Night life is the right life but what else is there to really say about it? Before each of the times I've left for Japan I'd spend hours and hours mapping down plans, clubs, event information and shit like that in order to have a real advantage over knowing what's going to be what but then I realized once getting there that all I was doing during the time researching it was just trying to rid all the anxiety out of me and that there was no real point into spending hours and hours trying to find out about Tokyo clubs when they were all great, all had hot bitches and yeah they are everywhere in Tokyo.
There is only one real guideline you should follow when going to nightclubs in Tokyo and that is, if you want to dance then go with other people but don't go with other people if you want to get on Japanese girls all night. Tokyo is a loner's paradise. You have better chances getting Japanese girls by yourself than you do around other people.
Where to go in Tokyo
There are thousands of nightclubs/bars in Tokyo and it doesn't really matter what the building or inside looks like and what really matters is what kind of events they are having (one night could be rap/hiphop and the other night could be house.) And remember, the streets of Tokyo have more Japanese girls than any nightclub or bar in Japan.
A lot of people ask me, "where should I go in Tokyo?" And I used to tell them Shibuya's Dogenzaka (the once redlight district with the bright Pacman signs everywhere,) after 11:00PM (which is the time most of the clubs start up. You should, most of the time, be fashionably late because girls are more interested in what just walked in than someone who had been at the bar all night getting fucked up.) I'd recommend, if going to Dogenzaka on a weekend, to relax in Shibuya until atleast 12:30 and then go check out Dogenzaka. Sadly, over the years Shibuya has cleaned up Dogenzaka. Now there are empty alleys where there once were nightclubs that never carded underage for ID, bars like Sugar High where you could go and drink all-you-can-drink from 11:00PM to 5:00AM for 3,000 yen, Japanese school girls in wait of a night of sex or their next enjo kosai, swinger couples approaching you for partner sex in love hotels, foreigner models asking you if you'd want to go to a party with other models when you aren't a model, three times as many love hotels than there are now, love hotels that were being ran and ran well by yakuza and convenience stores that sold alcohol. No wonder the literal translation of Shibuya is bitter valley.
Now, when I'm asked, "where should I go in Tokyo?" I have a new answer and another approach. Machida, which is quite possibly, the last of real Tokyo. The best way to get to Machida is by taking Shinjuku's Odakyu line. When you arrive at Machida the train station will seem like it's more of a maze than Shinjuku's station but you'll figure it out quickly. You should go to Machida at around 4:00PM, take beer and alcohol with you, when you get there find it's largest McDonalds, that will be your starting point and will most likely not go anywhere/change into another building for a few years. While facing the entrance to the McDonalds there will be a larger street with no cars, just people, to your left. There is much to explore and more importantly this part of Tokyo, Machida, has the finest Japanese girls, Japanese girls who have a ton of money, Japanese girls without responsibilities
(noted because Machida has so many places to shop,) and a carefree environment. You must be able to stand out from the crowd, dress to get noticed and must look approachable. Looking approachable means you should go alone, get drunk and look like you have a ton of money.
After you find what you were looking for, ask her to go with you to one of the many love hotels (like how Dogenzaka in Shibuya used to be,) behind Machida's train station. If you haven't met your ideal Japanese girl by 7:00PM then take the Odakyu line rapid train (not local, they cost the same,) back to Shinjuku and then from Shinjuku take the Yamanote line (or, green train,) back to Shibuya. Once in Shibuya, while still dressed to impress, look for her and don't worry about not being able to find her because your fun hasn't even begun yet. If by 10:00PM you still haven't found a girl worth your time then take the Yamanote line back to Shinjuku and then the Odakyu line back to Machida. When you get back to Machida, the streets will clear, right? After the last train bound for wherever leaves it'll be next to empty and that my friend, is when the party begins! Machida turns into a skateboarding park, ramps, metal ledges, ledges with coping, stairs, no skate stoppers anywhere, no police anywhere, perfectly smooth flat ground for miles. It's a skateboarder's dream and it's in Tokyo! You'll realize that the spots existed all along but earlier, when there were crowds of people everywhere you wouldn't have seen it as skate spots, ledges you'd have access to and such. If you aren't a skateboarder, this is a crazy time to get fucked up and explore because of small bars and restaurants that are open all night.
One of Josh's favorite spots
If you are a skateboarder going to Japan for skateboarding or to get magazine coverage then consider checking out Module (which is the name of the nightclub,) in Shibuya. They have two projectors in their two lounge rooms that play skate videos, one right behind the bar, all the time and it's easy to meet new people there of importance and network.
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