Japan has a pretty vibrant nightlife, especially in major cities, and there’s something for everyone! From drinking to karaoke to dancing and more, make sure to check out the different aspects of nightlife events and establishments and find something for you and your friends to enjoy.
Table of Contents
- Nightlife Culture in Japan
- Where to Enjoy Nightlife
- Places Known for its Nightlife
- The End of the Night
Nightlife Culture in Japan
While of course people are free to enjoy nightlife as they wish, there are certain aspects that play a large role in influencing the nightlife culture in Japan. As nightlife in Japan almost always involves drinking, two major ones are nomikai and nijikai.
Nomikai (飲み会) is exactly as it’s translated - a drinking party. It’s common to have nomikai for work (whether to grab drinks with colleagues or celebrate something with your team/workplace), nomikai with friends, nomikai with people who have similar interests/hobbies, nomikai with the intention of finding a romantic partner, etc.
You can read more about nomikai culture, including dos and don’ts, here.
Nijikai (二次会) literally means the second party. After the main event (the nomikai people gathered for), people who haven’t had enough to drink or want to spend more time together will continue the party at a second location. It might mean more food, a group activity like karaoke, etc. Sometimes people will even go for 三次会 (sanjikai) - a third party / location - or more!
A typical night might look like:
- Nomikai at a restaurant/izakaya (more on izakaya below) → Karaoke → Ramen
or
- Nomikai at a restaurant/izakaya → Another Izakaya / Bar → Karaoke
There’s many types of parties (kai) that can lead to a having a nomikai for it, like:
- 歓迎会 (kangei kai - welcome party)
- 送別会 (soubetsu kai - goodbye party)
- 忘年会(bounenkai - end of the year party)
- お疲れさま会 (otsukaresama kai - “thanks for the hard work” party)
While you don't HAVE to drink alcohol, just know you will most likely be surrounded by people drinking if you go out at night. Want to know the different types of alcohol in Japan? We have you covered!
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Where to Enjoy Nightlife in Japan
Because of the many opportunities to have nomikai and go out at night, there’s a wide variety of establishments you can go to that are considered 定番 (teiban) or staples in nightlife.
Here’s a list for you!
Izakaya
Whether it’s the first place you go to during the night or the second (or third or fourth!), izakaya (居酒屋) can be found everywhere! It’s a pub that serves drinks and (usually) finger food that’s easy to share with many people and goes well with drinks.
There’s often an all-you-can-drink (飲み放題 nomihoudai) menu at izakaya, which allows you unlimited rounds of drinks off a special menu for a set time. You can find izakaya with Japanese food, Italian food, fried western foods, etc.
Read all about izakaya here.
Bars
Bars in Japan, called バー (baa), give off a slightly fancier image in comparison to the casual izakaya. They also tend to be smaller in size.
There are many different types of bars apart from the standard type such as:
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立ち飲みバー (tachinomi bar) - Tachinomi means standing and drinking, so these bars don’t have seats. People are served drinks and they stand around and chat with other patrons, or have a quick drink and leave.
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ホテルバー (hotel bar) - These tend to be the fanciest, whether located in the lobby or at the top floors with a really nice view.
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ダーツバー (darts bar) - People can drink and play darts with friends or with other patrons. Other similar types include places you can play billiards, sometimes both!
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スポーツバー (sports bar) - People gather to drink and watch major sporting events, such as baseball, soccer, etc. Some places get so crowded, there’s standing room only.
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ミュージックバー (music bar) - These are bars where you can hear and enjoy (often live) music as you drink. Popular types include ジャズバー (jazz bars) and ピアノバー (piano bars).
You can also find bars that specialize in certain types of alcohol, such as craft beer, sake, etc.
Clubs
Clubs are usually found in major cities and only in certain areas. Note that the legal drinking age in Japan is 20 years old and therefore clubs will only let you in if you are 20 or older.
Also note that these places stay open until morning, so if you intend to get home, it’s important to keep track of time for your last train; otherwise it’s an all night event or possibly a very expensive taxi ride home.
