Shinjuku

The Kabukichō 歌舞伎町 district, to the northeast of JR Shinjuku station, is Tokyo's most notorious red-light district - although during the daytime you might not even notice, especially if you can't decode the elaborate Japanese codewords on the billboards. At night it's a different story though, as sharkskin-suited junior yakuza gangsters hustle and girls in miniskirts beckon customers amid the adults-only vending machines. Night or day, it's always packed with people, and until recently quite a bit of gangland violence went on in the vicinity though at any rate outsiders are generally not involved.

To the south of Kabuki-cho is Shinjuku ni-chome 新宿２丁目, Tokyo's largest gay district.

Golden Gai ゴールデン街 is the name given to a few narrow alleys in a block on the east edge of Kabukicho. It's packed with tiny aging "hole-in-the-wall" bars and started as a red light district some decades ago; morphing into some sort of a subversive hangout; and finally now into an odd assortment of tiny bars some up very steep steps. The irony of the place is that while it has become somewhat of a tourist attraction, many of the bars rely on regulars, so strangers wandering in may receive either a frosty reception, cover charge or both. If the door is open and you get a smile go in, it's an experience not to be had anywhere else. Many of the bars have karaoke and ancient mama-sans, while one has an old man who speaks Spanish and plays flamenco videos on a tiny black and white TV, and who occasionally plays guitar; another has a great collection of jazz music. Some places charge extra for karaoke with coin machines or a surcharge added to the bill while others, such as Bar K, have it available for free. Be aware that commercial photography in some parts of the Golden Gai is prohibited without permission.

On the west side of the Yamanote tracks, Omoide Yokochō 思い出横丁, "Memory Lane" is a small alley filled with yakitori joints. Omoide Yokochō is also sometimes referred to as gokiburi yokochō cockroach alley or shomben yokochō piss alley - no prizes for guessing why.

Once you get beyond Omoide Yokochō into the skyscrapers of West Shinjuku, the nightlife pretty much dies out, with the solitary exception of what is probably Tokyo's best-known bar among foreigners:

Upscale club of mostly locals that have live jazz bands and DJ's. Music ranges from jazz, electro, to Euro rock.

Performance art space meets bar run with a simple concept: different people and groups rent a block of time and do whatever they want to. The end result runs from stand-up comedy and lectures to porn star photo shoots and incredibly violent live S&M. Erotic shows 18+ only ID required.

Oddly, there are few nightclubs left in Shinjuku, perhaps due to the price of real estate. Liquid Room, once one of the Tokyo's best-known party places, decamped to Ebisu several years ago.

Segafredo is a somewhat upscale style cafe that has various locations near Shinjuku. Segafredo tends to have a darker atmosphere akin to Pronto.

Located in the far east of Shinjuku City in the Kagurazaka district. With views remarkable for Tokyo, Canal Cafe consists of a separate restaurant and cafe situated alongside a canal. The open-air cafe has great ambiance. At the restaurant figure ¥6000-9000 for dinner, but at the café, which is a long patio-like dock, drinks and snacks are purchased at the bar and can be quite reasonable.

Doutor is a relatively "salary man" coffee shop. You will see lots of business men within this shop. Expect most shops to be all smoking, or only 2-3 seats for a non-smoking section.

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