Hokage

Hokage is a gritty two-level basement venue specialising in punk, metal and rock, located in the heart of Amerikamura and running on the motto ‘every day is special, 365 days a year’. The venue’s gigs are about as close to the definition of ‘basement show’ as you can get.

The all-flat, stageless layout on the first level creates an atmosphere where the 80–120 capacity crowd and artists become one, while the bar and merch tables on the second level provide breathing space to decompress between sets. The venue occasionally hosts simultaneous events on both floors, with some shows – particularly their Sano Bar DJ nights – offered free of charge.

Entry fees range from ¥1,000 to ¥3,500 (including a drink ticket), the sound is deafeningly loud, and the aesthetic is pure no-frills basement. It’s a formula that has proven to work. Over its nearly two-decade run, Hokage has built a reputation as an Osaka institution for both quality local acts and touring bands of the more dissonant persuasion.