Tokyo

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Tokyo nights

Tokyo, Japan’s capital and largest city, never sleeps. Carpeted with theatres, restaurants, and bars, it has something for every taste, from traditional Japanese experiences to Western-style entertainment. Renowned for its marriage of tradition and modernity, Tokyo nightlife can spin off into eccentricity or return to the heyday of the geisha.

Performing arts

The traditional dramatic forms of noh and kabuki are presented in their own specialized theatres. Kabuki captivates audiences with its dialogue, songs, and dances, to say nothing of the actors’ incredibly elaborate makeup and spectacular scene craft. Noh, a lyric drama on spiritual themes, combines verse recitation with pantomime dancing; the actors, accompanied by a choir and small orchestra, wear specific masks and sumptuous costumes.

Kabuki-za (Kabuki Theatre)

4-12-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku, phone 03-3541-3131

Kokuritsu No-Gakudo (National Noh Theatre)

4-18-1 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, phone 03-3423-1331

Geishas

Like Kyoto, Tokyo is home to numerous geisha, whose grace and beauty combine to illuminate the mysteries of Japanese culture. Refined hostesses and companions, geishas participate in banquets in typical restaurants or the tea ceremony in teahouses, while entertaining clients with dance, traditional songs, or just conversation. Geisha work chiefly in two districts in Tokyo: the teahouses and restaurants of Asakusa and the geisha houses of Kagurazaka.

Tachinomiya: standing bars

These bars without seats, where clients drink standing up, welcome Tokyo residents after work. These lively, friendly, and relaxed places serve a variety of drinks and small snacks. Most are located in the districts of Harmonica Yococho (Kichijoji) and Golden Gai (Shinjuku).

Yatai: street vendors

Yatai mainly sell ramen noodles and other small hot dishes. Vendors set up their booths in the afternoon on the pedestrian streets that workers use to reach their subway stations, selling them something to tide them over until they get home. Some alcoholic beverages (beer, sake, and others) are also sold.

Izakaya: Japanese-style pubs

The typically Japanese izakaya are very popular after work. These restaurants offer a relaxed atmosphere and a menu of cold and hot dishes that friends and colleagues share over a drink. Simple fare, haute cuisine, or daily specials may be on offer, and the menu may vary according to the market and the season. They can be recognized by a red lantern hung over the entrance. Here are two of them:

Seigetsu

Kamiya Building, 6-77 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, phone 03-3269-4320

Sasashu<

em>2-2-6 Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, phone 03-3971-6796

Nightclubs

Tokyo is home to numerous nightclubs and discotheques where dancers can strut their stuff until the small hours. Local and international DJs shake speakers and eardrums with house and techno beats. The Shibuya district hosts some of the best nightclubs in the metropolis.

Womb

2-16 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, phone 03-5459-0039

Club Asia

1-8 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, phone 03-5458-2551

Concert halls

Some of Asia’s most vibrant concert halls are in Tokyo, where they welcome the world’s best performers. Smaller, more intimate venues also receive foreign musicians. Classical music is very popular here.

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (for classical music)

5-45 Ueno, Taito-ku, phone 03-3828-2111

Blue Note (for jazz and blues)

6-3-16 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, phone 03-5485-0088

Club Quattro (for rock)

32-13 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, phone 03-3477-8750

 

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