7 live music in Tokyo, editor-picked by TableJourney. All Tokyo nightlife.
Blue Note Tokyo ★ 4.7
Aoyama · 6-3-16 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
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.
Cotton Club ★ 4.6
Marunouchi · 2-7-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6402
Cotton Club in Tokyo's Marunouchi is Blue Note Japan's 180-seat sister room, open since 2005. Curated jazz, soul, and singer-songwriter bookings beside Tokyo Station.
Tip: Two sets nightly, music charge plus food and drink minimum. Reservations open about two months out via the Blue Note Japan site.
Billboard Live Tokyo ★ 4.5
Roppongi · 9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
Billboard Live Tokyo in Tokyo Midtown is the 4th-floor terrace dinner-show room. Three-tier seating, big-name pop, jazz, and rock tours from Japan and abroad.
Tip: Service area tables face the stage but cost more; casual cocktail seats further back are cheaper. Two sets nightly, reservations via the official site.
Shinjuku Pit Inn ★ 4.6
Shinjuku · 2-12-4 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022
Shinjuku Pit Inn is the basement jazz room running since 1965, the canonical Tokyo room for serious modern and free jazz. Two sets daily on a tight 100-seat counter.
Tip: Matinee at 14:30 is the bargain; evening set 19:30 is the marquee. Cash on the door, no reservations, no food.
Liquidroom ★ 4.5
Ebisu · 3-16-6 Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0011
Liquidroom in Tokyo's Ebisu is the 1,000-capacity live house that moved from Shinjuku in 2004. International indie, electronic, and alternative tours; the standing reference room.
Tip: Standing room only on the main floor; arrive 30 minutes early for the front rail. Time Out Cafe and Liquid Loft lounge on site for pre-show food.
Shinjuku Loft ★ 4.3
Kabukicho · 1-12-9 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0021
Shinjuku Loft in Tokyo's Kabukicho is the basement live house anchoring the Loft Project network. Indie rock, punk, and noise tours, a 25-plus-year Tokyo touchstone.
Tip: Standing room basement, doors usually 18:00 or 19:00 on weeknights. Bar at the back stays open through the set, cashless accepted.
Minami-Aoyama Mandala ★ 4.3
Aoyama · 3-2-2 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
Minami-Aoyama Mandala in Tokyo is the 80-seat basement room running since 1994. Jazz, folk, acoustic, and singer-songwriter sets in a low-ceilinged listening room.
Tip: Seated tables, two-drink minimum on most shows. Walk from Gaienmae exit 1A; small bar at the rear opens with doors.