Bar Gold Finger in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ni-chome is the lesbian bar that anchors the queer-women scene. Retro decor, library corner of queer books, free popcorn at the bar.
Tip: Saturday nights are women-only; other nights mixed. No cover, drinks 700-1,000 yen, cash easiest.
Address: 2-12-11 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022
Bar Martha in Tokyo's Ebisu is the canonical vinyl listening bar: 6,000-record wall played on vintage Tannoy GRF speakers. No talk, no photos, no requests, just a chair and a whisky.
Tip: Cover charge plus a whisky-led menu. Strict no-conversation rule; arrive solo or in pairs and don't ask the bartender to skip a track.
JBS in Shibuya is short for Jazz, Blues, Soul. Master Kobayashi's 10,000-record library on a second-floor counter, no cover, single-malt Scotch, open most days.
Tip: No cover charge, rare for a Tokyo listening room. Cash and drinks at the bar; ask for a Kobayashi pick if you don't know where to start.
Meikyoku Kissa Lion in Tokyo's Shibuya is the classical-music kissa founded in 1926, rebuilt 1950 after the war. Custom three-metre wooden speakers, a no-talking rule, vintage pews.
Tip: Coffee and tea menu only, no liquor. Silence enforced; choose a pew facing the speakers and stay through a movement.
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.
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.