Gaijins in Tokyo...

[mbc]

So in a couple weeks I and a bunch of other MBA students will be taking a "business" trip to Tokyo. We'll be there an entire week, staying in Shinjuku. We'll have plenty to do during the day, but I'm trying to think of some good nightlife options for us. Any suggestions re: restaurants, bars, clubs, etc? They're a pretty hard partying bunch, but I think we'd like to avoid the typical "Navy on shore leave" type of scene. Advice appreciated.

 

[ratboycom]

There is no plural form of Gaijin (gaijin is the same if its 1 or 1000). That aside, I would suggest hitting up some random izakiya in various districts. If you want to stay away from other gaijin I would not suggest going to Roppongi. I think Nantucket Red will have the best advice though.

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by ratboycom

There is no plural form of Gaijin (gaijin is the same if its 1 or 1000). That aside, I would suggest hitting up some random izakiya in various districts. If you want to stay away from other gaijin I would not suggest going to Roppongi. I think Nantucket Red will have the best advice though.
I am not in Tokyo but suggest that you simply enjoy the "shore leave" experience. If you are travelling as a gang of "horny drunken youths"* (and I say that with the utmost respect) then that is basically what you are anyways . I say...go straight for Roppongi! Gas Panic is popular. If you want culture...do that during daytime hours. *Is Tck13 still looking for a band name?

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by Alter

I am not in Tokyo but suggest that you simply enjoy the "shore leave" experience. If you are travelling as a gang of "horny drunken youths"* (and I say that with the utmost respect) then that is basically what you are anyways . I say...go straight for Roppongi! Gas Panic is popular.

If you want culture...do that during daytime hours.

*Is Tck13 still looking for a band name?

Actually I prefer the Shibuya Gas Panic.

The Roppongi one, while bigger, had far fewer people in it while I was there, and the bro to chick ratio was pretty uneven, and not in a good way.

 

[Nantucket Red]

Heartland in Roppongi Hills is where you want to start off. Get there before 9:00 pm to beat the crowd and dress decently. There are a lot of financial houses nearby, and Heartland is the nearest watering hole and the standard after-work meeting spot. It attracts a good-looking crowd, which is to say a high percentage of very pretty and decently educated Japanese women. If you start off here (where everybody else starts off), talk up a few gals and get an idea of where the people you want to hang with are moving on to next.

Lots of people move on to Muse, which is in Nishi Azabu, in the opposite direction from Roppongi proper. Women get into Muse free but there's a 2000 yen cover charge for guys in an attempt to maintain a favorable ratio (you get a two drink tickets worth 1000 yen each, so cover is basically meaningless). This place has a pretty good looking crowd, but it's like a labyrinth and a bit dark, loud and smoky for my particular tastes. Apparently, the crowd has changed since a club called Vanilla shut down, and not necessarily for the better. Still, depending on your tastes, it might be the place.

If you have some luck at Heartland and want to move on to somewhere a bit quieter and mellower, or perhaps grab a bite to eat and get on more intimate terms with a prospective conquest, Xen/Bamboo Bar upstairs in Roppongi Hills is a good candidate.

The main drag of Roppongi proper is something of a zoo, with hoards of people of every description and lots of African touts trying to lure you into the bar/strip club they work for. These guys are not tour guides, so asking them for info on the kind of club you're looking for is a waste of time. Once you're on the main drag, you've got a few easily located clubs that are fairly representative: Motown (1 and 2), Wall Street Bar, and 911. Go there just to say "been there, done that."

If you want to avoid the "Navy on shore leave" experience, just steer clear of Gaspanic. Easy enough.

If you've hooked up with someone and want to close the deal in a rather more upscale bar, go to Nana-Hongi (a bit of a pun on Roppongi, which means "Six trees" -- Nana-Hongi means "Seven Trees"). I can't necessarily vouch for the English-speaking abilities of the staff, but they should be sufficient not to cramp your style, and if you've hooked up with a Japanese lady, she'll take care of it at this point (or pay for her own cab home).

This should give you some basic idea of Roppongi.


In Shinjuku, the New York bar in the Grand Hyatt (the one in Lost in Translation) is a must. At the opposite end of the scale, you're going to want to visit Kabuki-cho just for the scene or if transvestites and she-males are your thing -- not that they're unknown in Roppongi . . . [story of close call omitted]

To cut along story short, consult this. Realize you're going to have a great time in Tokyo no matter where you go, and then go back to my initial advice about starting at Heartland.

 

[Nantucket Red]

One more important piece of advice:

If it becomes clear to you within the first two (2) minutes that the friendly girls who have approached you don't quite understand you and do things like consulting with one another in Japanese and asking you to repeat what you say, run, don't walk, to another area of the bar. (This is a waste of time even if you are bilingual.)

You do not want to squander your time giving free English lessons to time wasters.

Lots of girls speak English well enough. Don't fall into the language trap!

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by Nantucket Red

One more important piece of advice:

If it becomes clear to you within the first two (2) minutes that the friendly girls who have approached you don't quite understand you and do things like consulting with one another in Japanese and asking you to repeat what you say, run, don't walk, to another area of the bar. (This is a waste of time even if you are bilingual.)

You do not want to squander your time giving free English lessons to time wasters.

Lots of girls speak English well enough. Don't fall into the language trap!

Where the hell were you ten years ago when I actually could have used that advice!

 

[Nantucket Red]

Originally Posted by Alter

Where the hell were you ten years ago when I actually could have used that advice!

Ten years ago? Just starting out studying Japanese literature in university.

I never said Japanese women weren't basically irresistible.

 

[wwallace1]

oh man your going to be staying in Shinjuku!! there is no need to ask where to go because that place is all about bars, clubs, hotass girls, strip clubs, xxx places, etc,etc,etc. Have a great time because its definately a fun place to go!!