Patrick Balfe

Updated August 2026: With the number of tattoo-friendly bathing establishments on the rise in Tokyo, we’ve given this list a thorough overhaul and added 6 new sento: Koganeyu Shinjuku, Kairyo-yu, Daikoku-yu (Nishihara), Teikoku-yu, Daikoku-yu (Oshiage) and Tsurunoyu. All the bathhouses featured below have been tried and tested by tattooed Time Out Tokyo editors and don’t require inked bathers to use seals or cover up with other means. Tattoos are still taboo when it comes to sento (communal bathhouse) culture in Japan. While they are seen as an expression of individuality in other parts of the world, Japanese society at large still equates this form of body art with the yakuza. Unless your tattoo is small enough to cover up, chances are you'll be refused entry — except at these ink-friendly bathhouses. RECOMMENDED: Best infinity onsen baths in Japan with spectacular views

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

Tokyo heavy-rock trio Looprider bring their third album to Koenji High for ‘Love: The Final’. The performance marks the end of the second leg of the band’s Love album tour. The April release introduced guitarist Tacchi and runs heavier and noisier than 2023’s Metamorphose, drawing on doom, stoner rock and hardcore. The bill includes shoegaze band Collapse, whose vocalist Shoko guests on the album’s ‘Crush’ and ‘Elegy,’ plus Krishnv and Kiazma, with Ian Martin of Call And Response Records on DJ duties.

Band-Maid will close out their 2026 world tour with two long-awaited performances at Nippon Budokan. Formed in 2013, the heavy-hitting, maid-costumed five-piece sold out their 2025 tour and have kept busy this year with the single ‘Energetic’ and a (largely sold-out) run through Asia, Europe and North America.  With the pandemic forcing the cancellation of a 2021 Budokan performance, these shows will finally close a major chapter in the band’s career. The finale comes ahead of a break from live shows expected to last until their 15th anniversary in 2028 and will feature the up-and-coming Nek! on both nights.

This November will see Home’s Yung Men in the Car Tour roll into Shibuya’s WWW X for its Tokyo stop. The Okinawa trio, formed in 2020, blend indie rock, club music and R&B-tinged pop, a mix that landed them slots at Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic in 2024 and took them to Bangkok, Jakarta and Taipei last year.  The tour follows their June single ‘Deja Vu Slider,’ made with Korean producer Jnkyrd, and hits seven cities before closing in Okinawa on December 6. This will be the band’s first national tour with guest acts, and the Tokyo show is a doozy, with local post-rock outfit Bed set to open the night’s proceedings.

Night Tempo’s Showa Groove series gets a full-circle moment in Tokyo this November with a special guest appearance at Spotify O-East. The Korean producer and DJ has been a key figure in city pop’s global revival. His Showa Groove series launched in 2019 with an official re-edit of ‘Samishii Nettaigyo’, the 1989 hit by Wink, the idol duo known for their deadpan, doll-like image and string of chart-topping singles.  The series reworks Showa-era pop hits and deep cuts for the dance floor, and has since featured Anri, Kyoko Koizumi, Momoko Kikuchi, Mariya Takeuchi and many others. Tokyo gets a one-night-only guest at the November 23 finale in Wink’s Shoko Aida – a long-awaited collaboration – while VJ Mikuru Yamashita will provide visuals for the evening.

Ryohu teams up with Odd Foot Works for a double header at Omotesando’s Wall & Wall on November 27. The rapper, producer and Kandytown co-founder has been active in the Tokyo music scene since 2017. Known for working across styles and genres, his celebrated 2022 sophomore album, Circus, featured special guests from the capital’s wider music scene, including Suchmos’ Yonce and Tempalay’s Aaamyyy. He has also guested on tracks by Suchmos, Aimyon and Petrolz.  Odd Foot Works is the project of rapper Pecori, guitarist Kiichi Arimoto and bassist Shun Enomoto. The trio has released five albums since 2017, while also contributing individually to works by artists such as Toko Miura and Number_i. Their 2025 release, Odd Foot Works 2, was their first in three years and furthered their experimentation with hip-hop, pop, rock and dance influences. They’ll be performing off the back of their October single release ‘After Summer is Let’s Go’.

Maika Loubté opens Come Together, her first national tour, with a Tokyo show at Womb this November. It’s Loubté’s first with a live backing band, and the show will feature bassist Marty Holoubek, Breimen drummer So Kanno and live programmer Sountrive. The format will vary by city, with electronic sets in Nagoya, Osaka and Sendai, and a piano-and-electronics show on Sado Island.  The tour follows a busy year. In April, she released the near-future pop album House of Holy Banana, which includes the French-language track ‘Super Producer’. She also scored her first feature film, F(r)iction, which features the theme ‘Hagane no Uma,’ co-arranged by Sountrive.

