Patrick Balfe

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

It’s been a huge year for Australian electro-pop outfit Confidence Man. After releasing their third album, 3AM (La La La), in October 2024, they have toured the UK, Ireland, Canada and the US, including a DJ set at Coachella’s Do LaB stage. Now, following the release of the remix album 5 AM (La La La), they’re heading to Japan. Ahead of their appearance at Fuji Rock, we caught up with vocalists Janet Planet and Sugar Bones to hear more about what they’ve been up to and what to expect from their set. 3AM (La La La) is your first album since moving to London in May 2023. How has the move influenced your writing? Janet Planet: Being exposed to the music culture here [in the UK] definitely shaped it. Even touring here a few years ago, I remember seeing [British electronic duo] Orbital. I was like, ‘Who are these dudes?’ That was part of the reason we wanted to move here in the first place, hanging out with all these people doing amazing stuff that doesn’t really make sense in Australia. There’s not that connection to rave culture back home. Sugar Bones: Day-to-day life here [in London] is just so much more energised. There’s people everywhere and there’s just shit going on all the time. You can feel the energy that comes with that. Being in a big city gives you a boost, and that creeps into the music. The remix album 5AM (La La La), which came out in mid-April, has remixes from American artists like Fcukers and Australian artists like King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. What influe

Moonstep is just about as synonymous with Nakano’s live music scene as you can get. Like the neighbourhood itself, the venue boasts a laid-back, unpretentious vibe that has a way of making you feel at home, and its wooden floors and low ceilings feel strangely familiar. The space is split into two levels, with a small live room downstairs and a relatively roomy bar area upstairs. The Moonstep team regularly collaborates with independent labels and promoters, and more often than not, you’ll see supportive locals make it out early for the opening artists. The downstairs room fits around 100 and has a surprisingly punchy sound system. With most of the crowd moving to the front of the room for the bands, the modest height of the stage adds an extra layer of intimacy to the homey live house. Even at the height of summer, the entire venue somehow achieves just the right temperature and, despite its punk-rock aesthetic, lacks the sticky floors and indelible odours typically associated with establishment like it.  Up the creaky stairwell, the multi-purpose pub area has a long bar counter, a DJ booth, merch tables and affordable drinks. The staff and crowd are all friendly, and the venue feels more like a destination than the kind of place where you buy one drink, watch a band and leave. As the bands wrap up downstairs, Moonstep will usually have DJs and producers performing upstairs into the night. So grab a drink, stick around and make some new friends.

For nearly 45 years, Bauhaus has answered the age-old question, ‘What if a bar was run by musicians who all shred really, really hard?’ As you walk into the Roppongi venue, you’ll pay for your ticket, be shown to your seat, buy a drink from the bar, and before you know it, everyone you just interacted with will be absolutely crushing it on stage. It’s kind of like a plush rock n’ roll lounge bar where the staff are the stars of the show. The bar has a menu of over 200 classic rock and pop tracks that the staff know like the back of their respective dexterous hands. And, as you’re seated, you’ll be provided a copy of the track list and a piece of paper to write requests on. The room has around five booths, 10 tables, and some of the most elaborate production you’ve seen for a venue of its size – think huge columns of smoke, lasers, and crystal-clear sound. They’ve got a pretty good food and drink menu, too, with pizza, buffalo wings, nachos and signature cocktails. Each night features five 30-minute sets, with just the right amount of banter and crowd engagement in English and Japanese. If you’re into any classic rock or pop from the last five decades, you’re pretty much guaranteed to hear more than a handful of your favourite tracks. Despite the ostensibly corny nature of the whole premise, Bauhaus manages to pull it off without coming off as cheesy. It knows exactly what it’s doing and manages to do it with all the earnest flair of a 10-minute extended ‘Free Bird’ solo.

