For a city its size, Tokyo has a rather short roster of bars and clubs. But what the metropolis lacks in numbers, it does make up in spirit. With public transportation practically shut after midnight, clubbers stay out all night drinking and dancing until the first trains run in the morning.

Where
Home to international banks, Roppongi moonlights as Tokyo’s party central. At weekends, the place is swarming with expats, tourists and Nigerian peddlers that you might forget for a brief moment that you’re in Japan.

How
Clubs in Tokyo have a relaxed door policy. Unlike in Paris or London, queues are usually short and quick, trainers are allowed, and female company is not necessary to get in.

Cover depends on what group you fit in. Whereas women usually get in for free and foreigners pay between 1,000 to 3,000 yen (5-15 quid) for admission and 1 or 2 drinks, the Japanese men are charged the highest rates and get no drink tickets.

What
One of the bigger clubs in Toyko, Vanilla is where my friends and I usually went. It’s cheap, busy, and plays more than one style of music.

I’d recommend to check out the main room past 1 or 2am. The Eurodance songs, at first, may seem very tacky. But when I saw the Japanese go nuts over this music and my friends joining in on the fun, I noticed that my right foot was thumping and my head bopping. Soon enough, I was humming the “hey, hey, hey, hey” anthem. (Or was it the alcohol kicking in?)

Other places I like are Velours on a Wednesday or Saturday night, a swanky supper club (though no dance floor) in Aoyama, Propaganda for pre-drinks, Muse and Yellow. One club I think I would really enjoy is Air in Daikanyama, but it’ll have to wait until my next trip to Tokyo.

As for my blacklist, the bars I avoid are Lexington Queen, an all-you-can drink dive with seemingly under-aged Eastern European models, and Gaspanic, where wannabe gangstas strut their jewellery and baggy outfits.

Addresses
I’ve intentionally omitted a trendy lounge not listed on any of the sites that my friend showed me, as it’s one of the few cool places not overrun by tourists.

Web sites
CyberJapan (reviews): website
Metropolis (listings): website
Wikitravel (reviews): website
The World’s Best Bar: website

Roppongi
911 (bar, hip-hop): Roppongi
A-Life (supper-club): Roppongi, website
Feria (bar): Roppongi, website
Heartland (cafe-bar): Roppongi
Muse (club, hip-hop): Roppongi, website
Propaganda (bar): Roppongi
Vanilla (club): Roppongi, website
Velfarre (afters): Roppongi, website

Aoyama
Fai Aoyama (club): Omotesando, website
Las Chicas (bar): Omotesando
Velours (supper club): Omotesando, website

Shibuya/Daikanyama
Air*: Daikanyama, website
La Fabrique* (supper club): Shibuya, website
Womb (club): Shibuya, website

Outside of Tokyo
Ageha (megaclub): Shinkiba, website

* never been.