NIGHTLIFE

The Nightlife listings are updated every month.
* denotes editor's picks.



SPECIAL EVENTS

Club Venus The Final Frontier in Japan. Excellent. 4/28, 10pm, Liquid Room. John of the Pleased Women plus Hirata and Yo-C. Y3000 (Y2500 in adv.). 5/2, 10pm, Liquid Room. New House Sound of Chicago with DJ Sneak and residents Hirata and Yo-C. Y3000 (Y2500 in adv.). Liquid Room (3200-6831).

IRO One shot collaboration of happy house, art installation and social variety. Jazz-funk band plays live (2F). 4/28, 9pm, Gold. Y3500 with two drinks (Y3000 with a flyer). (3453-3545)

Factoria 21 at Gold Lord G from Sound Factory Bar, N.Y., performing two nights at Gold. 4/29 & 5/4. Y3500 with two drinks (Y3000 with flyer). (3453-3545)

The Ring Everybody-knows-gay mix party in town. 4/29 & 5/27, 11pm, Neo Masquerade, Harajuku Sta. Y3500 (with two drinks). (3746-3240)

World Connection 4/29, 8pm, Yellow. DJ George Morel & Tommi (from N.Y.). Y3500 (with two drinks). (3479-0690)

Euphoria Featuring TG. NG. Tokyo Gamer's night groove. 4/30, 8pm, Yellow. Y2500 (Y2000 with flyer). (3453-3545)

Youthquake '95 Spring A pioneer of club fashion events, this time with the theme `classics.' 4/30, 8pm, Gold. For more info, call Gold Rush (3769-0023).

United Freedom (Evolution) The biggest techno trance party of the month. 5/3, 8pm, Gold. Y3500 with one drink (Y3000 in adv.). Gold Rush (3769-0023).

Disco Baby Patrick's happy party. Dress code: Koinobori (carp streamer). 5/4, 8pm, Yellow. Y3000 (Disco Baby member Y2500). (3453-3545)

Dis-co 5/4, 10pm, Liquid Room. DJs: Takkyu Ishino, Fumiya Tanaka. Y4000 (Y3500 in adv.). Liquid Room (3200-6831).

Gold House Party 5/4, 8pm, Gold. DJ: Lord G. (from N.Y.). Special live performance by Melanie Williams who had a smash hit Not Enough? For more info, call Gold Rush (3769-0023).

The Club Rocks Golden week special "The Kids Are Alright." 5/5, 9pm, Liquid Room. Y3000 (Y2500 in adv.). Smash (3444-6751).

Battle Royal Featuring DJs, such as DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, James Lavelle and UFO plus special session unit (Monday Michiru + Mondo Grosso, etc.). 5/6, 8pm, Liquid Room. Y4000 (Y3000 in adv.).

It's A Club World Special Gold's Saturday event, golden week special. 5/6, 8pm, Gold. For more info, call Gold Rush (3769-0023).

Love Light 5/6, 8pm, Yellow. DJ: Mick Jones (from N.Y.). Y3500. (3453-3545)

Johnnie Walker Hosts arty parties. 5/13, 20 & 27, 7-11pm, Za Moca Foundation, Carmel One Loft 301, 8-3-32 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku (5389-7081).

Toy Boy Trendy party for young and beautiful Japanese boys. Gay mix. 5/13, 8pm, Club Nuba, Shibuya Sta. Y3000 (with two drinks). (3462-4420)

Inner Ring Jr. Ring--small scale version of The Ring party. Gay mix. 5/19, 9pm, Delight. Y2500 (with one drink). (3352-6297)



ROPPONGI

BARS

Bali High New bar opened by Baccara group. Just down the street between Almond and Café Miami, on the right. (3746-2598)

Black Velvet A jazz & blues bar on Roppongi Crossing. The new concept from the Mogambo/Geronimo group. Yamamuro Bldg., 3F, next to Seishido Bldg. (3479-1191)

Gas Panic Flying glasses, fists and skirts. Leave a tip . . . or else. 7pm-5am. Near Hamburger Inn. 3-14-13 Roppongi (3405-0633).