Blast beats, pig squeals and spontaneous circle pits, Bushbash’s live room couldn’t contrast more with the tranquil Showa-era shopping street just outside its doors. Near Koiwa Station in Tokyo’s easternmost Edogawa ward, Bushbash has been keeping the area’s music scene alive since 2009. Bushbash was opened after the closure of local venue eM7 by some of the latter’s former staff with a policy emphasising inclusivity, tolerance and respect. Since then, it’s built a name for itself as a go-to venue for hardcore, metal, punk, hip hop and experimental artists. The same team also runs a record label that distributes albums and mixtapes from local artists as well as its own zine and merch. The wood cabin-like live room sits to the right of a spacious lounge area, which also serves as a dancefloor, merch stand and place to rest your eardrums and grab a drink between bands. The live room fits around 100 and is serviced by speakers that can only be described as unconscionably large for a space of this size. In contrast, the lighting is decidedly modest, with four hanging bulbs and two tiny spots aimed at the stage. Just enough to make sure you can see the band – and any stray limbs that come your way when the pit suddenly opens up. At the bar, drinks are reasonably priced, averaging around ¥600 to ¥700, and the selection generally includes a range of craft beers, sake, shochu, sours and cocktails. Bring earplugs.

As two of Shimokitazawa’s most stalwart music venues, it’s hard not to mention the neighbouring Basement Bar and Three in the same breath. Shimokita is home to countless small, underground indie venues, but few have been as significant to the district’s music scene as these two local institutions. Set below a liquor store and a doctor’s clinic in a nondescript building on Chazawa Dori, the twin venues’ cheap rental fees and liberal booking policies have made both staples of the city’s ‘live house’ circuit. While Basement Bar has a slightly heavier rock-oriented bent, both venues feature a variety of up-and-coming domestic and international artists. Basement Bar will be the first spot you see as you head down the stairs. At a capacity of around 200 and little more than a bar and a corner stage, the venue has an unassuming charm that ensures nothing pulls focus from the artists performing. With cheap drinks, upbeat staff and a packed schedule of indie, punk and rock music, you can pretty much wander in on any night of the week and discover your new favourite local band. Down the hall, you’re likely to hear Three on your left before you reach it. As you pass the smoking corner behind the door, you’ll notice a small bar on your right and a narrow lounge area stretching out towards the stage on your left. More segmented than Basement Bar, Three often hosts events that feature DJs in the lounge and live acts on stage. The venue has limited sight lines, so you’ll need to pack into

Gamers and horror movie buffs alike are gearing up for the release of one of this summer’s most interesting-looking Japanese flicks: Exit 8, the film adaptation of the cult indie game The Exit 8. The original game, released in May 2023, quickly developed a huge following. Transcending language barriers with its use of psychological tension and the liminal space aesthetic, it’s since received millions of downloads globally as well as numerous awards, and spawned a genre of ‘Exit 8-likes’. For the uninitiated, here’s a quick intro. In The Exit 8, players must navigate their way through a seemingly endless Tokyo subway corridor, spotting ‘anomalies’ along the way. As the rules of the game state, ‘Do not overlook anything out of the ordinary. If you see an anomaly, turn back immediately. If you don’t, continue forward. Only leave through Exit 8.’ Armed with a simple premise and minimalist gameplay, the game has enthralled a legion of fans for its ability to incite paranoia, claustrophobia and introspection. Its creator, the enigmatic Kotake Create, has since gone on to become a freelance developer and produce a popular sequel entitled Platform 8. Typically straying from public attention, Kotake Create has remained fairly stoic about his success, but has admitted that he’s happy his idea has pioneered a genre. The film adaptation has already garnered rave reviews from critics. Screened to a sold-out crowd of 2,300 during the Cannes Festival’s coveted Midnight Screening programme

Bicycles are everywhere in Tokyo, but how to make the city truly bike-friendly remains a matter of often heated debate. Constructive or not, part of the conversation has long revolved around tougher penalties on unsafe biking – and that’s exactly what all of Japan will be getting from next year. The country’s new fine system for minor cycling infractions will take effect from April 1 2026. The introduction of this ‘blue ticket’ system was originally approved last October, when the national government announced revisions to the road traffic law. Seeing red Those changes, which went into effect in November, essentially introduced criminal penalties for violations such as riding under the influence of alcohol and using a mobile phone while cycling, classifying these as ‘red ticket’ offences. Previously, only 20 such specified offences existed for major criminal violations, such as higher-level intoxication while cycling. There were no specific penalties for lesser infractions, and most incidents resulted in warnings. As we reported last year, following the November 2024 revisions, general mobile phone use while cycling can now result in up to six months imprisonment or a ¥100,000 fine. Causing an accident as a result of using a mobile phone while cycling can result in up to one year in prison or a fine of ¥300,000. Similarly, cycling under the influence (with a breath alcohol concentration of 0.15 milligram per litre or more) can now result in jail time and up to ¥500,000 in fi

