34 Best Nightlife Experiences in Tokyo

This huge live music hall looks like a hangar, but Akasaka Blitz is actually a first-rate venue for top international and local bands. Many famous Japanese bands and respected indie bands play here to audiences of up to 1,900 cheering fans. The venue also has direct access to Akasaka station, which is very handy for visitors travelling by subway and makes it preferable over many other concert halls. While tickets are usually sold far in advance you might be able to secure some through your hotel concierge.

Established by Kyoko Seki, one of the first people to open a jazz bar in Tokyo, Body and Soul is a small intimate jazz club with a rich history of finding and featuring the best upcoming and established jazz musical talent in the world. Take a close up front-row seat and feel first hand the true power of a live jazz performance. Many top musicians end up at Body and Soul after playing other venues in the city. The club has an extensive menu of drinks and food. There's an entry fee of around ¥3,500.

Blue Note Tokyo is arguably the most famous jazz venue in the city with a history of big names from Dizzy Gilespie to Sarah Vaughn. It has a connection to the famous New York jazz institution of the same name, along with the same high standards. Today the world’s best musicians still grace the Blue Note; Tony Bennet, Natalie Cole, John Legend. The bar is compact, which gives the performances a deeper intimacy, and the name-sake blue-lit stage creates a moody ambience for jazz. The setting of low, broody lights, great food, and high-level music is sure to impress you. There's usually an entry fee starting from ¥7,000.

Kabuki-Za Theatre in Ginza is the centre for traditional performing arts in all of Tokyo, and the most famous kabuki venue outside of Kyoto. Built in 1889, Kabuki-Za Theatre has presented the best of this traditional Japanese performing art for generations.

A kabuki show normally lasts 3 to 5 hours, divided into several acts. The highly stylised costumes and actions on stage is a real spectacle, although the you might lose the finer details unless you speak Japanese. While tickets for the whole show may range from ¥2,000 to ¥20,000, you can purchase a 1-act ticket for roughly ¥1,500, making it a very affordable introduction to this ancient art form.

Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre is home of the Takarazuka Revue, a family friendly stage show that combines singing, dancing and acting. Established in 1934, this theatre introduced a new performance gimmick where young women adopt all the roles in western style productions. Musicals performed here have included homages to classic western productions such as Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables.  

This enormous entertainment complex contains seven multi-sized exhibition and concert halls centered around a magnificent glass atrium. There is always something interesting going on here. Popular events to be held here include pop concerts, Broadway musicals, touring ballet companies, and annual events like the Tokyo International Film Festival. The Forum is connected to Yurakucho Station.

Anyone with an interest in Japanese literature will enjoy Bar Lupin, where photographs of Japan’s most celebrated writers dot the walls. Steeped in history, it was a favourite hangout for many famous Japanese writers including Kafu Nagai and Osamu Dazai. The menu is concise and sticks to whiskies and a few cocktails, but everything served is first-class. It's a lovely place to lounge in Ginza. It’s worth bearing in mind, this blast from the past stays true to its roots as a cash-only bar.

Big Echo is one of the biggest karaoke chains in the country, so you should expect to experience it Japan-style. This means no public performances, or ridicule, as each party has its own private, air-conditioned room with TV screens, sofas and karaoke set. Waitresses come and go with food and drinks and are ready to assist you at the touch of a button. The Ginza branch of Big Echo is well known because of the Hello Kitty theme room. There are all-you-can-drink packages available if you need some liquid courage to get you started.

Check out Tokyo’s best amateur and professional stand-up comedians at Crocodile. The Tokyo Comedy Store puts on a show here on the fourth Friday of every month with various stand-up acts followed by an hilarious improvisation session. Throughout the week you can catch local rock'n'roll groups doing their thing on stage, Crocodile opens at 6pm and the laughter starts from 8pm. The entry fee varies but starts from ¥2,000.

Den Aquaroom has a huge aquarium as a focal point so you can enjoy a cocktail while angel fish glide by. How about a tequila next to a tetra? The Den Aquaroom is one of the most visually stunning bars in Aoyama. Inspired by the ocean, this swanky cocktail bar has floor-to-ceiling fish tanks bordering plush lounges where you can lounge back and enjoy a few drinks. It's a great date spot. You can find this stylish bar and restaurant close to Omotesando Station.

Standing 115m tall, the huge Ferris Wheel at Palette Town is the best way to enjoy the surrounding Odaiba cityscape. From inside your capsule, views stretch all around the city and the harbour. Known in Japanese as Daikanransha, the popular family ride takes 16 minutes to complete a revolution. The Ferris Wheel is lit by 120 different lights and illuminates with 16 different light patterns.

This popular viewpoint in Odaiba is located on the 25th floor of the iconic, space-age Fuji television building. The Sphere Observation Deck sits at 123 metres tall, making it the highest viewpoint in the surrounding area. It costs from ¥550 to enter the observation deck. Fuji also gives tours of their studios if you wish to learn more about Japanese television.