Garage punk’s spookiest get-together returns to Shinjuku Loft in October. An institution on Tokyo’s underground calendar, Halloween Ball packs more than 60 bands into two days, October 17 and 18, kicking off at noon. Ten overseas acts are making the trip, including Australia’s The Fiction, Denmark’s Columbian Neckties, Italy’s Superhorror and Mexico’s Carrion Kids, while Japanese garage-punk icons Guitar Wolf play on Sunday. Go-go dancers, guest DJs and pinball should keep things weird between sets. Tickets are ¥5,000 per day in advance (¥9,000 for both days), plus a drink charge. The party then moves to Nagoya’s Huck Finn Imaike on October 24, with The Fiction, Columbian Neckties and Operation S in tow.

Western Australian indie rock outfit Spacey Jane are making their way to Japanese shores for the first time this October. Achieving breakout success during the pandemic, the quartet has since gone on to bash out successful tours of Europe and North America, and make appearances at international festivals like Governors Ball, Lollapalooza and Osheaga. Their latest EP, Exit Wounds, was recorded during the same session as their 2025 album If That Makes Sense and features three previously unreleased tracks. The upcoming Japan show comes amongst performances in South Korea and Singapore.

Dust off your skanking shoes because Less Than Jake are heading to Japan. The ska-punk five-piece are playing shows in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, and bringing California’s Voodoo Glow Skulls and Osaka’s Dizzy Sunfist along for the ride. The tour follows the June release of the split EP Unity with Osaka ska-punk band Hey-Smith and the new single ‘Another Hostage Situation’, a previously unreleased B-side from their 2024 effort Uncharted. This will be the first Japan performances from the Pez-loving Floridians since their 2017 appearances at Punk Spring – and their first with new drummer Matt Yonker.

Australian comedian Aaron Chen is making a Tokyo stop in support of his ‘Technology’ tour in October. The tour comes amidst a big year for Chen, with recent appearances in Apple TV comedy The Dink, Channel 4 series Make That Movie featuring fellow Australian and buddy Sam Campbell, and his Netflix special Funny Garden. The latest tour will see Chen play over 20 shows in Australia, most of which are already sold out, as well as a string of dates across Asia and the US. He’ll perform in Japan for one night only – at Yurakucho venue I’m A Show.

Shinjuku Loft continues its 50th birthday celebrations with yet another heavy-hitting party, this time spanning multiple venues. The event will see over 60 artists and bands hit stages at nine spots across Shinjuku. The diverse line-up traverses genres as well as generations, with up-and-coming artists like Cat Ate Hotdogs and DNA Gainz playing alongside indie circuit veterans like Cinema Staff, Lunkhead and Sparta Locals. Most stages kick off around midday and wrap up in time for the last train; advance tickets are on sale now for a very reasonable ¥7,200.

The Spellbound x Boom Boom Satellites heads to SGC Hall on October 9 to mark a decade since the death of Boom Boom Satellites vocalist and guitarist Michiyuki Kawashima. The show is the sixth and final of the commemorative tour in which The Spellbound members have been performing under the The Spellbound x Boom Boom Satellites moniker. The duo, made up of Boom Boom Satellites’ Masayuki Nakano and The Novembers’ Yusuke Kobayashi, are expected to draw on tracks from the BBS back catalog as well as The Spellbound’s own material. The venue will also host a memorial exhibition dedicated to Kawashima, featuring photographs, writings, archive material and personal items.

Some might call it Spooky Season; others might just call it welcome relief from unbearable weather. Whatever you call it, October is bubbling over with opportunities for music fans to layer up and see a gig in Tokyo. This month, Shinjuku Loft throws a multi-venue party, Shibuya’s WWW puts on an experimental music showcase and a beloved Australian indie group makes its long-awaited debut in Japan. Lunkhead Shinjuku Loft 50th CircuitShinjuku Loft, October 3 Shinjuku Loft continues its 50th birthday celebrations with yet another heavy-hitting party, this time spanning multiple venues. The event will see over 60 artists and bands hit stages at nine spots across Shinjuku. The diverse line-up traverses genres as well as generations, with up-and-coming artists like Cat Ate Hotdogs and DNA Gainz playing alongside indie circuit veterans like Cinema Staff, Lunkhead and Sparta Locals. Most stages kick off around midday and wrap up in time for the last train; advance tickets are available for a very reasonable ¥7,200. Spacey Jane Spacey JaneSpace Odd, October 5 Western Australian indie rock outfit Spacey Jane are making their way to Japanese shores for the first time this month. Achieving breakout success during the pandemic, the quartet has since gone on to bash out successful tours of Europe and North America, and make appearances at international festivals like Governors Ball, Lollapalooza and Osheaga. Their latest EP, Exit Wounds, was recorded during the same session as their

