hair or are wearing flowing clothes, don't get too close—you might end up as part of the light show Isadora Duncan style. Models with composites get in free.
Open from 6 p.m. till at least 12
a.m. every day.
Urban Bldg. B1F,
7-13-2 Roppongi,
Minato-ku.
(03) 3401-1661/3475-0672
¥¥
J Trip "Wanna Dance?"
This used to be an exclusive members-only club but the owners recently reopened in a funkier public-access vein. With Tokyo's economic future hanging in limbo, people are less willing to throw their money into expensive club memberships and are now more inclined to pay as they play. The interior was revamped by Koshin Sato, who recently redid the Paladium in New York. He has managed to create a suitably dark yet playful effect by injecting some very colorful neo-pop highlights into the furnishings. An impossibly large raffia-like flower looms over the dance floor and bright donut-shaped cushions decorate the lockers. The dance floor is not enormous but seems to accommodate everyone, especially since the Drug Store opened upstairs and stole the drink and mingle crowd. The darkness quotient makes some of the stairs fairly treacherous, so be warned. They feature an excellent range of DJs and music throughout the week, so drop by and pick up a schedule.
Open from 7 p.m. till 5 a.m.
Sunday to Thursday and till 8
a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The Wall B1F & B2F,
4-2-4 Nishi-azabu,
Minato-ku.
(03) 3409-7607
¥¥¥
Juliana's
Wembley Japan, part of an international leisure specialist group, made sure they did their homework before opening their Tokyo club. The Japanese like a little pomp, splendor, and snob value when they step out in the evening. Appropriately aloof door people wearing snappy shoulder-padded jackets and wireless headsets control admittance. The entry is like the airlock in a spaceship. Tendrils of dry ice from the laser show inside enfold you as you enter the enormous belly of the beast beyond. A large central dance floor is flanked by ringside viewing and dancing platforms with adjacent bar and seating areas. Mezzanine VIP lounges are strategically located in see-and-be-seen corners. A host of international staff, including DJs and lively dancers, are employed by the club to pump up the vibe—and they do. The only drawback is the clientele. They tend to be a very average Homat and salaryman/OL mob, but maybe that's because it's so expensive. Don't forget your wallet.
Open from 6:30 p.m. till 12 a.m.
every day.
1-13-10 Shiba-ura,
Minato-ku.
(03) 5484-4000
¥¥¥¥¥
DJ Bar Ink Stick
In spite of the fact that this club is located on the top of a fairly modern building in Shibuya, it feels like a converted barn on somebody's lower forty. It is a big, dimly-lit, and sparsely furnished space with a bar down one side and a DJ booth in one corner. Whoever decorated the interior scores high marks for originality. The entire roof is hung with an interesting assortment of hats, like an upside-down mushroom farm, and the walls are variously covered with collections of hubcaps, wooden boot-sizers, and masks. I've put this venue in the Dance and Prance chapter because of its size and potential, but the average habitue tends to just sit and drink. Don't waste this dance space, Tokyo! It is plugged into the cool and groovy DJ circuit with all the familiar names appearing on the schedule. The music ranges from reggae to mod, which draws an impressive lineup of retro step-throughs out front. It's a little bit cool on an average night, but could definitely handle some heat.
Open from 6 p.m. till 2 a.m.
Sunday to Friday, and till 4 a.m.
on Saturday.
Campari Bldg. 4F,
1-6-8 Jinnan,
Shibuya-ku.
(03) 3496-0782
¥¥
328
Nishi-azabu is becoming increasingly populated with bars, but this one has been here virtually unchanged for a decade. It's entrance, which has unexpected stairs and doors, is extremely hard to negotiate, so watch your step if you're a bit drunk or if it's your first time. Once through this initial obstacle course, you will find a large glassed-in room with an interestingly-shaped solid-wood bar running down its length. Beyond this is a DJ booth and dance area. They have made good use of some of their former record collection by plastering the walls with LPs—some of them are quite new, too. It is very quiet during the week and highly variable on the weekend, but it is best placed in this chapter because that's what they're aiming at. The DJs have a less stylized approach to their playlists, adding more rock and funk than other stuck-on-house clubs. They occasionally feature a soul night during the week, which makes it an excellent place for a late-night drink and a bop or a foot tap.
Open from 8 p.m. till 4 a.m.
from Monday to Thursday, till 5
a.m. on Friday and Saturday,
and till 3 a.m. on Sunday.
Kotsu Anzen Center Bldg. B1F,
3-24-20 Nishi-azabu,
Minato-ku.
(03) 3401-4968
¥¥
Yellow
The owners of a very popular late-night dance venue called Club Next decided to close down and reopen in a new and larger venue around the corner. This is Yellow. It's big, it's dark, and it's popular. The dance floor is spacious but quickly fills up, generating enough body heat to compete with high noon in midsummer. A mezzanine bar and seating area overlooks the flesh-pit below, but when it's really crowded there is no escape from the heat. Lockers get scarce early and the coat check is usually full, so if you plan to get there late don't take a lot of gear with you. A few tragic teenagers camp in the stairwell waiting for the first train, but for the most part, it is a very hip and very cool cross section of Tokyo which comes here to dance till dawn. They feature excellent local and international DJs playing the latest house and dance hits from around the world, and also host a wide variety of events, including some live and gay nights. The best idea is to drop by and pick up a schedule.