The 21st floor of the Telecom Centre has an observatory that is more similar to a lounge with small tables and seats placed near the glass to make viewing more comfortable and mitigate any feelings of vertigo. Very romantic at night, it is a good place to stop in to on an intimate night out.

The view is magnificent with landmarks like the Rainbow Bridge, Fuji Television Building, Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower all clearly visible, with the endless lights of the city shining all around.

Tokyo City View and Sky Deck occupy the 52nd and 54th(top) floor of Roppongi Hills. At an elevation of 250m and with little else around, the view is almost unobstructed. This is a particularly good spot to get photos of Tokyo Tower, Japan’s version of the Eiffel Tower.

Tokyo City View is open until 1am on weekends, making this is great stop-off point on a night out in Roppongi. There's also an outdoor terrace that offers a different experience to being in the glassed-in interior. The admission fee is ¥1500 with discounts for students and children. It’s a good idea to buy your tickets in advance to skip the queue when you arrive.

For a change of pace from the gaudy side of Roppongi, SuperDeluxe is an avant-garde lounge which hosts an interesting array of events. Popular with designers, writers and photographers, the events are aimed at this creative community such as film noir nights, edgy art performances and DJ jams.

Muse in Roppongi is a multi-roomed club with a different atmosphere in each space. Centred around a large main bar, there are rooms filled with couches, a karaoke room, a darts room and 2 large dance floors with DJs playing the hottest techno and dance tunes. A very friendly atmosphere and late opening hours keeps most people at Muse all night. There's usually an entry fee starting from ¥3,500 which includes free drinks coupons. 

This cultural village presents a number of live concerts from hot local and international musicians in addition to housing a cinema where you can watch popular Japanese films with English subtitles.

Womb is a popular dance club in Shibuya that was designed by the people who built New York’s well known Twilo club. It's often packed and enjoys a steady following with young hip Tokyoites. There are 3 floors of bars dance floors and VIP rooms where world-class DJs strut their stuff, along with the best of Japan's up-and-coming artists. If you’re looking for stomping bass and a cool crowd reminiscent of the best techno clubs in London or Berlin, then Womb should be high on your list.

Located on the 40th floor of the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel in Shibuya, Bellovisto is a romantic cocktail lounge where you can unwind with a drink and some great views of the evening cityscape of Japan. There's live piano performances most nights, which adds to the chic atmosphere. The bar has a smart casual dress code which means no shorts or sleeveless shirts for the guys. 

The grand concert hall and art gallery at Tokyo Opera City hold regular events featuring top domestic and international talent. Unsurprisingly, opera recitals are regularly held here along with ballet and classical music played by visiting orchestras. Tokyo Opera City is walking distance from Hatsudai Station on the Keio New Line.

With 48 floors and measuring over 200 metres tall, the Tokyo Metropolitan Building is an impressive landmark in Shinjuku. The 2-floor observatory deck encompasses an 360 degree view of Tokyo. On a clear day, it is possible to see all the way to Mount Fuji, and, by night, it's a great place to start a night out. What's most amazing is that entrance is free! You can reach Tokyo Metropolitan Building Observatory from Tochomae Station on the Oedo Line. 

The Pit Inn is a live music joint where you can catch some hot jazz by some of the city’s best up-and-coming musicians, as well as some seasoned international professionals. This is one of Japan’s oldest jazz houses and is serious about providing a quality music venue.

Live music starts every evening at 8pm and there are daytime performances on Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm. Entry costs from ¥3,000 including 1 drink. The Pit Inn is walking distance from Shinjuku-sanchome station.

Vagabond is a legendary live music joint that's popular with Tokyo internationals and was once reviewed in the New York Times. This cool, stylish venue has a relaxing lounge on the ground floor and live jazz on the second floor. Walls are decorated with eclectic art pieces in gallery form and drinks are surprisingly affordable.

The largest beer brand in Japan, the Kirin Brewery Company introduces beer lovers to a whole new realm of experience at Kirin City in Ueno. The staff at this specialised beer pub are all expertly trained in a 3-step method for pouring the perfect beer. The technique is slow – taking between 3 and 5 minutes per glass – but some good things in life do take time. The menu even has dishes that were specially created to complement Kirin beer.

Kirin City is a good spot for large groups as the menu mixes western and Japanese favourites and the casual atmosphere is welcoming for all. 

Famous designer Philippe Starck was responsible for the curious look of the Asahi Super Dry Hall. One wonders what Starck was going for when he created the large golden form that sits atop the hall roof. Inside, the same shape appears at unexpected moments, never quite explaining itself.

Within the high-rise building, the first and second floors contain the Flamme d’Or bar, which serves 1 of the freshest draft Asahi beers you're ever likely to find, or you could take the elevator up to the 22nd-floor Asahi Sky Room for a cold beer with a view.