George Matsuo

For performers and punters alike, Tokyo has a rare combination of quantity and quality when it comes to live music venues. Great sound? Attentive crowds? Finished in time to catch the last train home? Check, check, check. Across the city, there’s a more than healthy mix of sticky-floored punk bars, intimate indie venues, hushed folk joints and stalwart metal institutions catering to, collaborating with and upholding their local communities. What they all have in common is their focus on the music. Compact and intimate, Tokyo’s independent ‘live houses’ are a place to take in the performance rather than drink 10 beers and yell over it. From the staff behind the scenes to the enthusiastic fan at the front of the stage, the band on stage is front of mind.  Once the gig is over, chances are you’ll have time to head out and explore the neighbourhood, grab some food and still make the last train.  With countless venues to choose from, you don’t have to go far to find your new favourite haunt. So check out some of ours below, then head out, buy a drink and support the local community. RECOMMENDED: Best record stores with bars in Tokyo

Tokyo never stops. The world’s greatest city pulsates with energy whatever the hour, changing ceaselessly, always offering up something new to discover and relish. To help you make the most of the capital’s relentless abundance, we’ve put in many all-dayers and all-nighters to deliver a round-the-clock guide that puts you right on Tokyo time. Below you’ll find all you need to plan an unforgettable 24 hours in the city, from wolfing down a bowl of super-fresh seafood before sunrise to embarking on an all-night indie club crawl or soaking in an open-air hot spring at 3am. It’s time to pound that convenience store energy drink, hit the streets and discover the capital in all its dynamic glory. RECOMMENDED: Need a cool place to crash? Check out these unconventional Tokyo hotels

Daniel Lopatin, aka Oneohtrix Point Never (OPN), returns with a brand new record titled Tranquilizer, which earned a spot on Pitchfork’s ‘Best New Music’ list. The new sound, derived from an elusive set of commercial sample CDs, captures the ephemeral and fickle nature of internet archives. In the same way bookmarked content suddenly disappears one day only to resurface in another place, songs from Tranquilizer stretch and bend, stutter and dissipate; pushing the project beyond the ambient category. It’s a big, moody, orchestral, sonic massage for your brain and soul. With the album’s release approaching on November 21, OPN has announced that he will return to Japan with a new live set in collaboration with artist Freeka Tet in charge of visuals. This is sure to be a masterclass act in both experimental sound and visual design. General sale starts November 21 at 10am.

On a quiet street in Hatsudai, Machilda catches the eye with its red-framed door and window lined with empty wine bottles, hinting at the six-seat bistro inside. The kitchen is barely bigger than the counter, yet it turns out a playful mix of French-inspired small plates and Japanese sensibility. True to its name – a pun on owner Machida-san’s own – Machilda is both personal and whimsical, a place where natural wine, house-infused spirits (like pineapple white-rum or kumquat gin) and seasonal bites meet. The addictive nori peanuts – crunchy shells wrapped in seaweed – are made for pairing with a drink. Tangy cumin-marinated cabbage offers crunch and brightness, while potatoes with olive tapenade take on an earthy edge with a scattering of Sichuan peppercorns. Potato salad, pork rillettes and marinated olives also make reliable companions. To linger longer, order a plate of prosciutto, salami, dried fruits and daily cheeses. Among the heartier dishes, the hayashi rice stands out. The demi-glace is rich and savoury, studded with beef and onions, then crowned with a creamy omelette just shy of runny. Equally compelling is the mushroom and blue cheese gratin, a bubbling, funky dish perfect for bread-dipping. Dessert doesn’t disappoint either: a classic custard pudding with a bitter caramel sauce – an ideal finisher.  While prices aren’t steep, all those small plates can add up – Machilda is best enjoyed as a spot to graze with a friend or date, tasting broadly rather than filling

Even within Tokyo’s notoriously austere ramen community, Mintei is considered one of the legends; it’s blessed the streets of Shimokitazawa for over 60 years. This mythical machi chuka – a subgenre of Chinese food deeply ingrained in neighbourhoods and often family-run – is best known for its pink fried rice, variety of ramen and brilliant store motto. Said slogan hangs on a little sign beside the door and reads: ‘The world’s third best tasting. Number 1 is your mother’s cooking. Number 2 is the taste of your old man’s shins’ (an expression meaning living off one’s father’s money). ‘Number 3 is the taste of Mintei’s noodles.’ That should tell you all you need to know. On the ground floor is their massive, lab-like kitchen lined with iron woks and counter seats that wrap around its entirety. Upstairs is a tatami room with low tables, leather floor cushions and colourful beer crates lining the wall. If you opt for upstairs, the food comes up in an old-fashioned dumbwaiter, which is always fun. The menu is expansive – so many regional specials are executed well – but the no-brainer order is the half-fried rice, half-ramen set for ¥1,100. Their famed fried rice gets its pink hue from the char siu marinade and is basically flawless: aromatic and oily, yet dry enough that you can taste each individual grain of rice along with the bits of fried egg scattered throughout each bite. Their ramen is equally fantastic, featuring a clear shoyu pork broth with thin, firm noodles topped with

