BestTime
Quick answer
Across 139 Tokyo bars and clubs, Friday and Saturday are equally busy, and the average venue peaks at 9 PM and 10 PM on both nights. Thursday is the busiest weeknight. Monday and Sunday are equally quiet. The standout finding: the average Tokyo venue is at 75% at 10 PM on a Friday but only 40% by midnight.
- Fri & Sat
- the big nights out, busiest around 9 PM and 10 PM
- Thursday
- liveliest weeknight
- 139
- bars and clubs compared
When Tokyo nightlife gets busy, night by night. BestTime forecasts.
Night by night
Busyness is a percentage of each venue's own busiest hour of the week (100%), and the peak hour shows when the average venue is fullest.
| Night | Average busyness (% of weekly peak, 6 PM to 4 AM) | Peak hour | Share of venues lively (70%+ of their peak) | Share of venues whose busiest night it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 25% | 9 PM and 10 PM (40%) | 22% | 3% |
| Tuesday | 30% | 9 PM and 10 PM (50%) | 36% | 4% |
| Wednesday | 30% | 9 PM (50%) | 27% | 3% |
| Thursday | 35% | 9 PM and 10 PM (55%) | 47% | 6% |
| Friday | 45% | 9 PM and 10 PM (75%) | 91% | 52% |
| Saturday | 45% | 9 PM and 10 PM (65%) | 80% | 29% |
| Sunday | 25% | 8 PM and 9 PM (40%) | 33% | 3% |
Friday and Saturday tie on average busyness at 45%. Friday has the higher peak, 75% against 65%, and more venues lively: 91% against 80%. It is also the busiest night of the week for 52% of venues, against 29% for Saturday.
Tokyo winds down fast after 11 PM. On Friday the average venue is at 65% at 11 PM, 40% at midnight and 30% at 1 AM on Friday night. Saturday follows the same curve, with 20% still at 3 AM on Saturday night.
Sunday peaks earlier than any other night, at 8 PM and 9 PM. By 5 PM it is already at 25%.
Night by night at a glance
- Monday: peaks at 9 PM and 10 PM (40%), averaging 25%, with 22% of venues lively.
- Tuesday: peaks at 9 PM and 10 PM (50%), averaging 30%, with 36% of venues lively.
- Wednesday: peaks at 9 PM (50%), averaging 30%, with 27% of venues lively.
- Thursday: peaks at 9 PM and 10 PM (55%), averaging 35%, with 47% of venues lively.
- Friday: peaks at 9 PM and 10 PM (75%), averaging 45%, with 91% of venues lively.
- Saturday: peaks at 9 PM and 10 PM (65%), averaging 45%, with 80% of venues lively.
- Sunday: peaks at 8 PM and 9 PM (40%), averaging 25%, with 33% of venues lively.
Neighborhoods
Shinjuku
Shinjuku covers Kabukicho, Golden Gai and Shinjuku-sanchome. Golden Gai is a few alleys packed with tiny bars, and Ni-chome is Tokyo's main LGBTQ+ nightlife area. Our 32 Shinjuku venues are equally busy on Friday and Saturday and equally quiet on Monday, Tuesday and Sunday. Both weekend nights peak at 10 PM, and 97% of venues are lively on a Saturday.
Yona Yona Beer Works (Shinjuku East), a craft beer bar near the station's east exit, peaks on Friday at 9 PM. KINGDOM TOKYO and ZEROTOKYO both peak on Saturday at 11 PM. DINING BAR KUJIRA peaks on Friday at 11 PM.
Yona Yona Beer Works (Shinjuku East):
Quietest: Wednesday 12 PM (15%)Busiest: Friday 9 PM (100%)
ZEROTOKYO:
Quietest: Thursday 2 AM (10%)Busiest: Saturday 11 PM (100%)
Shibuya
Shibuya's 16 venues are equally busy on Friday and Saturday and equally quiet on Monday, Tuesday and Sunday. Friday peaks at 9 PM and Saturday at 9 PM and 10 PM. Every Shibuya venue in our set is lively on a Friday. Weeknights peak early, at 8 PM or 9 PM.
The SG Club, a Jinnan cocktail bar run by bartender Shingo Gokan, peaks on Friday at 10 PM. ØL by Oslo Brewing Co., a Norwegian craft beer bar, peaks on Friday at 9 PM. MUSIC BAR ROCKAHOLIC Shibuya peaks on Saturday at 10 PM.
The SG Club:
Quietest: Wednesday 12 AM (25%)Busiest: Friday 10 PM (100%)
MUSIC BAR ROCKAHOLIC Shibuya:
Quietest: Tuesday 3 AM (10%)Busiest: Saturday 10 PM (100%)
Roppongi
Roppongi is known for clubs and an international crowd. Friday and Saturday both peak at 11 PM, and Thursday at 10 PM and 11 PM. The two weekend nights are equally busy, each the busiest night for 47% of its 19 venues. Monday, Tuesday and Sunday are equally quiet.
Hobgoblin Roppongi British Pub peaks on Friday at 8 PM. R2 SUPPER CLUB peaks on Friday at 11 PM.
Hobgoblin Roppongi British Pub:
Quietest: Saturday 12 PM (20%)Busiest: Friday 8 PM (100%)
Ginza
Ginza is known for upscale, classic cocktail bars. Its 12 venues are busiest on Friday and quietest on Sunday, when the peak comes at 6 PM to 8 PM. Friday peaks at 9 PM and 10 PM, Saturday at 9 PM. Thursday is strong too: 75% of venues are lively on Thursday, against 58% on Saturday.
Bar Lupin, a basement bar open since 1928, peaks on Tuesday at 8 PM. MIXOLOGY SALON, on the 13th floor of GINZA SIX, peaks on Thursday at 6 PM. High Five peaks on Friday at 8 PM.
Bar Lupin:
Quietest: Thursday 5 PM (30%)Busiest: Tuesday 8 PM (100%)
Ebisu
Ebisu's 7 venues are busiest on Friday and quietest on Sunday. Friday and Saturday both peak at 10 PM, and every venue is lively on a Friday. 86% of them have Friday as their busiest night.
Bar TRENCH, a small cocktail bar known for absinthe and herbal spirits, peaks on Monday at 10 PM. Its sister bar, Bar TRAM, peaks on Friday at 10 PM. Spring Valley Brewery Tokyo, a Kirin-run brewery in Daikanyama, peaks on Friday at 7 PM.
Bar TRAM:
Quietest: Monday 1 AM (10%)Busiest: Friday 10 PM (100%)
Asakusa
Asakusa is old-town drinking around Hoppy Street. Its 5 venues are busiest on Friday, peaking at 9 PM. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are equally quiet. Sunday peaks at 6 PM, and 80% of venues are lively that night.
Kamiya Bar, Japan's oldest Western-style bar, open since 1880, peaks on Saturday at 6 PM. Samboa Bar, a standing bar known for highballs, peaks on Friday at 8 PM.
Kamiya Bar:
Quietest: Monday 11 AM (25%)Busiest: Saturday 2 PM (100%)
Lively on a weeknight
These venues stay close to their own peak on ordinary nights. The number is how close a venue gets to its own peak late on Monday to Thursday, on average.
Rokusan Angel (Burlesque Tokyo), a burlesque show venue in a Roppongi basement, reaches 90%. Its busiest hour of the week is Thursday at 10 PM.
Quietest: Sunday 6 PM (35%)Busiest: Thursday 10 PM (100%)
Bar TRENCH in Ebisu also reaches 90%. Its weekly peak is Monday at 10 PM, and it is at 90% at 11 PM on a Friday.
Quietest: Wednesday 1 AM (25%)Busiest: Monday 10 PM (100%)
The Bellwood and IRISH PUB CELTS Yaesu both reach 85%. The Bellwood peaks on Thursday at 9 PM. IRISH PUB CELTS Yaesu peaks at 12 AM on Tuesday night. High Five and HUB Asakusa reach 80%.