Salsa Sudada Libidinous Latin rhythms and a friendly multinational crowd. 7pm-6am; Fri. & Sat. from 6pm. 30m down the street between Almond and Café Miami, on the left. Sure Bldg., B1, 5-9-22 Roppongi (3405-1967).

Ultra Vivid Scene Came and went with our favorite hostess. Cozy hangout nonetheless. 7:30pm-5am. Closed Mon. & Tue. ITO Bldg., 4F, 7-14-6 Roppongi (5474-4366).


CLUBS

Breakfast Club Intimate evening café and grooving after-hours. House and garage. Membership restriction on weekends. 100m down Roppongi-dori next to Cosmo Gas Station. Togensha Bldg., 9F, 2-4-8 Roppongi (3588-8177).

Buzzzz Cavernous hall and predictable Roppongi crowd. All kinds of music except Eurobeat. Tue.: Ladies' Night. 6pm-5am. Square Bldg., 5F, 3-10-3 Roppongi (3470-6391).

Gas Panic Club Rock, rap and MTV dance. 7:30pm-5am; Fri. & Sat. until 6am. 3-10-5 Roppongi (3402-7054).

Geoid Hard after-hours beats and every anthropological specimen you could ever fear. From 12:30am on weekends. Y2000/members, Y3000/non-members. (3479-8161)

Java Jive Square Bldg.'s world beat with models identifiable by their attitudes more than their looks. Reggae & house. 6pm-5am. Square Bldg., B1, 3-10-3 Roppongi (3478-0087).

* Jungle Bass Big venue. Reggae, rap, and serious dance events. Call for schedule info. 7-13-8 Roppongi (5411-4418).

Lexington Queen Strike a pose, there's nothing to it. 6pm-4am. 3-13-14 Roppongi (3401-1661).

Misterio Overheard that models were spongeing around here for a while. House and hip hop. Across the street from the Porsche dealership toward Tokyo Tower. Phoenix Bldg., B1, 1-4-3 Azabu-dai (3586-6518).

One Eyed Jack (Casino) Gambling, guzzling and groping in one stop. Young foreign staff and a relatively festive atmosphere. 6pm-2am. 7-15-31 Roppongi (5411-2926).

Salsa Corona Tito Puente and other mambo/samba LPs spin. 6pm-5am. Renu Bldg., 2F, 5-3-4 Roppongi (3746-0244).

Speakeasy Underground dungeon space with sporadic events worth attending. Off Roppongi-dori, towards Shibuya, 3rd right from Roppongi crossing. (5410-0356)

Velfarre The new Juliana's, and in Roppongi. Corporate clubbing perfected. Y7000 entrance. Closes at midnight. Whoopee. Next to One Eyed Jack and Jungle Bass. 7-14-22 Roppongi (3746-0055).



NISHI AZABU

BARS

Acarajé Small Brazilian bar with a big heart. 8pm-3am; Fri. & Sat. until 5am. (3401-0973)

* Acarajé Tropicana Bigger heart, better food. 6pm-2am. B1, 1-1-1 Nishi Azabu (3478-4142).

DJ's Pizzeria Restaurant-cum-happening groove space. On TV Asahi-dori. 11am-11pm; Fri. until 3am; Sat., noon-3am. Takekawa Bldg., 1F, 6-4-5 Roppongi (3479-5711).

Pigeon Skankin' little reggae bar. 1-4-49 Nishi Azabu (3403-2962).

* 328 (San-nippa) Funky DJs, deconstructed decor and a laid-back crowd. At the corner of Nishi Azabu crossing next to the police box. 8pm-5am. 3-24-20 Nishi Azabu (3401-4968).

Soul Sonic Boogie Groovin' funky DJ à la '70s-'80s. 8pm-2am. 1-2-26 Nishi Azabu (3404-6388).

Sunset Strip Cozy gathering hole for the cool crowd. 1-8-4 Nishi Azabu (3404-9988).


