Tokyo and all of Japan truly has a distinct culture. It’s a densely populated urban area that is driven by history, technology, wealth, and culture. The city comes alive at night and lights up breathtakingly. Tokyo is famous for its nightlife scene, and there’s no scarcity of areas where you can party until dawn. However, you should memorize the train schedule if you don’t want to pay for a taxi back to your hostel or hotel.
By Lizzy
The hostels listed below may not be traditional party hostels, but they often are a unique setting where you can get to know new people and find friends to explore the city.
Top 5 Hostels in Tokyo:
- 1. Nui. Hostel & Bar Lounge
- 2. Hostel Bedgasm
- 3. UNPLAN Shinjuku
- 4. Wise Owl Hostel Shibuya
- 5. Emblem Hostel Nishiarai
Five of the Best Party Hostels in Tokyo
Nui. Hostel & Bar Lounge
Price: $28.93 to $37.61
Nui. Hostel & Bar Lounge is among the more lively hostels in Tokyo. There is an excellent bar plus lounge area where many guests enjoy hanging out. They often have music playing, and there are good food and drinks available at reasonable prices. If you want to meet other guests, this is the place to stay. Also, the hostel has live music events.
The hostel is found in the Asakusa area. So, there are several bars, restaurants, and shops nearby, and many of the city’s sights are within walking distance. Public transportation is also conveniently close to the hostel.
The hostel has a very social vibe and friendly staff, so it’s easy to make friends. The area is also safe, and the pricing is reasonable. Although it has a very lively bar, it’s still possible to enjoy a good night’s sleep as well. Read more..
- Good food and drinks
- Great location
- Social atmosphere
Hostel Bedgasm
Price: $27 to $36.16
Hostel Bedgasm is gradually becoming a preferred hostel for young travelers and backpackers who want to experience the best that Tokyo has to offer. The hostel is located in a small, five-story building, and there’s a lively on-site cafe and bar. Also, there always seem to be people chilling out in the bar, so it’s effortless to socialize. They also offer free nightly drinks at the bar. So, it is the ideal hostel for solo travelers because everyone is willing to socialize and have fun.
The hostel is situated between the Asakusa and Ueno, and it’s well-connected to public transportation. There are also several convenience stores, grocery stores, bakeries, and restaurants, so your needs are mostly covered.
The hostel is very affordable, and the dorms are cozy and quiet. Also, the staff are travelers themselves, so they are very able to assist you. Read more..
- Lively on-site café and bar
- Affordable
- Near public transportation
UNPLAN Shinjuku
Price: $26.61
Right in the party neighborhood of Shinjuku, there is always a friendly and party vibe at the hostel. UNPLAN Shinjuku is perfect for those traveling alone, as it is the ideal hostel to party and meet a lot of nice people to be with while partying. The friendly staff organizes daily events like pub crawls or parties. Also, the hostel features a rooftop bar where the parties usually happen. Read more..
- Great location
- Regular activities
- Good for partying
Wise Owl Hostel Shibuya
Price: $20.65
Wise Owl Hostel Shibuya located right next to the local bars and restaurants of the party neighborhood of Shibuya. For coffee lovers, there is a beautiful café on the hostel’s ground floor. Also, the hostel features a cool, vibrant bar where you can grab your favorite drink and meet new people. Spacious standard room with cozy seating is hosting regular quiz nights, games tournaments, and movie marathons. Read more..
- Nice on-site bar
- Great location for clubbing
- Regular activities
Emblem Hostel Nishiarai
Price: $19.82
The Emblem is a friendly and social hostel with an on-site café where you’ll meet other fellow travelers. The hostel organizes daily events like movie night, bar meetup, walking tour, sushi making, calligraphy workshop, or even karate lessons. Their bar meetup is also frequently attended by locals, who come to hang out with travelers and share their culture and famous hospitality.
- Great on-site bar
- Regular activities
- Social vibe
How is Tokyo’s Nightlife?
Tokyo’s most famous nightlife districts are Shibuya, Ginza, Shinjuku, and Roppongi. In the northeast of Shinjuku Station lies Kabukicho, Japan’s largest red-light district, with hundreds of hostess clubs, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and massage parlors. Giant billboards and neon signs brightly light the streets. The area is relatively safe, but posters of scantily clad women and adult shops are not a rare sight. Several establishments in Kabukicho cater to a Japanese clientele, and a few of them charge exorbitant cover fees. Situated in one corner of Kabukicho, Golden Gai is a traditional district composed of narrow alleys with several small bars.
Shibuya attracts a younger local audience who patronizes the various bars, nightclubs, dance clubs, and restaurants that are found in the area. Also, it is home to Love Hotel Hill, which is an area with a lot of love hotels. Shibuya is a little bit less sleazy and more easily accessible to foreign tourists without knowing a bit of Japanese than the Kabukicho district in Shinjuku.
Ginza is the high-end district, featuring chic bars, fine dining restaurants, and night clubs, as well as expensive host and hostess bars. So, it is expected that you will be charged with hefty bills. Also, some establishments are very exclusive and not as easily accessible to foreign visitors without learning how to speak Japanese.
Roppongi is the most convenient nightlife district for foreign tourists. A large number of foreign-friendly bars, nightclubs, and restaurants are found in the area. Although the area is generally safe, there have been increasing reports of vice and bad practices at Roppongi, such as expensive hidden fees charged by bars and clubs, aggressive touting, spiked drinks, and fights.