While summer festival season might be behind us, there’s still plenty to see for music fans around Tokyo this September. Despite wrapping up in July, Fuji Rock is bringing its Rookie a Go Go stage to Shibuya this month, and one of the festival’s buzziest acts is heading to Ebisu for a show. A Kyoto indie favourite is holding a special performance, and a viral Australian choir event will make its return to the city. Photo: SMASHGegege Rookie a Go Go Extra WWW, September 2 A mainstay of Fuji Rock’s programming since 1999, the Rookie a Go Go stage showcases up-and-coming artists and has proved to be a platform to success for alumni like King Gnu, Chai and Creepy Nuts. Since last year, Rookie a Go Go Extra has offered select artists an additional performance opportunity at a popular Tokyo venue. This year’s event will take place at Shibuya’s WWW and features three of the 16 artists who performed at this year’s Fuji Rock stage. The mixed bill includes Tokyo-based indie outfit Gegege, solo artist Haruno Hidaka and Oldman, a four-piece alternative rock band from the capital. Adrian Sherwood Adrian Sherwood Presents Dub Sessions 2026: Adrian Sherwood vs Nightmares on WaxSpotify O-East, September 9 Dub Sessions will mark its 21st (!) outing in Tokyo this September. Curated by English producer Adrian Sherwood (On-U Sound), the series has built a reputation for its high-profile guests, high-quality sound and lighting production, and on-stage surprises. This year’s event coincides

Summer tours are in full swing in July, which means plenty of gigs to take the edge off the Tokyo heat. This month, locals Mono and Satoko Shibata will play shows in Tokyo, as will international favourites like Mitski and Manic Sheep. On top of that, newcomers Zilqy are playing a special one-off gig, and there are also a couple of good-looking festivals going on in or near the city, most notably the Future Frequencies Festival at MoN Takanawa and Ocean Peoples out in Chiba. © Chigi KanbeMono Mono: ‘Snowdrop’ Album Tour Spotify O-East, July 3 Tokyo instrumental rock outfit Mono are kicking off a world tour for their new album with this July gig. Having lost a longtime creative partner in Steve Albini last year, the new release, Snowdrop, is in part dedicated to the late producer and his contributions to the band over the past two decades. Following the kick-off at Shibuya’s Spotify O-East, the first leg of the tour will take them to Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Manic Sheep Manic Sheep: Goodbye Blue Monday w/ Home, Dogo Aoyama Moon Romantic, July 7 In celebration of their latest release, Rewind 2014, Taipei post-rock quartet Manic Sheep are putting on a show at Aoyama’s Moon Romantic. The new drop is a collection of tracks originally written after the band’s acclaimed self-titled debut. After a busy 10 years, they revisited the songs in 2024, reworking them into a 12-track album that runs the gamut from shoegaze and dreampop to darker, more krautrock-influenced a

Summer Sonic’s 25th anniversary celebrations just got bigger with the announcement of three massive shows in Tokyo on August 13. Billed as ‘Summer Sonic Extra’ performances, David Byrne, Steve Lacy and Holly Humberstone will each play gigs around the city the night before the main event kicks off in Tokyo and Osaka. © Rob Greig/Time OutDavid Byrne David Byrne is currently on a world tour supporting his latest album Who Is the Sky?. The album is a collaborative effort with New York-based ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra, and the tour sees the former Talking Heads frontman performing with a band of 12 musicians, singers and dancers. The show was one of the most talked about of this year’s Coachella and saw the band perform tracks from the latest album as well as the acclaimed ‘American Utopia’ and more than a handful of Talking Heads classics. David Byrne and co will perform at the new SGC Hall in Ariake. Photo: CreativemanHolly Humberstone England’s Holly Humberstone has gone from strength to strength since her debut EP, 2020’s Falling Asleep at the Wheel. She’s made multiple appearances on the Tonight Show in the States, won a Brit award and performed with high-profile artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. Her new album Cruel World, the artist's second full-length release, takes on a more upbeat and optimistic pop sound and will bring her to Japan amidst shows in the UK, Europe and the United States. She’ll perform at Duo Music Exchange in Shibuya before appearances

Hello June, hello yet another month of quality live events in Tokyo. Music fans can look forward to a diverse line-up this time, with our selection of the most punt-worthy gigs featuring heavy-hitters of the capital’s rock scene, an envelope-pushing neo-soul group and a certain Australian indie icon. Photo: SuppliedYubiori     Loft 50th Anniversary: Pool Side – Tricot, Yubiori, Yasue Dangerous Ojisan Shinjuku Loft, June 3 One of the city’s most legendary live music venues is making its 50th trip around the sun this year and is hosting a series of shows to celebrate. As part of the milestone, Shinjuku’s Loft is teaming up with its sister venue Shimokitazawa Shelter to present Pool Side, featuring Kyoto post-rock quartet Tricot, heavy rock outfit Yubiori and indie artist Yasue Dangerous Ojisan (YDO) performing with a full band. Bring your appetite: Eeyan Curry will be providing food for the evening.   Photo: Spotify PressHitsujibungaku     Women In Music – Equal Stage SGC Hall Ariake, June 9 Billboard Japan and Spotify are teaming up to spotlight women artists with an eclectic bill featuring some very big names, including J-pop foursome Atarashii Gakko!, Okinawan rapper Awich, alternative rock duo Hitsujibungaku and hip-hop artist Lana. Awich is the one to watch: she just opened for Wu-Tang Clan in Yokohama in late May and is flying high following November album Okinawan Wuman, executive-produced by Wu-Tang’s RZA and featuring guest appearances from some familiar names, inc

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