With just under five weeks until next month’s festivals kick off in Tokyo and Osaka, the Summer Sonic 2025 timetables are here. As we’ve come to expect from the organisers at Creativeman, this year’s line-up is a mixed bag of pop, rock, electronic and hip hop, with a healthy dose of nostalgia thrown in for good measure. Despite a shaky start to international performer bookings, over 150 artists are now confirmed for both cities (if you count those appearing at Tokyo’s Sonicmania), and we’ve been given plenty of time to organise ourselves. So, let’s take a look at this year’s Tokyo timetable – and pack a couple of bottles of Aquarius – as we plan for a sweaty weekend in Chiba next month. Day 1 – Saturday August 16 Saturday kicks off with South Korean boy band Kickflip on the Pacific Stage at 10.30am and J-Pop group Sixtones opening the Marine Stage at 11am. Around the same time, this year’s showcase performance winners, Docka and Suiheisen, will open the Sonic and Spotify stages, respectively. Photo: Summer Sonic FestivalLiSA Over at the Mountain Stage, Nagoya rock duo Kuroyume will get things going at 11.30am, shortly before LiSA – who anime fans know from Demon Slayer and Sword Art Online – heads to Marine Stage around midday. Pop artist Juju is programming Saturday’s Beach Stage this year, which opens with Osaka’s Pushim at 1.55pm. The same stage also features performances from New York alternative hip hop pioneers Digable Planets and multi-hyphenate artist Common later i

The wait is over: Fuji Rock Festival organisers have published the official timetable for 2025. The announcement comes after a big two weeks of final line-up drops for each of the four major stages: Green Stage, Red Marquee, White Stage, and Field of Heaven. Also announced today was the introduction of the brand-new Orange Echo stage and this year’s Rookie A Go Go showcasing artists. With 12 stages and over 200 acts performing, including headliners like Fred Again, Tatsuro Yamashita, Haim and Vampire Weekend, there was bound to be a handful of clashes for eager festival-goers – but it looks like organisers have tried to mitigate some of the worst overlaps this year. Photo: Fuji Rock FestivalTatsuro Yamashita The Pyramid Garden Yoga workshop will be kicking off the festival at 8.30am on Friday, with Finnish five-piece US opening the Green Stage at 11am. Conversely, for anyone looking to start the day with a manic bang, Kyoto’s Otoboke Beaver will be opening the White Stage at 12.10pm, and Ecca Vandal will follow them up on the same stage shortly after. Photo: Fuji Rock FestivalOtoboke Beaver Tokyo-based hardcore outfit Brahman will take to the Green Stage from 3pm, with Ichiko Aoba performing at the Red Marquee from 4pm. Headlining the Green Stage on Friday night are Vaundy at 7pm and Fred Again at 9.10pm. Photo: Fuji Rock FestivalVaundy Heading up the Red Marquee and White stages on Friday night are OK GO, Suchmos, Perfume Genius and Tycho. Hiroko Yamamura will be closi

It’s safe to say that Japan is a pretty hot destination right now. The country enjoyed a record-breaking first quarter for inbound tourism, with a whopping 3.5 million foreign travellers recorded in March alone – makes sense since we think we saw at least 90 percent of those tourists across Tokyo’s sakura spots just a few weeks ago. To meet surging demand, driven in no small part by the Osaka Expo and expected to result in a total figure of 40.2 million visitors in 2025 – a 9-percent increase from last year – airlines are ramping up flight services between Japan and both the US and Europe. Japanese carriers ANA and JAL, along with Alaska Airlines and British Airways, are among those increasing their passenger offerings. Photo: Tango Tsuttie/UnsplashAn undated stock photo of a Japan Airlines flight JAL is making significant increases to its routes in North America and Asia. Additional services will include those between Tokyo Narita and Chicago O’Hare airports from late May. Last operated in March 2023, this route will complement the daily services already running between Chicago O’Hare and Haneda. Further west, JAL will increase its San Diego to Narita flights from four weekly to daily. Notably, JAL is also introducing two new Airbus A350-1000s, which will debut on the Haneda–Paris route in May and the Haneda–Los Angeles route in summer. Photo: Teddy Leung/DreamstimeStock photo of Haneda Airport Over at ANA, three new Haneda–Europe routes have been added since December. T