27 year old female. Where should I stay in Tokyo??
 

Hi everyone. Just booked my flight to Japan for late May into early June. I plan on spending about 5 days in Tokyo. I can't decide where I should stay. I'd definitely like to stay close to some great nightlife. I'm from NY, so nightlife is important to me.

Do you recommend Roppongi? Shibuya? Shinjuku? I hear all three attract a young crowd at night.

Also, how late do bars and clubs typically close in Tokyo?

Domo arigato!! :pinksong:

Law says all bars and clubs must be closed until 0AM. But many bars & clubs are open even after the sunrise.

Your first question is so broad that I can't answer.

Your second question; In my experience, the typical clubs like Gaspanic/Atom/Camelot normally kick us out between 2 and 3 AM. Plenty of bars and things like that are open all night because the trains stop from midnight to 5 so people have to do something if they're stuck in Shibuya/Roppongi/etc.

The Club i went to in Shibuya closed around 6 am, so it seems to depend on where you go.

Personally i didn´t like Roppongi because its a mainly foreign crowd and you will be the "target" off all kind of "come to our bar", "come here its all you can drink",.... i hate that. If you don´t mind that than Roppongi might be a good place, but i dont recommend it. In most other areas people will just leave you alone because they asume you don´t speak Japanese or entirely target Japanese people. Roppongi is the place many expats go for a night out and the Japanese people there usually speak some English and/or are interested in foreigners and foreign culture.

Shinjuku is busy at night but its more a place for host bars and massage parlours than clubs. Its fun to walk trough one night anyway and do some people watching.

Shibuya has a Area with quite a few clubs but mainly has a japanese crowd, so its your choice where to go. Check some online sources or a lonely planet to see whats possible.


And don´t forget that after 00:30 it will get really difficult to get to another Area without an expensive Taxi, so you might want to stay, lets say 2 days around Roppongi and 3 days around Shibuya if you want to see different places every nigth.

Avoid Roppongi at night unless you're in a group and even then opt for somewhere else.

It comes across as sleazy and not in a Times Square 70's vibe cool sleazy.

With the Japanese you know what to expect, with ex pats ... it's a variable I'd rather not have "in the mix" so to speak.

Is it safe to assume you are not looking for gaijin bars?

Shinjuku is your red light district as it applies to Tokyo

Shibuya is like SoHo

Roppongi is like the worst of the Lower East Side and the Meat Packing district (after it's heyday)

Thanks, everyone. Sounds like I'll try to stay in Shibuya. I'll obviously check out the scene in the other districts, but won't stick around them past midnight.

What are gaijin bars? Haha.

Also, what's the deal with taxis? Are the fares metered? Or can the driver take advantage of foreigners and charge whatever they want?

Gaijin bars are run by ex-pats i.e. me and you. Gaijin is what you are in Japan, an outsider.

Cabs are just freaking expensive period for everyone :D

I walked from Shinjuku through Shibuya to Roppongi and it took me roughly 2 hours so they are pretty close.

Also you have to check out the Prada store in Shibuya :eek: