Shibuya 109 has been the youth fashion center since 1979. When it first opened up, it was a different kind of department store at the time. Instead of having similar shops under one roof, it was designed to be a fashion community for the area. It’s a community of retail shops with different youth subcultures and different stores.

Shibuya 109 is an iconic symbol of Shibuya. Inside the department store you can find over 120 shops throughout its 10 stories. You can buy anything from souvenirs, shoes, clothes, beauty products, accessories and costumes all within their niche subcultures.

Photo Credit: Timeout Tokyo

Address: 2 Chome-29-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0043

Hours: 10am - 9pm

Website: https://www.shibuya109.jp/

How to get there: A 4 minute walk from the Shibuya Station, Hachiko Exit on the JR Line.

 

Every big city has a major landmark that can be associated with that area. New York has the Statue of Liberty, Paris has the Eiffel Tower and the London has the Big Ben. While Tokyo does have landmarks such as the Tokyo Tower and Skytree, the Shibuya Crossing is an iconic landmark that must not be missed.

This scramble intersection right outside Shibuya Station symbolizes modern Tokyo in itself - neon lights, crowds and hundreds of restaurants and shops. This intersection is unique in that you can cross in any direction you want. At peak hours there can be anywhere from up to 3000 people in the intersection at once! Being in the middle of a busy area, this makes for a perfect recipe of organized chaos! You’ll see waves of people going in every direction while everyone tries to dodge and avoid each other.

This intersection has been made popular in movies such as Lost in Translation and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. It also makes appearances in many TV shows, manga’s, anime’s and newscasts.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

Location: Right outside Shibuya Station

Hours: N/A

Website: N/A

How to get there: A 1 minute walk from the Shibuya Station, Hachiko Exit on the JR Line.

 

Hiroyasu Kayama's charming bar resembles an apothecary thanks to numerous herbal infusions and unusual potions that line the shelves. Clad in a white jacket, the bartender can often be found grinding roots, herbs and spices grown on his family's own plot of land, which add complexity to aromatic cocktails based on gin, whisky, absinthe and amaro. They are also used in homemade liqueurs – the bar is well-known for making its own version of Campari.

Summary Credit: Worlds Best 50 Bars

Photo Credit: Best 50 Bars in the World

Address: 〒160-0023 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Nishishinjuku, 1 Chome−13−7 大和家ビル 9F

Hours: Closed Sundays, 6pm - 1am

Website: N/A

How to get there: A 6 minute minute walk from Shinjuku Station, Central West Exit on the JR Line.

 

With two Shanghai-based cocktail clubs claiming spaces on Asia’s 50 Best Bars already under his belt, in 2019 Japanese bartender Shingo Gokan finally launched his first solo project on home turf. After debuting at No.13, The SG Club moves up No.9 in 2020, earning the title of The Best Bar in Japan, sponsored by Nikka Whisky. Emphasising a fusion of Japanese and American bartending styles, and incorporating unsung flavour combinations using ingredients from all over the world, The SG Club, which stands for “Sip” and “Guzzle”, claims two floors, with slightly different drinking experiences offered on each. At Guzzle, upstairs, guests sip drinks such as the Banana Daiquiri within a pub-like space, while downstairs at Sip, an industrial aesthetic and jazz set the tone for more spirit-forward intoxicants, such as the LOL, built with aged Scotch, aged plum liqueur, and melon.

Summary Credit: Worlds 50 Best Bars Website

Photo Credit: Timeout Tokyo

Address: 1 Chome-7-8 Jinnan, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0041, Japan

Hours: 5pm - 1am

Website: http://sg-management.jp/

How to get there: An 11 minute minute walk from Shibuya Station, Hachiko Exit on the JR Line.

 

It's high fives all round for this sleek, low-lit bar, which has received widespread acclaim thanks to the drive of owner Hidetsugu Ueno. A move to new (larger) premises in 2017 has done nothing to dampen the bartender's fire with the same inspired approach to cocktails, plus a 200-strong whisky list that wins praise from across the region. Ueno's Bellinis, Singapore Slings, Martinis and his signature White Lady remain a benchmark, while classics such as Ceremony – J's whisky, green tea liqueurs, and matcha bitters – and Bamboo are as popular as ever.

Summary Credit: Worlds Best Bars Website

Photo Credit: Worlds 50 Best Bars

Address: B1F, Efflore Ginza5 Bldg, 5 Chome−4−15, Ginza, Chuo City, 104-0061 Tokyo, Japan

Hours: Closed every Sunday, 5pm - 11:30pm

Website: https://www.barhighfive.com/

How to get there: A 7 minute minute walk from Yurakucho Station, Central Exit on the JR Line

 

The dapper bartenders at this back-alley speakeasy are dab hands at traditional absinthe and sugar cube drips, but also showcase the 'green fairy' in cocktails such as a 'frappe' with lime, orgeat syrup and mint. If psychedelic aniseed-flavored spirits are not your thing, there are plenty of other imaginative mixes on offer. Try the Dark Side of the Moon – a smoky mule variation with mezcal, picon, house ginger cordial, lime and charcoal inspired by the famous Pink Floyd song.

Summary Credit: Worlds Best Bars Website

Photo Credit: Asia Bars and Restaurants

Address: 1F, 1-5-8 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0021, Japan

Hours: 6pm - 1am, everyday

Website: http://small-axe.net/bar-trench/

How to get there: A 5 minute minute walk from Ebisu Station, West Exit on the JR Line

 

Hidden away on the 42nd floor of the Mori Towers, this luxurious area has a breathtaking night view of Tokyo from any seat in the house. This place is broken up into three parts: an Italian restaurant, Japanese restaurant and the bar where you can get their finest selection of alcohol. Beware, there is a dress code for guys! Make sure to not wear short sleeves, shorts or sandals.

Photo Credit: Xex Group Website

Address: Mori Tower 42F, 2-5-1 Atago, Minato-ku Tokyo

Hours: 11:30am -4am

Website: http://www.xexgroup.jp/en/atago

How to get there: A 5 minute minute walk from Roppongi Station, Exit 1c on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line

 

Arguably one of the top ten rooftop bars in Tokyo, the Andaz Tokyo hotel boasts a bar with unimpeded views all the way to Tokyo Bay on their 52nd floor. They have some of the finest alcohol which include Japanese sake, domestic crafted beers, seasonal fruits and teas that form their delicious cocktails and many more.

Photo Credit: Andaz Tokyo Website

Address: Toranomon Hills 52F, 1-23-4 Toranomon, Minato-ku Tokyo

Hours: 5pm - 12am (1am Friday, Saturday night)

Website: https://www.andaztokyo.jp/restaurants/en/rooftop-bar/

How to get there: A 5 minute minute walk from Yurakucho Station, Kyobashi Exit on the JR Line

 

When you descend the narrow wooden staircase into the dimly lit Star Bar in Tokyo’s Ginza district, you will immediately be struck by the attentive service and holistic experience on offer. The ambience in this bar in Tokyo is on the quiet side, and while the bartenders’ proper dress suggests formality, the welcoming atmosphere and gentle murmur of conversation create a space that is both relaxed and intimate. Meanwhile, the curved brown leather sofas and Victorian-style ceilings and wallpaper suggest a nostalgia for a slower time.

Once you have been led to your seat, you are likely to receive a hot hand towel and an amuse-bouche while you settle in. In the Japanese tradition, there is no menu, so a bartender will ask what you like and take it from there. This Tokyo bar’s specialty lies in rare Japanese whisky so request a cocktail built from a whisky base to receive something extra special. The knowledgeable bar staff will suggest and create bespoke potions according to your tastes. The attention to detail and precision cocktail making hail from the bar’s owner, Hisashi Kishi, award-winning bartender extraordinaire.

The meticulousness of these cocktail masters is exemplified by the bar’s insistence on serving drinks with their so-called ninja ice, a cube that is so glossy and clear that you cannot see it in the glass, and so slow melting that it does not dilute your drink. For concoctions so precisely mixed and brewed you will inevitably pay a premium, so attend with an open mind for appreciating potions and cocktail craftsmanship to get the best value for money.

Summary Credit: Worlds Best Bars Website

Photo Credit: Worlds Best Bars website

Address: Sankosha Building B1F 1-5-13 Ginza 104-0061 Chūō-ku

Hours: 5pm - 12am, everyday

Website: https://www.worldsbestbars.com/bar/tokyo/city-center/star-bar-ginza/

How to get there: A 5 minute minute walk from Yurakucho Station, Kyobashi Exit on the JR Line

 

Up on the 24th floor of the Peninsula Hotel you’ll find one of Tokyo’s hippest cocktail temples, Peter. The room is decorated with metallic trees which give an ethereal indoors-outdoors effect to the space that’s already pretty striking thanks to the digitized projections on the walls. Accessed via a private lift, ambient electro music plays in the background as people perch in the pod-like seats perusing the wide-ranging drinks list. While a large selection of beers and spirits are stocked the cocktails are the way to go and the well-trained know how to mix a killer drink. All this and the near-futuristic views of the Tokyo cityscape make this place pretty special.

Summary Credit: Worlds Best Bars Website

Photo Credit: Peninsula Hotel Website

Address: 24th Floor Peninsula Hotel 1-8-1 Yurakucho 100-0006 Chiyoda-ku

Hours: 11:30am -2:30pm / 6pm -10pm, Everyday

Website: https://www.peninsula.com/en/tokyo/hotel-fine-dining/peter-bar-grill

How to get there: A 5 minute minute walk from Yurakucho Station, Central West Exit on the JR Line