CLUBS

J.Men's Tokyo An all-gaijin male strip revue; shows 7pm, 8:30pm & 10pm. Reservations required. From Y4000 (free drink). 4-2-4 Nishi Azabu (3409-7607).

* Yellow The city's most progressive events and the sleepiest, most packed-in flock of adolescents. 1st & 3rd Fri.: Zero (techno). 2nd & 4th Fri.: Jazzin' (jazz/soul/funk). Sat.: World Connection (house). Others: X-Stasy (reggae), Jamaican Night (reggae), etc. Drop by for their complete calendar of events. 8pm-midnight. Turn left off Roppongi-dori three streets up from Nishi Azabu Crossing towards Roppongi. B2, 1-10-11 Nishi Azabu (3479-0690).



SHIBUYA & AREA


BARS

* Apollo Funky, funky. Featuring James Vyner's "The Right Touch" on Saturdays (acid jazz, Brazilian, hip hop). Y2500 (with two drinks). Aoyama NH Bldg., B1, 3-2-4 Kita Aoyama (3478-6007).

* Bar Aoyama Groovy, arty hang-out with a diverse mix of DJs. 8pm-4am; Sun., 7pm-2am. About 8 min. up Roppongi-dori from Shibuya Sta. Daikyo Bldg., 4-5-9 Shibuya (3498-4415).

China Rose Ebisu's newest DJ bar. Ajima Bldg, 1-12-5 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku (3280-4436).

Colors Excellent neighborhood dive in Ebisu. Fri.: Neo-acoustic guitar. Sat.: Reggae. 8pm-2am; Fri. & Sat. until 4am. From Ebisu Sta., turn right at Meiji-dori, then turn right at the first signal. B1, 1-15-6 Hiroo (3448-0317).

DJ Bar Inkstick World-famous space, recently renewed energy. 6pm-2am. Kanpari Bldg., 4F, 1-6-8 Jinnan (3496-0782).

D-Zone Small bar with nice vibes and nice DJs. Thur.-Sat. Vision Network Complex, 5-17-6 Jingu-mae (3407-6845).

Grass Recently opened dive emphasizing hip hop, reggae and house music. Cute midweek hangout. 3-25-12 Jingu-mae (3497-0303).

Jirocho Boogaloo and ethnic music in Ebisu. 7pm-2am; Sun., 6pm-midnight. Sato Bldg., 2F, 2-8-7 Ebisu Nishi (3477-2600).

Kaba Hangout for the DJ union near Ikejiri-Ohashi Sta. (Tokyu Shin-Tamagawa Line). 9pm-5am. Toya Bldg., B1, 3-21-29 Ikejiri (3418-1996).

Pylon Aoyama's newest club open only on Sat. Every Sat. night starting from 5/20, 10pm-5am. DJ Nyoro playing soul, funk, hip hop, jazz funk, reggae, etc. Y2500 with two drinks (Y2000 with flyer). For more info, call M-Plan (3465-1525). Le Deco, B1 in the same building as Wendy's, Omotesando Sta. 3-5-11 Kita Aoyama (3478-1870).

Shinkukan Cozy club with a cool bar. Y2500 (with one food dish & two drinks). 3rd Tue.: Bongo Beat LS & D (Latin soul & Dynamite). DJs: Comoesta Yaegashi, Shin'ichi Ito. Harajuku FS Bldg., B1, 4-4-14 Jingu-mae (3478-4946).

Silk Bring-your-own-music DJ place in Shibuya. 5pm-midnight. Fri. & Sat.: Eurobeat. 1-17-7 Jinnan (5458-1507).

* Web Stylish little mingling space. At the Mishuku Crossing between Ikejiri-Ohashi and Sangenjaya stas. (Tokyu Shin-Tamagawa Line). 3-30-10 Ikejiri (3422-1405).


CLUBS

* Blue Art and acid jazz. Intimate club with weekly Johnnie Walker exhibitions and parties. On Kotto-dori. 6-2-9 Minami Aoyama (3797-1591).

