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.
Address: 3-10-2 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022
Womb in Tokyo's Shibuya is the four-floor electronic club anchoring the Maruyama-cho cluster since 2000. International techno and house headliners, mirror-ball main room.
Tip: Doors typically 23:00. Bring photo ID, smart casual, cash for cover. The Friday Womb Adventure series is the technical-techno regular.
Sound Museum Vision in Tokyo's Dogenzaka spreads four rooms across a Shibuya basement. The Gaia main floor pushes one of the loudest rigs in the city for international DJ tours.
Tip: Cover usually 3,000-4,000 yen with a flyer or guestlist. Photo ID required, no shorts or sandals.
Aoyama Hachi in Tokyo sits on a four-storey building between Shibuya and Aoyama, each floor a different colour and genre. Underground, intimate, marked its 30th year in 2025.
Tip: One of the smallest underground clubs in Tokyo, three floors plus a rooftop. Smart casual, photo ID required, cover varies.
Solfa in Tokyo's Nakameguro is the basement bar-lounge club that opened in 2008. RCF Italian rig, capacity around 100, the local underground room for house and techno residents.
Tip: Tiny dance floor, around 100 capacity. Cover 2,500-3,500 yen, photo ID needed. Reservations via the official site for headline nights.
Circus Tokyo in Shibuya is the compact basement room opened in 2015 as the Tokyo arm of Osaka's Club Circus. Serious-music programming, often international touring techno bookings.
Tip: 20 and over only, smart casual. Cover 2,000-3,500 yen depending on lineup, doors usually 22:00. Limited capacity, queue early for big names.
Blue Note Tokyo in Aoyama is the 300-seat sister room of the New York club, open since 1988. Two sets a night of international jazz, soul, and R&B with hotel-grade service.
Tip: Two seatings nightly, table service with a music charge plus food and drink minimum. Book the early set for sound, late set for atmosphere.