There’s many places with free admission for ladies, and the admission fee often includes a free drink (or two depending on the price). Certain places also have a dress code, so make sure to research accordingly.
For specific locations, check in the Places Known for its Nightlife section below.
Host Clubs & Hostess Clubs
Host and hostess clubs are establishments where you can be entertained through conversation and treated like a queen or king - for a price, of course.
These are commonly found in red light districts in Japan, but it’s important to note that host and hostess clubs themselves are not sexual in nature. The host or hostess simply lavishes you with attention and fun conversation over food and drinks (that you pay for).
Curious? Read all about it here.
Karaoke
Finally we come to karaoke. If you’re not into drinking, this can be a great activity with friends, family and coworkers (and if you are, there’s drinks too!!).
You pay a fee for a set amount of time to use the room and its equipment. Just make sure to keep track of time as you’ll have to pay for any time you go over the agreed time limit. Note: it’s cheaper on weekdays!
Major chains tend to have more English songs to choose from, as well as Chinese and Korean.
If you’re attending with coworkers or acquaintances, it’s usually a good idea to choose songs that everyone knows and can sing together.
Here’s 6 Reasons to Experience Japanese Karaoke.
Places Known for its Nightlife in Japan
Here are some specifics to check out for each major city!
Tokyo Nightlife
Of course, as the capital city of Japan, Tokyo has a wide range of places throughout the city and neighboring areas to enjoy nightlife. Among them, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Roppongi, and Ginza are the most popular.
Check out our article all about Tokyo Nightlife to know more specifics.
Osaka Nightlife
The second biggest city in Japan, Osaka also has many places to go to enjoy the vibrant nightlife there. Check the link to find bars and bars found in the two main nightlife districts, Minami and Kita. And of course, seeing Dotonbori at night is a must!
Sapporo Nightlife
Sapporo is the capital city of Hokkaido Prefecture with a long history, many events throughout the year, and of course with its own nightlife. Find it mainly in the Susukino District. Also don’t miss the beautiful night views of Sapporo and Hakodate.
Kyoto Nightlife
And last but not least is Kyoto. While most people go to see the temples and shrines, geisha, food, and other cultural landmarks and experiences, it too has great nightlife if you know where to look. There are also many amazing establishments to drink at too. Give it a chance if you have time!
The End of the Night
So you’ve missed your last train enjoying the nightlife in Japan. What are some of the options to kill time until the morning train?
Apart from the bars, clubs, and other establishments mentioned above, here are some of the other options.
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Love hotels - Of course you could check into a regular hotel, but love hotels - short stay (think one night) accomodations for intimate matters - are often found around clubs and bars, so it’s an option if you need to crash. Recently, love hotels rent out rooms for non-intimate matters as well thanks to its unique designs and decorations and have become popular with tourists.
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24 hour cafes - Internet cafes and manga cafes often offer 24 hour services, with a private booth where you can browse the internet, read manga, or sleep. They often have showers as well.
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Sento - These public baths and spas are sometimes open 24 hours! Some even have beds for those hoping to stay the night. Just be careful entering the hot baths or saunas after drinking a lot.
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Diners and fast food establishments - A little harder to find during the pandemic, some diners called ファミレス (famiresu, short for family restaurants) and fast food establishments in major cities, especially those with vibrant nightlife, are open 24 hours. Although sleeping there is frowned upon, it’s a good place to rest and fill up your stomach after a night of drinking, singing and/or dancing.
There’s many aspects of nightlife to explore including ones we didn’t mention like
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Shime (締め) - the last food you eat to finish off a night of nomikai, the most popular being ramen
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Yakei (夜景) - the beautiful skyline and night views you can only get in major cities. Some cities have towers, ropeways, skyscrapers, etc. where you can get a look at the gorgeous city lights.
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Game centers (ゲームセンター or ゲーセン) - arcades where you can play a wide range of arcade games, crane games, take cute photos with friends, etc.
The options are endless! Choose how you want to enjoy Japan’s nightlife! (Just plan for or around that pesky last train!)
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