Tokyo After Dark - Tokyo - page 246

10

Tokyo After Dark

By day, Tokyo is arguably one of
the least attractive cities in the world.
Come dusk, however, the drabness fades
and the city blossoms into a profusion of
giant neon lights and paper lanterns, and
its streets fill with millions of overworked
Japanese out to have a good time. If you
ask me, Tokyo at night is one of the crazi-
est cities in the world, a city that never
seems to sleep. Entertainment districts are
as crowded at 3am as they are at 10pm,
and many places stay open until the sub-
ways start running after 5am. Whether it's
jazz, reggae, gay bars, sex shows, dance
clubs, mania, or madness you're searching
for, Tokyo has them all.
GETTING TO KNOW THE SCENE
Tokyo has no one center of nighttime
activity. There are many nightspots spread
throughout the city, each with its own
atmosphere, price range, and clientele.
Most famous are probably Ginza, Kabuki-
cho in Shinjuku, and Roppongi. Before
visiting any of the locales listed in this
chapter, be sure to walk around the neigh-
borhoods and absorb the atmosphere. The
streets will be crowded, the neon lights
will be overwhelming, and you never
know what you might discover on your
own.
Although there are many bars, discos,
and clubs packed with young Japanese of
both sexes, nightlife in Japan for the older
generations is still pretty much a man's
domain, just as it has been for centuries.
At the high end of this domain are the
geisha bars, where highly trained women
entertain by playing traditional Japanese
instruments, singing, and holding witty
conversations—and nothing more risqué
than that. Such places are located mainly

in Kyoto and, generally speaking, are both
outrageously expensive and closed to out-
siders. As a foreigner, you'll have little
opportunity to visit a geisha bar unless
you're invited by a business associate.
All Japanese cities, however, have so-
called hostess bars; in Tokyo, these are
concentrated in Ginza, Roppongi, Shin-
juku, and Akasaka. Hostess bars in various
forms have been a part of Japanese society
for centuries. A woman will sit at your
table, talk to you, pour your drinks, listen
to your problems, and boost your ego. You
buy her drinks as well, which is one reason
the tab can be so high. Most of you will
probably find the visit to one not worth
the price, as the hostesses usually speak
Japanese only, but such places provide
Japanese males with sympathetic ears and
the chance to escape the worlds of both
work and family. Men usually have a
favorite hostess bar, often a small place
with just enough room for regular custom-
ers. The more exclusive hostess bars wel-
come only those with an introduction.
The most popular nightlife spots are
drinking establishments, where most
office workers, students, and expatriates
go for an evening out. These places include
Western-style bars, most commonly found
in Roppongi, as well as Japanese-style
watering holes, called nomi-ya. Yakitori-ya,
bars that serve yakitori and other snacks,
are included in this group. Dancing and
live-music venues are also hugely popular
with young Tokyoites. At the low end of
the spectrum are topless bars, erotic dance
clubs (including those that employ West-
ern dancers), sex shows, and massage par-
lors, with the largest concentration of such
places in Shinjuku's Kabuki-cho district.