Nightclubs and bars in Tokyo

In a city the size of Tokyo I can imagine that whatever kind of nightlife you would look for it is probably also available. For us having a few drinks in a trendy pub and maybe a small chat with few of the local people if good enough after the whole day of sightseeing.

We walked through the Kabuikicho area and didnt have time to stop in one of the night places. This area is home to love parlours, bars, restuarants and parchinko parlors.

Place are lit up with classic neon signs all overlapping each other!

Every night of the week this place is bustling. We were warned to be careful of gangs and small crimes and didnt see any trace of it. Though it is recommended to have extra caution in this area.

Looking for a cool night spot, then check out the Absolut Icebar Tokyo near Roppongi. The bar is opened daily 5pm-midnight. The price is steep at 3,500 entry which includes one drink. Additional drinks are 1,200. The cover cost also gets you a cape and gloves. Entry is for 45 minutes.

Must make reservations!

Dress Code: Dress warm!

Kabukichō red light area is one of Tokyo's best known night time spots, and a must-see for visitors. Not only will you be amazed at the amount of activity, there are great delights to be had if you are seeking pleasures of the flesh.

Tokyo also has four other red light districts, some better than others. Kabukichō is the more "touristy" one, but one of my friends bought a tokyo red light district guide beforehand, so we were able to explore the other ones as well. I would HIGHLY recommend doing your homework - it's unbelievable what you'll find if you go to the right areas.

One other thing - make sure you watch your wallet at all times, and conceal it if possible. My friend go pickpocketed on our first full day in Tokyo, and it pretty much ruined his trip. :-/

I bet you didn't think you could find a great British Pub in Tokyo, never mind one that features a fine Irish session. The Cock O' The Walk is tucked away on a side street in the Roppongi district. The owner is British and has created a lovely environment and if you didn't know better, you would think you were in a pub in the British country side.

Perhaps the most striking thing about this pub is the Irish music session that takes place the first Wednesday of every month. The session is made up mostly of Japanese musicians who, one way or another, have fallen in love with Irish music. I play Irish flute and was warmly welcomed into their session and had tremendous fun playing there.

There are other sessions around Tokyo, and the link below will lead you to them. I recommend starting at the Cock, as it is very cozy and authentic feeling, and serves a lovely pint of Guinness.

Dress Code: Casual

I personally LOVED Tokyo esp. at night, with all the deon signs lit up, it was beautiful... it's a very busy city, however I felt totally safe walking around at night w/ my camera and tri-pod. I noticed it to be very clean as well.

This is a bar that myself and friends went to in Shimokitazawa which was my favourite part of Tokyo or actually my favourite area in Japan.

It played some funky house music which I loved and nice drinks, a really nice vibe, friendly staff.... just a great place.

And for the lucky people that view my page, you'll see that this is one of the rare times that I am seen without my sunglasses (funnily enough I am wearing them now!!), but obviously at the time of night, my glasses come off.

Dress Code: The dress code is casual, which works for me as I love to wear trainers (maybe you call them sneakers in your part of the world!) and sandals.

This night I was wearing trainers, casual pants (trousers "well I was wearing pants as well...smile") and a shirt. Guess the code is kinda smart casual, or trendy casual... that's me!!

Going inside a Pachinko place is like entering a different dimension. Its loud, closed to the outside, and the players are more concentrated on their machine than the most passionate slot machine player in Las Vegas. Go in one, try to play a bit...definitely worth it.

Players line up early in the morning to grab "their" machine...see pic

Dress Code: not applicable !