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Nightlife in Japan

Tokyo is huge city and has a suitably impressive nightlife, as do all of the bigger cities. Shibuya is home to some fantastic clubs and features DJs and music both Japanese and western. Entrance prices vary but expect to spend around 2-3000 yen (£10-15) with your first drink included. Bars and Izakayas come to life all over the cities in the evenings and present themselves in neon to the drinker, although it is worth checking whether there will be a seating charge before plonking yourself down: this can be expensive. Roppongi in Tokyo is a nocturnal mayhem of bars, clubs and the like catering for foreigners and Japanese looking to let their hair down.

OUR USERS SAY... "The nightlife is great, the Japanese are the most friendly people in the world and seem to love practising their English on Westerners! We didn’t make any Japanese friends to go out with though because each in turn they would get trolleyed and go home. The Japanese don't seem to be able to hold their drink very well!" - Stef Marianski Click here >> to read more

Likewise, the Namba and Shinsaibashi areas of Osaka provide an excellent variety of clubs, bars and places to venture in pursuit of a good night out. Too many to mention here, but check the excellent Metropolis for weekly English advice on where best to go and what to do in Tokyo and Kansai Time Out for similar listings in Osaka, Kyoto and around.

Wherever you happen to be, chances are you will be able to occupy yourself and have fun for the night. Bars and Izakayas tend to remain open into the early hours and you won’t have long to wait until the first train. Alternatively one of the national pastimes, Karaoke, is a lot more fun than it sounds and offers individual rooms to groups, alleviating the fear of making an idiot of yourself in front of strangers. Karaoke, like some bars, offers the wonderful Nomi-hodai system where a set price allows you all beverages you can consume. For the drinker this represents excellent value for money and makes you wonder how these places can operate profitably.

Click here >> for Metropolis Magazine.

Click here >> for Kansai Time Out.