Bars, clubs and live music - The Rough Guide to Tokyo - page 171

KARAOKE BARS AND BOXES
Legend has it that karaoke , literally translated as “empty orchestra”, was invented by an Ōsaka
record-store manager in the early 1970s. Today the mainstay of this ¥1 trillion-a-year business
are karaoke boxes - buildings packed with comfy booths kitted out with a karaoke system.
Rental of these boxes is by the hour and they have proved particularly popular with
youngsters, women and families, who prefer them to the smoky bars frequented by salarymen
that were the original preserve of karaoke.
You'll find branches of the biggest chains - Karaoke-kan , Shidax and Big Echo - all over the
city; the charge is typically ¥800 per person per hour, but some independent bars are cheaper.
There are always plenty of English-language songs to butcher, although it certainly helps to
have a Japanese-speaker on hand to operate the karaoke system. Almost all venues serve
alcohol, and many have drink-all-you-can ( nomi-hōdai ) specials; two hours of booze usually
costs ¥3000 or so, plus the actual singing fee. If you're a first-timer, alcohol certainly helps to
ease things along - those who are too shy to sing at the beginning of a session often end up
hogging the microphone all night long.
Big Echo ϏοάΤί 4-2-14 Ginza, Chūō-ku T 03
3563 5100; Ginza station; map p.48. The most
appealing branch of this major chain, with a few
interesting themed rooms - try the Hello Kitty one.
From ¥800 per person, with a minimum order of one
drink. Daily 24hr.
Fiesta ϑΟΤελ B1 6-2-35 Roppongi, Minato-ku
T 03 5410 3008, W fiesta-roppongi.com; Roppongi
station; map pp.90-91. A particularly good karaoke bar
for newbie gaijin , offering thousands of songs in English,
as well as several other languages. ¥3500 including three
drinks. Mon 7pm-midnight, Tues-Sat until 5am.
Karaoke-kan ΧϥΦέؗ 30-8 Udagawachō,
Shibuya-ku T 03 3462 0785; Shibuya station;

map p.115. Japan's premier karaoke-box operator has
branches liberally peppered across the capital. Rooms
601 and 602 in their Udagawachō branch were featured
in the movie Lost in Translation. An hour of karaoke here
costs from ¥800 per person, with a minimum order of
one drink. Daily 24hr.
Lovenet ϥοϒωοτ 3-4F Hotel Ibis, 7-14-4
Roppongi, Shibuya-ku T 03 5771 5511; Roppongi
station; map pp.90-91. One of the quirkiest karaoke
bars in the city - some rooms feature hot tubs, others
could function as (or seem to be modelled on) film sets,
and a few can fit almost 100 people inside. Not cheap
- expect to throw down a few thousand yen per head.
Daily 5pm-5am.

16

CLUBS
A handful of clubs seem to weather the vagaries of fashion, but generally the ever-eclectic Tokyo scene seems to be moving
away from major events in big spaces to more intimate nights in smaller bars where a DJ may have a particular following.
The main clubbing regions are Roppongi and Shibuya. Local DJs to look out for are Ken Ishii, well known for his techno sets;
the hard-house-loving Ko Kimura; expat Brit Mike McKenna, an award-winner who spins house and breakbeats; and the
hip-hop maestro Krash.

It's out by Tokyo Bay, but there's a free shuttle bus here from
Shibuya - check the website for details and make sure you
turn up at least half an hour before you want to depart to
get a ticket to board the bus. Men ¥3500, women ¥3000.
Usually Fri & Sat only.

ESSENTIALS
Prices and times Cover charges are typically ¥2500-
3500, usually including your first drink; the majority of
venues don't really get going until after 11pm, especially at
weekends, with most staying open until around 4am.
Information Check listings magazines and online
resources before heading out to see what's on; most major
clubs post their schedules online. The W iflyer.jp website
provides a good overview of the clubbing scene, and offers
discount from the cover charge at some venues.

AKASAKA AND ROPPONGI
Alife 1-7-2 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku T 03 5785 2531,
W e-alife.net; Roppongi station; map pp.90-91. The
ground-floor café-bar of this large club is a good place to chill
out after you've worked up a sweat to the house and techno
being spun for the large dancefloor below. There's a fantastic
wall mural outside that's worth a look even if you don't go
inside. Men ¥3000, women ¥2000. Usually Fri & Sat only.
Bullets ϒϨπ B1F Kasumi Bldg, 1-7-11 Nishi-Azabu,
Minato-ku T 03 3401 4844, W bul-lets.com; Roppongi

BAYSIDE TOKYO
Ageha Ξήϋ Studio Coast, 2-2-10 Shin-Kiba, Kōtō-ku
T 03 5534 2525, W ageha.com; Shin-Kiba station; map
p.81. Ultra-cool mega-club with an outdoor pool, body-
trembling sound system and roster of high-profile events.