Bar Bonobo in Tokyo's Jingumae is a two-storey old house behind Harajuku with vintage Altec speakers and a David Mancuso rotary mixer. Tatami second floor, rooftop terrace.
Tip: Mid-week is quietest; weekend nights run late with guest DJs. Drinks from 800 yen, cover only on featured events.
Address: 2-23-4 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
Bar Music in Tokyo's Shibuya is DJ Tomoaki Nakamura's 5th-floor listening room. Jazz to Brazilian, well-curated wine, espresso coolers from his own Hiroshima beans.
Tip: Records on the wall are for sale; if a track catches you ask the price. Quiet conversation OK, low volume preferred.
Albatross G in Tokyo's Golden Gai is the goth-leaning bar on the 5th alley, chandeliers and taxidermy, three small floors, English-friendly. The white sign reads ALBATROSS.
Tip: Seating fee 500-700 yen, drinks from 600 yen. The roof floor is the quietest; arrive before 22:00 for a stool.
Death Match in Hell in Golden Gai is the metal-and-horror bar covered wall-to-wall in posters, VHS, and figures. Owner Go speaks English and runs B-grade horror on the TVs.
Tip: No cover charge; drinks 600-900 yen. Six seats; if it's full, walk the alley and try the next door.
La Jetee in Tokyo's Golden Gai has been Tomoyo Kawai's eight-seat film-buff bar for four-plus decades. Named for Chris Marker, French-speaking host, Tarantino and Wenders regulars.
Tip: Cover charge applies; cash only. Climb the narrow stairs to the second floor at Hanazono 3-ban-gai; tiny room, expect to share.
The Open Book in Tokyo's Golden Gai is Kai Tanaka's lemon-sour specialist on the 5th alley, opened 2015. Books wall-to-wall from the owner's late grandfather, no signboard.
Tip: The signature lemon sour uses Hiroshima lemons and brown sugar shochu. No cover, cash easiest; six seats, walk-in only.
Donzoko in Tokyo's Shinjuku Sanchome is the dive izakaya bar that opened in 1951. Mishima and Kurosawa drank here; the Showa-era counter and side rooms run late on cheap highballs.
Tip: Cash easiest; the sake menu is the move, ask for a tokkuri pairing. Tucked off Suehiro Street, look for the small lantern.