Best Nightclubs in Tokyo
Contact
Located in the heart of the continually buzzing Shibuya neighborhood is one of Tokyo’s most famous and impressive nightclubs. With a state-of-the-art sound system and customers who are up for a good time, it’s clear why personalities like Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Giorgio Moroder, and Nicolas Jaar have rolled through the door of Contact in the past few years. The main room has a very strict no-drinks and no-cameras policy. Also, the venue tends to attract more discriminating techno and dance music enthusiasts. The entrance is secluded from the city’s main streets, so to enter the venue, visitors must register on their website to become a member. However, once you get through the doors of Contact, you’ll see why you had to go through such hoops.
A-Life
Roppongi is known as Tokyo’s top clubbing district, and one of the area’s most popular spots is A-Life. It extends over three floors, and the music here is all about unpretentious, old-fashioned fun – think cheesy bangers and top-40 hits. The venue also offers excellent value for money, with three drinks for ¥1,000 (£7) before 11 pm.
The Room
Want an excellent alternative to the typical music played on most Tokyo bars? Located below the hustle and bustle of Shibuya is The Room, is found in a small basement where you can listen to soul, jazz, and R&B music. Although it’s cramped in size compared to your average Tokyo nightclub, The Room’s vast range of music and chill atmosphere make up for it. It is the spot to be if you’re looking for a low-key evening spent sipping on whiskey with good company.
AgeHa
With several dance floors, a list of the most famous names on the electronic music scene, views of the waterfront, and even a pool on the balcony. So, AgeHa is the best place to visit for a night out in Tokyo. Since it’s so large, the club is located on the outskirts of the city, in Shin-Kiba. However, they offer free shuttle service to and from Shibuya all night long. Once you get to the club, though, leaving will be the last thing on your mind.
Arty Farty
Arty Farty is the perfect place to stumble into after a few boozy drinks in the Shinjuku Ni-chōme area, Tokyo’s LGBTQ hub. The famous dance club always has a fun and pleasing crowd. Also, the menu is foreigner-friendly while the drinks are priced very reasonably. A cover charge of ¥2,500 ($18.96) gives you a free drink once inside and allows you to come and go on your choosing, so you can visit other bars then come back with no extra charge. The entrance fee also provides you entry to their sister club, The Annex, which is nearby.
About Tokyo
Tokyo, officially known as the Tokyo Metropolis, is among the 47 prefectures of Japan. It has been the Japanese capital since 1869, and its urban area houses both the Japanese government and the Emperor of Japan. Tokyo is part of the Kantō region, which is found on the southeastern side of Japan’s main island, Honshu. It also includes the Ogasawara and Izu Islands.
Tokyo was once known as Edo when Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu declared the city as his headquarters in 1603. In 1868, the city became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat there from Kyoto. At that time, Edo’s name was replaced with Tokyo. The Tokyo Metropolis was created in 1943 from the consolidation of the former Tokyo Prefecture and the city of Tokyo. Tokyo is often alluded to as a city, but it is officially known and governed as a “metropolitan prefecture.” In some ways, it has both similarities and differences from a city and a prefecture, a characteristic unique to Tokyo.
Combine your trip to Tokyo with a stop in other popular Asian cities, such as Hanoi, Bali, Hong Kong and Bangkok.
Lizzy
Traveler & Blogger
Hi, I’m Lizzy! In the past 10 years I’ve travelled 60 countries and I’m still counting. While I was backpacking I could not find a website that provides valuable information about hostels. After months of thinking, doubting and brainstorming, hostelstobook.com was born.
I hope to make your trip easier, so you’d only stay in the best hostels around the globe. Do you have any questions? Don’t hesitate to send me a message.
Frequently Asked Questions
The budget for lunch in Tokyo is roughly around 1,000 yen ($9.13). Usually, course meals cost over 5,000 yen ($45.63) per person, while the general budget at an izakaya, a traditional Japanese pub, lies between 3,000 and 6,000 yen ($27.38 to $54.76) per person for both snacks and alcoholic drinks.
The general crime rate in Japan is well below the U.S. national average, and Tokyo, like all of Japan, is generally a safe place for visitors. Still, as in other big cities around the world, visitors to Tokyo sometimes become victims of crime, and it is essential to exercise caution.
Usually, two weeks is the recommendation for foreigners to spend in Japan if their only goal is just for sightseeing and traveling purposes. From those two weeks, visitors typically spend around 3 to 5 days in Tokyo and spend the rest in other destinations.
The best areas to stay for tourists in Tokyo are Shinjuku and Ginza. Aside from these areas, Tokyo Station, Shibuya, and Asakusa are also good options. It is best to remain near the JR Yamanote train line or any subway line for easy access to Tokyo tourist sites.
If you don’t have a Japan Rail Pass, then the fare will be 13,620 yen ($124.29) one way. There are three kinds of trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen line: the Hikari, Nozomi, and Kodama. The Nozomi is the most regular and the quickest train as it can travel between Osaka and Tokyo in about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
The typical one-way fare from Tokyo to Kyoto is 13,080 yen ($119.37) by the non-reserved seat on any train, approximately 13,500 yen ($123.20) by reserved seat on Hikari or Kodama trains and around 14,000 yen ($127.76) by reserved seat on the Nozomi train. Also, a 7-day Japan Rail Pass costs about the same as regular round trip tickets.