* Cave Worth the one-hour search for the front door. Energetic and enthusiastic young crowd. Near Tokyu Honten Dept. Store. 34-6 Udagawacho (3780-0715).

Club Maruyama Small split-level basement dance hall, located in the love-hotel district. From 6pm. B1, 7-9 Maruyamacho (5489-1600).

Crazy Moon Another gaijin male strip revue. Dai-ni Toho Bldg., B1, 1-22-10 Shibuya (3407-6229).

FFD Warehouse space on Dogenzaka featuring sporadic events. (5489-5459)

* Maniac Love Recently reopened. Come only if you're fierce. Mon.: Ambient & New Age. Tue.: Mellow & lovers. Thur.: Gorgeous deep-house groove. Fri.: Garage. Sat.: Pure chunky techno grind until 5am (Sublime Records night). Then hard-house and happy-techno after hours until 10am. Just off Kotto-dori. 5-10-6 Minami Aoyama (3406-1166).

The Room Acid jazz and hip hop ricochet off the concrete walls of this popular shoe-box size club. Funk, hip hop, reggae. From 9pm. (3461-7167)



OTHERS

Arty Farty Young, sexy gay crowd clashes with Santa-Fe-at-Christmas decor. Shinjuku-nichome. Mixed on Sun. 2pm-5am. 2-4-17 Shinjuku (3356-5388).

Automatix Hard dancing, techno and grooviness on two floors. 2-15-26 Shinjuku (3358-2256).

B-Vibe Tiny, genki, friendly gay bar in Shinjuku-nichome with nightly DJs. (3959-3633)

Café de la Soul Formerly Prince's Glam Slam. The Yokohama venue is still glam, hosting live and dance events. For details, call their PR office. (3485-8860)

Catalyst Funky, intimate club in Shinjuku with young crowd and fresh mix of DJs. 8pm-5am. Dai-roku Tall Star Bldg., 5F, 1-16-6 Kabukicho (3209-4102).

Danceteria Funk and soul in Shirokane. 8pm-2am; Fri. & Sat. until 4am. 1-29-13 Shirokane (3444-0097).

* Delight Fresh, mixed clubbers. House and garage. Men only on Sat. Women only 3rd Thur. Just next to the cruisy park in Shinjuku-nichome. Dai-ni Hayakawaya Bldg., B1, 2-14-6 Shinjuku (3352-6297).

Fine Line Bar/gallery space recently opened in Akasaka. Produced by the team behind Maniac Love. B1, 8-12-15 Akasaka (3402-4441).

* Gold Big glamorous space, excellent sound system: a clubber's club. Take a cab from Tamachi Sta. or you'll get lost. Sat.: Emma tries, or does he? Fri.: Peach Friday. DJ Toru Takahashi (3F), Nyoro, Aki & other girl DJs (2F). Free entrance for women until 11pm. 1-13-10 Shibaura (3453-3545).

Interaction Bar Small DJ bar run by the organizer of Toy Boy/Inner Ring/Ring. Relaxing gay atmosphere in Shinjuku-nichome. 8pm-5am; after hours on Fri. & Sat. until 9am. Shinjuku Heights Bldg., 1F, 2-13-7 Shinjuku. (3354-9015).

Kinsmen Established favorite in Shinjuku-nichome where boys and girls, gay and just happy hang easy. 2F, behind BYGS Bldg. (3354-4949)

Kinswomyn Women-only bar for gorgeous gay women and their friends. (3410-3628)

* Liquid Room Very, very, together venue with well-organized events. Shinjuku HUMAX Pavilion, 7F, 1-20-1 Kabukicho (3200-6831).

* Plug New funky jazzy club space for the genuinely groovy. Latin, funk, roots and soul. Sun. to Wed.: no charge. Thur.-Sat.: Y2000 (with two drinks). Nakano Station, N. Exit under the Kuishinbo Steak House near Broadway Center.

Rolling Stone Cool dive in Shinjuku. A tribute to you-know-who. DJ dishes 'em out by request. 6pm-4:30am; Sat. & Sun. from 5pm. 3-2-7 Shinjuku (3354-7347).




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