Tokyo doesn’t shut down when the last trains leave. The city certainly becomes quieter after midnight, and plenty of bars close before 2am. But in the major nightlife districts, particularly Shinjuku, Shibuya and Roppongi, there are still places serving drinks well into the early morning. The important part is knowing where to go. After 2am … Read more
Tokyo is a city that changes completely after dark. A quiet restaurant street can turn into a lively drinking district, tiny bars fill with people finishing work, and neon-lit neighbourhoods stay busy long after the last trains have departed. But where you stay matters just as much as where you go out. Book a hotel … Read more
Tokyo looks completely different after dark. From street level, the city can feel almost overwhelming, with crowded crossings, narrow restaurant streets and railway lines disappearing between enormous buildings. Travel a few dozen floors above it, however, and those same streets become part of an extraordinary landscape of lights. A drink overlooking Tokyo Tower is a … Read more
Tokyo does luxury drinking differently. In Ginza, some of the world’s most respected bartenders work behind understated counters, preparing cocktails with a level of care usually associated with fine dining. Elsewhere, five-star hotels offer spectacular views, rare spirits and beautifully designed rooms where the setting is as memorable as the drinks. The most expensive bar … Read more
Tokyo has no shortage of excellent bars. What makes the city particularly interesting, though, is how different one drinking experience can be from the next. You could order a cocktail inspired by your favourite film, settle into a historic Ginza bar once frequented by Japanese writers, or spend an evening listening to carefully selected vinyl … Read more
Tokyo has one of the world’s most fascinating jazz scenes, but discovering it isn’t always as straightforward as finding a bar with a saxophone on the sign. Some of the city’s finest performances happen in small basement rooms where the musicians are only a few feet from the audience. Elsewhere, internationally celebrated artists play elegant … Read more
Tokyo has a remarkable talent for hiding exceptional bars in places you would never think to look. Behind what appears to be a coffee shop, there might be an intimate cocktail lounge. A wall of coin lockers could conceal a staircase leading underground. In an ordinary office building, a lift might take you to one … Read more
Tokyo has two very different nightlife rhythms. One begins in the early evening, when office workers crowd into izakayas and tiny drinking alleys. The other gets going much later, when DJs take over Shibuya’s clubs and the streets of Shinjuku remain busy long after the trains have stopped. Knowing the best time to go out … Read more
Tokyo and Osaka are Japan’s two biggest nightlife destinations, but a night out feels surprisingly different in each city. Tokyo gives you far more choice. One evening can mean tiny bars in Shinjuku, cocktails in Ginza, clubs in Shibuya or a late-night meal in a narrow yokocho. The trade-off is scale: nightlife is spread across … Read more
Japanese whisky has gone from a relatively niche category to one of the most sought-after styles of whisky in the world. But choosing a bottle in Japan isn’t as simple as buying the most expensive Yamazaki you can find. Some famous bottles are difficult to find at sensible prices, newer Japanese distilleries are producing excellent … Read more