of Jimbōchō. The speciality here is single-origin beans, roasted very lightly in…
Downtown Kyoto
Overlooking one of the prettiest stretches of Kiyamachi-dōri, this upscale modern Japanese bar has a great selection of single malts and some of the best…
Downtown Kyoto
The modern tearoom here is a great place for a break in a quiet spot in Downtown Kyoto. You can enjoy a nice cup of matcha served with a delicious Kyoto…
Tokyo
Cocktail Shobō is part used-book store, part cocktail bar, and 100% a labour of love, in a vintage wooden house where the bar counter doubles as a…
Kanazawa
An original Kanazawan institution. With live rock bands and every manner of everything hanging from the ceiling, this place'll make you feel as though you…
Downtown Kyoto
A casual tearoom attached to the Ippōdō Tea store, Kaboku serves a range of teas and provides a great break while exploring the shops in the area. Try the…
Osaka
This tiny takeaway stand – the vintage Probat roaster takes up half of it – raised the bar for coffee in Osaka when it opened in 2016. The owner speaks…
Downtown Kyoto
World is Kyoto’s largest club and it naturally hosts some of the biggest events. It has two floors, a dance floor and lockers where you can leave your…
Fukuoka
This beer bar, opened in 2017, brews its own creations and offers dozens of other beers from around the world, along with eats like mixed grill and…
Nikkō
This century-old rice shop was restyled into a retro-chic cafe serving house-roasted coffee, along with sweets and meals (like Japanese curry). It's…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
On some weekend nights, indie livehouse WWW goes into club mode, hosting appropriately indie DJs who play to the kind of fashionable Shibuya crowd that…
Ueno & Yanesen
This vintage 1930s coffee shop (the building is actually from the ’20s) in Yanaka is a hang-out for local students and artists. Come early before 11am to…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Hailing originally from Oakland, California, this third-wave coffee outfit has set up its main Tokyo roastery in the Kiyosumi area. Fuel up on an…
Downtown Kyoto
This izakaya-cum-bar on Kiyamachi-dōri is a great choice for a drink in Kyoto and attracts a mix of locals and foreigners. It offers cheap bar snacks (…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
In business for decades, Kerun is run by an octogenarian Japanese man who whisks up frothy whisky sours from a well-stocked bar that's surrounded by…
Yokohama
There's a literal elephant in the room at this bright bayside cafe space (elephant is zō in Japanese), a welcome promenade pitstop for bottled beer,…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Set in a 19th-century wooden warehouse that beat the 1923 earthquake and WWII, this wonderfully cosy space serves coffee, tea and, after 6pm, cocktails…
Nikkō
Stop by this cafe before or after visiting the shrines and temples for brewed-to-order coffee and matcha lattes. It's just inside the national park, in a…
Osaka
If heights aren't your thing, you'll need a stiff drink once you've peered down over the city from the 40th floor at this ultrasuave hotel bar. Service is…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Mother is a classic Shimo-Kitazawa bar with a soundtrack from the ’60s and ’70s and an undulating, womb-like interior covered in mosaic tile. It does…
Niseko
This popular hang-out run by a former outdoor guide serves Niseko's best coffee. It's 100m up the road from JR Kutchan Station, decked out like a very…
Asakusa & Sumida River
This delightful cafe is combined with a boutique selling the quality leathergoods of Tamura Kosuke. There's good coffee and smoothies to go with some…
Tokyo
In a handy location near Tokyo Station, this contemporary-style craft-beer pub attracts groups of after-work office workers keeping it lively. There are…
Nagasaki
Owned by Brynn, a friendly Kiwi, this cosy 'one-coin bar' has (mostly) ¥500 drinks and stays open to the wee hours, with an ever-changing mix of…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Excellent coffee and delicious baked goods – such as Earl Grey scones with lemon butter – are the standouts at this hip cafe, which also hosts a lending…
Kansai
Inside one of the farmhouses in Kayabuki-no-sato, this cafe serves handmade local specialities like dango (soft rice-flour balls; ¥520 for a set with tea)…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Bear Pond's thick syrupy 'angel stain' espresso (¥690) is considered holy grail by many. The owner only pulls a limited number before noon; lattes etc are…
Yokohama
Pair your nano-brewed 'extreme beer' with a cheese-topped meatball sub or skillet at this heavy-metal-themed craft-beer bar, a (slightly) less divey spin…
Hakone
Beside the station, this woodsy cafe and craft shop is a pleasant pit stop for drinks and light meals. You can also soak your toes in the footbath on the…
Shikoku
When you're izakaya'd out and crave fish and chips with a pint of Guinness (¥880), pop into this Irish pub in its new location right on Obiyamachi Arcade…
Kyūshū
In the middle of the Koi no uyogu machi, this cozy villa sits on stilts over a spring-fed koi pond in a lovely garden. Admission includes a cup of tea and…
Ueno & Yanesen
It's fitting that Yanaka, which refuses to trash the past, would have a bar that doubles as a used bookstore. Sure, the books are in Japanese but you can…
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
This chilled-out, family-friendly, smoke-free bar to your right as you exit JR Habuka Station serves juicy original burgers and comfort-food favourites,…
Nara
Drop in on this small standing bar in Naramachi for tastings (¥200 to ¥600) of sakes produced in Nara Prefecture (120 varieties from 29 makers, also…
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