Dogenzaka is a hub for nightlife, touristy late-night bites and love hotels. In such a central area with a slightly seedy reputation, the last thing you’d expect is an eatery applying French techniques to Chinese cuisine. And yet, in all its glory, there’s Kamera. Opened by owner and chef Tsuyoshi Kametani, the restaurant aims to serve a variety of shumai and oolong highballs – a combination you don’t hear every day. There are three main teas to choose from: Taiwan Four Seasons Spring Tea, Phoenix Dancong Tea and Wuyi Rock Tea. Each varies in hue and aroma, with distinct notes that drink as smoothly as water and are worth comparing side by side. To start, we recommend the dried tofu and spring chrysanthemum namul and the homemade salted kelp cucumber. Chef Kametani prides himself on not using any artificial seasonings, instead relying on French techniques to bring out the natural flavours of ingredients – and these appetizers speak for themselves. Keep that in mind as you bite into the summer roll, packed with chicken, carrots, shiso, ginger, green onion, and thinly sliced orange for brightness. Dip it into their tangy sesame sauce, and you won’t see summer rolls the same way again. When it comes to dim sum, start with the Yamagata pork shumai, topped with a semi-dried tomato and a jam-like layer underneath that’s pure concentrated umami. The aged lamb and black rice dumpling marries the richness of lamb with the chewiness of black rice, while the steamed shrimp shumai overfl

Set beneath the faded awning of an old 100-yen shop, Alley Cats brings a fresh dose of diner culture to Yutenji. From 8am to 3pm, six days a week, it serves smash burgers, avocado toast and breakfast plates with a rare kind of finesse. Chef-owner Tetsuya Sonoda opened the spot in May 2023 after spending 14 years at Nakameguro’s cult burger joint Golden Brown. The dining room is bright and relaxed: high ceilings, a long counter, and easy chatter between staff and regulars. The energy is casual but youthful, fuelled in part by the buzz Alley Cats has recently enjoyed on social media. By the weekend, the queue spills into the street.  Start with the avocado toast. Thick milk bread, both crusty and pillowy, comes layered with generous slices of avocado fanned out. Beneath, a silky pumpkin puree adds unexpected depth, amplifying the richness. Crushed nuts, sesame seeds and a dusting of spice give the dish some texture. On the side is a kale salad dressed in a bright, cumin-laced balsamic vinaigrette and topped with slivers of almond – a clean, zesty counterpart to the toast’s richness. But the burger is where Alley Cats really shines. The patty comes smashed to a perfect crust, juicy without being greasy, tucked into a bun that holds together bite after bite. Order it straight or try the signature Alley Cats burger: a molten blue cheese and mushroom sauce with pickle chips to cut through the richness. No matter how you play it, there are no wrong answers here. To dodge the lines,

It’s long been known that fried foods and white wine pair beautifully. But I didn’t fully understand the magic of that combination until I discovered Tenki, a restaurant dedicated entirely to tempura and white wine. Located on the second floor, Tenki’s walls are practically made of windows, overlooking a quiet Shibuya side street. The layout centres on an open kitchen, surrounded by bar stools that invite diners to watch the chefs at work or strike up conversation with neighbours. Their wine list leans surprisingly Portuguese – crisp, low-alcohol bottles with bright acidity that cut cleanly through the richness of fried morsels. Once drinks are settled, the meal unfolds like an omakase. You can order à la carte, but the seasonal tasting menu is the best way to experience what they do. We opted for the eight-course set, which began with a warming flute of dashi soup – a lesson in umami depth and restraint, and the perfect way to wake up the palate. Next came three assorted seasonal appetisers: poached chicken with salsa verde and Genovese sauce, deep-fried eggplant soaked in a light shiitake broth with sesame and yogurt tahini, and butternut squash tofu drizzled with olive oil and flaky salt. The rotation of flavours was a dream, but the tofu was it – silky and savoury, like an umami-rich panna cotta. Then came a carrot tempura, wrapped in nori like a hand roll. As unusual as it sounds, it was earthy, crisp and tender all at once, preserving the carrot’s natural sweetness. Nex

