Live Houses

I’ve mentioned live houses previously but haven’t gone into detail. That changes now. A live house is a club/bar that hosts live bands. They are often on the smaller side, sometimes very small. That’s part of the charm. 

In college, many of my friends were musicians and I spent a disproportionate amount of time seeing bands in small venues. It was fun as hell. 

Japan has its own vibrant, thriving live house scene with all kinds of bands performing in small-ish venues.

Just like I think visiting a jazz kissa is a must-do on any Japan visit, going to a live house is not to be missed. There is something for every possible musical taste from blues, jazz, rock, soul, funk, punk, R&B, metal (all the incarnations), noise, emo, and alt, to bands playing music I wouldn’t even know how to begin to describe.

In Tokyo there are a lot of live houses in Shimokitazawa, Koenji, Kichijoji, and, of course, Shinjuku and Shibuya. Who’s to say you can’t start a night of music in a tiny bar in Shimokitazawa and later hop on the Keio-Inokashira line and be at another place in Shibuya, enjoying multiple venues in one evening?

Covid took its toll, and some places didn’t make it (RIP AgeHa), but there are still many to choose from. 

A massive list of live houses

Upcoming shows at various live houses

Some famous spots:

Blue Note Tokyo features top jazz bands.

For rockabilly and rock ‘n roll, check out the schedule at The Top Beat Club in Ogikubo where you can frequently catch Japanese legends, The Neatbeats.

Club Quattro is still going strong in Shibuya.

In Shimokitazawa, Shimokitazawa Three is a legendary spot. SPREAD is also very popular. mona records is known for lots of indie artists.

Higashi Koenji’s UFO Club hosts indie and punk bands and was at the epicenter of Tokyo’s 60’s psychedelic music movement.

SOMETIME Jazz bar in Kichijoji.

Unlike in a lot of other countries, shows often start early, and promptly. No waiting until the artist decides to get on stage. So, be on time.

Yakiimo

Yakiimo is a roasted sweet potato. 

You see these wonderful warm, healthy treats at markets and konbinis in autumn. They’re very popular and often sell out quickly. Japanese sweet potatoes are the perfect snack when it’s cold outside. They’ll be roasted, wrapped in a paper bag, and sitting on a warm stand waiting for you.  

This is a very old-school Japanese treat. They have just the right amount of sweetness, making them deliciously satisfying. They rank up there with onigiri and PINO as my favorite eats to get at a konbini. If you’re visiting Japan in the Fall, I highly recommend you keep your eye out for yakiimo and try them if you can.

Yabai

Several years ago, I was waiting at a light in Shibuya, and every other person kept saying “yabai”. When I asked my Japanese friends what it meant they said alternately “nothing” and “a lot of things”. They wouldn’t give me a straight answer. Let me clear this up, as you will hear this word a lot and it is useful to know.

The many meanings of yabai. 

Yabai initially meant bad, dangerous, or even gross. It was a negative word. Often used as a warning or an exclamation referencing something bad, or dangerous like “Watch out, there’s a rabid dog”. Or “That area is dangerous”.

Over time, just like the words “bad” or “sick” have become slang ways to mean “awesome” or “cool”, yabai can now mean awesome, cool, sick, amazing, crazy, etc., depending on the circumstances.

Older people still tend to only use yabai in the negative sense. This makes sense, there aren’t a lot of grandparents out there saying stuff like “This cake is sick!” although things are changing and there are always exceptions.

As with a lot of words, context is king. Pay attention to the situation and the tone and you’ll have fun with yabai.