Tokyo After Dark - Tokyo - page 251

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2 THE CLUB & MUSIC SCENE

THE MAJOR ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS
GINZA A chic and expensive shopping area by day, Ginza transforms itself into a daz-
zling entertainment district of restaurants, bars, and first-grade hostess bars at night. It's
the most sophisticated of Tokyo's nightlife districts and also one of the most expensive.
Some of the Japanese businessmen you see carousing in Ginza are paying by expense
account; prices can be ridiculously high.
Because I'm not wealthy, I prefer Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Roppongi. However, because
Ginza does have some fabulous restaurants and several hotels, I've included reasonably
priced recommendations for a drink in the area if you happen to find yourself here after
dinner. The cheapest way to absorb the atmosphere in Ginza is to wander through it,
particularly around Namiki Dori, Suzuran Dori, and their side streets. The “Nightlife &
Where to Stay & Dine in Ginza & Hibiya” map on p. 92 will help you locate the Ginza
clubs and bars mentioned in this chapter.
SHINJUKU Northeast of Shinjuku Station is an area called Kabuki-cho, which
undoubtedly has the craziest nightlife in all of Tokyo, with block after block of strip
joints, massage parlors, pornography shops, host and hostess clubs, peep shows, love
hotels, bars, restaurants, and, as the night wears on, drunk revelers. A world of its own,
it's sleazy, chaotic, crowded, vibrant, and fairly safe. Despite its name, Shinjuku's primary
night hot spot has nothing to do with Kabuki, though at one time there was a plan to
bring culture to the area by introducing a Kabuki theater. The plan never materialized,
but the name stuck. Although Kabuki-cho was traditionally the domain of salarymen out
on the town, nowadays young Japanese, including college-age men and women, have
claimed parts of it as their own; the result is a growing number of inexpensive drinking
and live-music venues well worth a visit. The “Nightlife & Where to Stay & Dine in
Shinjuku” map on p. 94 will help you locate the area's clubs and bars mentioned in this
chapter.
To the east of Kabuki-cho, just west of Hanazono Shrine, is a smaller district called
Goruden Gai, which is “Golden Guy” mispronounced. Originally a black market and
prostitution district after World War II, today it's a warren of five tiny alleyways leading
past even tinier bars, each consisting of just a counter and a few chairs. Many of these
closet-size bars are closed to outsiders, catering to regular customers, though a growing
number of them welcome strangers as well. Although many thought Goruden Gai would
succumb to land-hungry developers in the 1980s, the economic recession brought a stay
of execution. In fact, in recent years Goruden Gai has experienced a revival, with more
than 100 tiny drinking dens lining the tiny streets and attracting artists, musicians, film-
makers, writers, and students. Still, it occupies such expensive land that I fear for this tiny
enclave, one of Tokyo's most fascinating.
Even farther east is Shinjuku 2-chome (called Ni-chome; pronounced “knee-cho-
may”), officially recognized as the gay-bar district of Tokyo. Its lively street scene of
mostly gays and some straights of all ages (but mostly young) make this one of Tokyo's
most vibrant nightlife districts. It's here that I was once taken to a host bar featuring
young hosts in crotchless pants. The clientele included both gay men and groups of
young, giggling office girls. That place has since closed down, but Shinjuku is riddled
with other spots bordering on the absurd.

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