Just a seven-minute walk from Monzen-Nakacho Station sits Kamabisu, a counter-only izakaya operated by Toranomon Distillery. Established in 2020, the distillery produces a wide range of craft gins, including an exclusive series made with seasonal botanicals. Bottles line the counter at Kamabisu, inviting guests to taste and compare the fascinating spectrum of Japanese gin. While the menu is designed to pair with gin or shochu, they also offer excellent non-alcoholic drinks made with seasonal fruits. The evening begins with otoshi, the small appetiser served at the start of an izakaya meal. On our visit, Kamabisu’s version included two dishes: a chilled soy milk soup with nori, and a fig topped with creamy cheese and crushed nuts. Right away, their ryokan-level attention to detail is apparent. Even the otoshi – often treated as an afterthought – is plated with care and intention. And two dishes feels notably generous. We then ordered the coriander chicken, homemade fried potatoes, and nikudango – a steamed, delicately soft pork meatball mixed with bits of mushroom. Come autumn, their Hokkaido Pacific saury grilled salad is an absolute must. The grilled fish is deboned and spread with a mushroom paste, then laid over a bed of lettuce, tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, marinated eggplant and daikon radish, finished with dill and a squeeze of sudachi citrus.  Next came the maguro wrapped in seaweed, but instead of rice, the rolls were filled with cucumber and wild yam, accented with s

Ippe Koppe is a Tokyo-born tonkatsu and curry specialist with locations in neighbourhoods like Tomihisacho and Akihabara. The name comes from the Kagoshima dialect, meaning ‘a lot’ – a fitting description of their generous portions and full-bodied flavours. The restaurant takes pride in using Specific-Pathogen-Free (SPF) Bunabuta pork, raised free of designated harmful pathogens in Ibaraki prefecture. This premium meat is known for its tenderness and the natural sweetness of its fat. The cutlets are fried in pure lard, rendered from pork back fat, which is considered the ideal oil for tonkatsu. The result is a nutty, rich exterior that enhances the flavour of the meat without overwhelming it. Their curry roux is made in-house with a proprietary spice blend, aromatic vegetables and generous amounts of shredded pork. It’s smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced to complement – not compete with – the fried cutlet’s flavour. Menus vary slightly by location, but staples include loin cutlet curry, fillet cutlet curry and premium options like rib roast and chuck roast cutlets. You’ll also find set meals that spotlight the pork on its own, without curry. The dining experience is straightforward: pay at the vending machine, hand your ticket to a server, and take a seat at one of six tables or the tiny two-seat counter. The space is minimal – no frills, no distractions, just good food. Expect steady foot traffic from locals and delivery drivers alike. And don’t be surprised if you leave f

One of the UK’s most beloved rock bands in recent years, Bar Italia comes to Tokyo to showcase their latest record, Some Like It Hot. Their new sound wields clashing guitars, dramatic strings and melancholic duets that stylistically call back to the annals of UK guitar rock. After releasing two albums on Dean Blunt’s label World Music, plus singles and EPs online, Bar Italia gained a cult following while remaining an enigmatic presence over London’s music scene. In Japan, they won the #1 spot on Big Love Records’ year-end chart, a globally recognised indie music source. In 2023 the band signed with Matador, all while touring sold-out shows and performing at major festivals like Glastonbury and Coachella. And this winter, they’re coming to Tokyo’s Liquidroom (and Osaka’s Shangri-La).

The Canadian indie band Men I Trust are masters of mood. Sonically, they traffic in dream pop with nostalgia-drenched synths, groovy basslines and angelic vocals. And yet there’s a certain commitment to R&B, jazz and funk that’s sure to have you swaying and crying simultaneously. The three-piece has consistently self-released their music, championing independence through commendable DIY efforts despite their enormous success. Their 2025 album Equus Caballus – longlisted for the 2025 Polaris Music Prize – is simply a testament to their strengths. Supporting their Japan tour is Mei Semones, a jazz-influenced indie act hailing from Brooklyn, New York. This is a match made in alt heaven – grab your tickets while you still can.

The breakout UK post-punk act Wet Leg made their introduction to the world through their buzzy debut single ‘Chaise Longue’. It was everywhere in 2021 – hard not to hear, cheeky, energetic and at times too reliant on double entendres, but a track that rightfully earned their spot in the UK big leagues. Three years after their self-titled album, they return with Moisturizer, a sophomore album that stays true to the formula of sweet deadpan vocals over rolling bass and four-on-the-floor beats while bringing more raw energy than before. These are songs that won’t keep you still, so the show is sure to be good cathartic fun.

With live shows often described as transcendental journeys, the Manchester duo Autechre returns to Tokyo for one night only. Their early work is reminiscent of the UK’s rave culture of the ’90s. If we're talking genre tags, it’s techno, experimental, glitch, ambient, Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) – but whatever you want to call it, the effects are mind-bendingly hypnotic. Think big swirling synths, amorphous sequences and erratic beats. Over the years, the duo has released fifteen studio albums, with Amber (1994), Tri Repetae (1995) and Confield (2001) frequently noted as their most impactful works. You can expect real heads in attendance, but even if you’ve never encountered Autechre, their show is sure to be one you will thank yourself for attending.