Tokyo Night City Where to Drink & Party. Judith Brand
Dance and Prance chapter because of its size and potential, but the average habitue tends to just sit and drink. Don't waste this dance space, Tokyo! It is plugged into the cool and groovy DJ circuit with all the familiar names appearing on the schedule. The music ranges from reggae to mod, which draws an impressive lineup of retro step-throughs out front. It's a little bit cool on an average night, but could definitely handle some heat.
Open from 6 p.m. till 2 a.m.
Sunday to Friday, and till 4 a.m.
on Saturday.
Campari Bldg. 4F,
1-6-8 Jinnan,
Shibuya-ku.
(03) 3496-0782
¥¥
328
Nishi-azabu is becoming increasingly populated with bars, but this one has been here virtually unchanged for a decade. It's entrance, which has unexpected stairs and doors, is extremely hard to negotiate, so watch your step if you're a bit drunk or if it's your first time. Once through this initial obstacle course, you will find a large glassed-in room with an interestingly-shaped solid-wood bar running down its length. Beyond this is a DJ booth and dance area. They have made good use of some of their former record collection by plastering the walls with LPs—some of them are quite new, too. It is very quiet during the week and highly variable on the weekend, but it is best placed in this chapter because that's what they're aiming at. The DJs have a less stylized approach to their playlists, adding more rock and funk than other stuck-on-house clubs. They occasionally feature a soul night during the week, which makes it an excellent place for a late-night drink and a bop or a foot tap.
Open from 8 p.m. till 4 a.m.
from Monday to Thursday, till 5
a.m. on Friday and Saturday,
and till 3 a.m. on Sunday.
Kotsu Anzen Center Bldg. B1F,
3-24-20 Nishi-azabu,
Minato-ku.
(03) 3401-4968
¥¥
Yellow
The owners of a very popular late-night dance venue called Club Next decided to close down and reopen in a new and larger venue around the corner. This is Yellow. It's big, it's dark, and it's popular. The dance floor is spacious but quickly fills up, generating enough body heat to compete with high noon in midsummer. A mezzanine bar and seating area overlooks the flesh-pit below, but when it's really crowded there is no escape from the heat. Lockers get scarce early and the coat check is usually full, so if you plan to get there late don't take a lot of gear with you. A few tragic teenagers camp in the stairwell waiting for the first train, but for the most part, it is a very hip and very cool cross section of Tokyo which comes here to dance till dawn. They feature excellent local and international DJs playing the latest house and dance hits from around the world, and also host a wide variety of events, including some live and gay nights. The best idea is to drop by and pick up a schedule.
Open from 9 p.m. till 5 a.m. or
later every night. Sometimes
closed on Sunday.
Cesaurus Bldg. B1F & B2F,
1-10-11 Nishi-azabu,
Minato-ku.
(03) 3479-0690
¥¥¥
Zoo
Though Shimo-kitazawa features very few dance clubs making Zoo the unchallenged winner, this venue would hold its own when compared to many Roppongi clubs. It has evolved as the headquarters of Tokyo's truly cool and very young up-and-coming clubbing crowd. This place has atmosphere, but not the sort of superficial attitudinizing you find in Tokyo's mega-clubs. It's an almost tangible and slightly brooding atmosphere that hangs in the air like the sulk on a teenager's face—desperate to be recognized but slightly unsure of asserting itself. These kids have definitely got potential. Foreigners are not uncommon, but they are mostly low-budget western-suburb ghettoites who are similarly young and living on the edge. You'll find no high rolling or high heels in this club. Some say Tuesday is best, some say Thursday, but just like a teenager's mood this can change on a dime. So go check it out, but if you're over 25 be prepared to feel like a grandparent.
Open from 8 p.m. till 4 a.m.
every day. Open from 9 p.m. on
live nights.
Central Bldg. B1F,
2-14-7 Kitazawa,
Setagaya-ku.
(03) 3413-2266/3413-2428
¥¥
Pickford Live Hall
This is definitely a dancing venue. Though the club itself is not very big its value is enormous if you prefer your music live. Two very polished bands take turns delivering cover versions of the latest hits from the dance charts with a few funky favorites thrown in for good measure. The lineup of performers includes Americans, Africans, Filipinos, and Japanese, but regardless of who is up on stage at any given point, you are sure to be entertained with very slick show-time renditions of some of your favorite dance tunes. It is well-run and reasonably well-appointed. The dance floor could be bigger, but here as with everywhere else, this only seems to be a problem on the weekend. The price is a little steep for your average punter—¥3,000 at the door does not include drinks. So, if you have some fun-loving business pals in town on an expense account for a few days, they would not be disappointed with a night out here. Even if you treat yourself, it would be well worth every penny.
Open from 8 p.m. till 5 a.m.
Monday to Saturday. Closed on
Sunday.
Roppongi Raidick Bldg. B1F,
4-11-13 Roppongi,
Minato-ku.
(03)3423-1628
¥¥¥¥
Ink Stick Suzue Factory
The original Ink Stick was a very small but very chic downstairs club near the Boecho. That venue has since become a flamenco bar but Ink Stick has moved on to bigger and better things. The Suzue Factory is a large, modern, well-designed split-level club featuring interesting local bands and a variety of overseas acts ranging from jazz through ska to hip-hop. Quality live music has always been a priority. The entrepreneurial insight of the management in the days of the original venue led to Sade's first break in Japan. The decor is refined and the lighting subdued. The first floor is set up for dancing and mingling while the mezzanine is furnished with tables and chairs overlooking the stage. Separate bars service each level. If you go on a live night, the crowd will vary according to the band both in terms of who goes and how many people. But, if you drop by midweek on a non-live night, you'll pretty much have the place to yourself. This is definitely one of Tokyo's more up-market venues.
Open from 6 p.m. till 11:30 p.m.
every day, and till 4 a.m. on live
and event nights.
Suzue Baydium Bldg. IF & 2F,
1-15-1 Kaigan,
Minato-ku.
(03)3434-1677
¥¥/¥¥¥