Dragged out: A guide to Tokyo’s last smoking holdouts

As Ebisu grows shinier with every passing year, Kissa Ginza stubbornly keeps its velvet grip on the past. Inside, red seats glow under the soft green light of desk lamps, the kind of moody illumination you’d expect to find in an old movie set.

A small disco ball sometimes spins quietly overhead, scattering light across couples and solo drinkers alike, while retro hits hum from the jukebox. No wi-fi, no outlets – if you pull out a laptop here, expect to be scolded. This is a café that insists on human connection as currency, second of course to cash.

Cherry has been open for more than sixty years, and walking in feels like stepping straight back into the 1960s. The entire café is bathed in deep red – velour seats, walls, even the light feels tinted with nostalgia. The food is as charming as the interior, with fruit parfaits and pudding à la mode that come served looking straight out of a magazine spread.

Cherry has been featured countless times in local magazines and even made an appearance in the cult gourmet manga Famires Iko (Let’s Go to Family Restaurants). Affordable and unpretentious, it’s the kind of kissaten that earns loyalty by never changing.

Matsumizaka 4 is the kind of bar that feels like someone’s chic living room from the 1970s. The furniture looks casually thrown together but still lands on the right side of stylish, evoking a European retro mood without even trying. The open-plan layout makes it easy to slip into conversation with strangers, and the outdoor patio is an exciting find in a city where streetside terraces are practically mythical. A hangout for locals, artists, and the type who appreciate a cigarette with their whiskey.

Right beneath the chaos of one of Shibuya’s busiest streets, Metro Kissa offers a kind of underground nostalgia. The decor is wooden and retro, complete with decal plates and parfaits that arrive looking too perfect to be food. It’s rare for a kissaten, but laptops and wi-fi are welcome here, so you’ll often find people working at their own pace in between cigarette breaks.

Hidden off the shopping-clogged streets of Shimokitazawa, Café Trois Chambres feels almost more like a library than a café. Floor-to-ceiling wood, shelves stacked with antique books, and the constant smell of roasted beans give it a weight that time can’t touch.

The atmosphere is hushed, but not in a lonely way. Some people chat quietly, others lose themselves in notebooks and laptops, and others just watch the smoke curl through the golden light.

Step into Edinburgh and it feels like you’ve slipped into a private club for novelists and salarymen who insist on living like it's still 1979. The green leather seats and polished wood create a sense of elegance that makes chain-smoking look like performance art.

Their siphon-brewed coffee is poured with precision, into porcelain dishware that makes you slow down and savour. Open 24 hours, it’s a place for anyone burning the midnight oil, whether you’re finishing a manuscript, waiting for the first train, or just after a good cup of joe.

Singapore Night is one of those places you only find if someone tells you about it. The hours are strange, so you’ll need to call ahead, but once inside you’re in a world that mixes cocktails with a dreamlike interior. A full-sized tree stretches through half the space, its branches tangled with the eclectic furniture and record collection that gives the bar its identity.

The music is curated with care, making it as much a listening room as a drinking spot. It feels more like stumbling into a secret than visiting a bar.

Sober is the kind of place that blends Shibuya nightlife with traditional staples. Mahjong tiles clack from one side of the room, while soba noodles and cocktails flow on the other. Its name comes from the Japanese pronunciation of 'soba', and 'bar' which sound like 'sober', acting as a cute nod to what Sober actually is – a soba bar. 

Sober operates under the same group as – and is located very close to – famed techno club Mitsuki, strip club Madam Woo and Carbon Bar, so the possibilities of a full-service night are just at your fingertips. A cigarette at the counter here feels like the finishing touch to the atmosphere.

Like a weirder, more dishevelled cousin to the bars in nearby Shimokitazawa, Gari Gari offers intrepid drinkers an onslaught of B-movie imagery and random junkadelia. It also stages occasional concerts, and has become a popular stop for musicians on Tokyo's noise and improvised music circuits.

Dhali Curry looks like a portal to another dimension: blue neon lights, wild murals, and art installations that sprawl across the walls like graffiti in motion. On paper it’s a curry restaurant, but at night it mutates into a music space with events that feel more like underground parties than dinner service.

Keep an eye out for the bells in the restaurant. The wrong cord pulled at the bar can get you roped into a compulsory tequila shot. It’s chaotic and fun, and the curry still manages to be delicious through it all.

Grassroots is one of Koenji’s long-standing institutions, a DJ bar that feels equal parts gritty and warm. The interior is dim and lived-in, the kind of place where you can settle in for hours without noticing how much smoke you’ve inhaled.

Nights here often stretch into vinyl sets, experimental beats, and impromptu conversations with whoever happens to be squeezed next to you. It’s sardine-can tight, but that’s part of its charm.

If you ever wanted to be the main character in a Wong Kar-wai film, Harmonica Kitchen gets you close. Located in the cramped, lantern-lit alleyways of Kichijoji’s Harmonica Yokocho, it’s three floors of organised chaos, each with its own mood. The rooftop terrace is the rarest gem here – red lanterns swaying above, smoky air drifting into the night sky, and just enough view of the streets below to keep you feeling like the city is yours. Pair it with a cold pink beer or something fried and salty, and you’ll forget you’re anywhere near a train line.

Araizarashi is a neo-izakaya that doesn’t try too hard but still feels effortlessly cool. The interior mixes modern design with funky old furniture, giving it the vibe of a place where the night could go in any direction.

Hanchika started life as a half-underground parking bay before being transformed into one of Shibuya’s most popular modern izakaya. The food is centered around shumai – juicy, handmade dumplings that go perfectly with their selection of natural wines and chu-hai. The crowd skews young and stylish, filling the room with energy that’s closer to a party than a sit-down dinner.

Mugi no Oto is a basement bar that has a delicious and unusual selection of natural wines and craft beers. The food leans izakaya-style, with an elevated twist: seasonal small plates, and dishes that pair as well with a glass as they do with a pint. The lighting is warm, the music is good, and the hours stretch late into the night.