Locals may be aware of the good ol’ Shuuden that puts us in a rush to end nights out and hurry home. But what happens if you miss it? Or you want to spend longer in the city? What kind of places is open overnight? Here are just some ideas for those night owls looking to spend a Japan-like night.
Karaoke
Many karaoke places are known to be open 24/7 as many people like to sing and drink until the morning. During midnight hours, unlimited hour fees might be the way to go, where you get a much cheaper deal than if you pay hourly. For example, some places may offer unlimited room time until 6 AM for around 1000 to 3000 yen.
This doesn’t mean you have to sing for six-hour straight. Most karaoke places have drinks and food menus that you can order from, and some even practise their instruments or sleep in these rooms!
Internet café
Another popular choice is internet cafes. And again, like karaoke, internet cafes are not specific to just using the internet. At these places, you can not only use computers but play billiards, table tennis, sing karaoke, print things, read comics or magazines and even take a shower and sleep! Of course, each place differs, but here’s just an idea of what an internet café might look like:
You can order food, you can charge your phone and use Wifi…the list is endless.I think internet cafes can take the trophy home for an all-in-one convenient venue.
Round One
If you’re up for being active and playing games all night, Round One may be your go-to option. Round One is quite similar to internet cafes in that it has various games you can play, but it turns the volume down on the relaxation aspect and more on the gaming aspect. Bowling, billiards, darts, table tennis and karaoke are the main attractions, but some places even have baseball batting centres or pitching centres or ‘Spo-cha’ which involves a variety of different sport-related games (roller skating, scootering, kickboxing, archery etc.)
Image is taken from RoundOne official website
Don Quijote
If shopping is more your thing, Don Quijote (a department store with a variety of items) could be a good choice for you. Many Don Quijote stores are open until early morning, and some are even open 24 hours. Here you can find anything from food to costumes to kitchen goods to toys to hair dye to clothes. The list is endless when it comes to Don Quijote. Because there’s so much stuff, it would take you several hours to get through it all!
Onsen (communal hot spring/ bath)
Although this is quite a rare find, it took me by surprise the utilities that you can find in some Onsen/Sento places. I’ve been to Onsens where you can charge your phone, read books, eat ice cream and even take a nap! Again, to find a place like this is rare but there are 24 hour operating Onsen places if you know where to look (especially in the city!). Even if not open 24 hours, since many people like to go to Onsen in the early hours of the morning, places can be open from around 5 or 6 in the morning. This might be the perfect end to a night out exploring or partying. And the best thing with Onsen is that most do not have time restrictions so if it’s a 24-hour operating place, you can pretty much stay there all night!
Drink
Izakaya is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to nightlife, and many places are open until early morning. Some places I’ve been to even offer all-you-can-drink STARTING from midnight and ending at 6 AM for quite a cheap price. Other than this, since you can drink in public in Japan, a 200-yen conbini can of beer at a park is another way you can spend the night.
Hopefully, this gives you some ideas about how to spend the late hours of the night in Japan. Just be careful of time limits and fees before entry and you should be able to spend the night for quite cheap!
Happy travelling!
M.K.