The Bellwood:
Quietest: Monday 12 AM (40%)Busiest: Thursday 9 PM (100%)
IRISH PUB CELTS Yaesu:
Quietest: Monday 4 AM (30%)Busiest: Sunday 3 PM (100%)
Busiest at 11 PM on a Friday
The average Tokyo venue has started to slide by 11 PM, so the places at their peak then stand out. Five are at 100% at 11 PM on a Friday: DINING BAR KUJIRA, SEL OCTAGON TOKYO night club, V2TOKYO, THE PUBLIC RED AKASAKA and R2 SUPPER CLUB.
DINING BAR KUJIRA:
Quietest: Monday 3 AM (20%)Busiest: Friday 11 PM (100%)
V2TOKYO:
Quietest: Monday 9 PM (15%)Busiest: Friday 11 PM (100%)
THE PUBLIC RED AKASAKA is a Friday venue: at 11 PM on a Saturday it is at 35%. V2TOKYO and R2 SUPPER CLUB both hold 85% at that hour on Saturday.
Clubs
We analysed 25 venues listed as clubs. They peak at 11 PM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and at 10 PM on Monday to Thursday. Friday and Saturday both average 45%, but 92% of clubs are lively on Saturday, against 84% on Friday. 56% have Saturday as their busiest night and 32% Friday. Monday is the quietest, averaging 15%.
SEL OCTAGON TOKYO night club, the Tokyo branch of Seoul's Octagon, peaks on Friday at 11 PM and is at 80% at the same hour on Saturday.
Quietest: Monday 4 AM (15%)Busiest: Friday 11 PM (100%)
BAIA in Shibuya peaks on Saturday at 11 PM. Late on weeknights it reaches only 5%, so save it for the weekend.
BAIA:
Quietest: Sunday 4 AM (10%)Busiest: Saturday 11 PM (100%)
Tips
- Arrive by 9 PM. The average venue is at its fullest from 9 PM to 10 PM, and Friday drops to 40% by midnight.
- For a late night, start in Shibuya or Shinjuku and end in Roppongi, which peaks at 11 PM at the weekend.
- Do Ginza on a Thursday. 75% of its venues are lively that night.
- In Asakusa, go early on Sunday. Its venues peak at 6 PM, with 80% lively.
- Pick Saturday at 11 PM for clubs. KINGDOM TOKYO and ZEROTOKYO are both at 100% then.
- Want space? Monday and Sunday are equally quiet, with 22% and 33% of venues lively.
How we measured
These numbers are BestTime forecasts, built from anonymized, aggregated phone location data combined with real-world signals such as weather, events and holidays. Busyness is a percentage of each venue's own busiest hour of the week (100%), not a head count or capacity. Nights run from 6 AM to 5 AM, so 1 AM on Saturday morning counts as Friday night. The forecasts describe a typical week and do not cover seasons, holidays, special events or door queues. Read more about how the forecasts work.
Next steps
- Find busy bars tonight in the free Tokyo bar guide.
- Check when clubs fill up in the free Tokyo nightclub guide.
- Learn how to see if a bar or club is busy before you go.
- Browse all busy times guides.
Questions
What day to go out in Tokyo?
Friday or Saturday. Both average 45% of each venue's weekly peak, and 91% of venues are lively on a Friday. Thursday is the best weeknight, with 47% of venues lively.
What time do bars get busy in Tokyo?
The average Tokyo venue peaks at 9 PM and 10 PM on Friday and Saturday, reaching 75% on Friday. By midnight on Friday it is down to 40%.
What is the best weeknight to go out in Tokyo?
Thursday. It averages 35% and peaks at 9 PM and 10 PM at 55%, with 47% of venues lively.
When do clubs get busy in Tokyo?
Venues listed as clubs peak at 11 PM on Friday and Saturday. Saturday is their main night: 92% are lively and 56% have it as their busiest night.
Is Tokyo nightlife busy on a Tuesday?
Moderately. Tuesday averages 30% and peaks at 9 PM and 10 PM at 50%, with 36% of venues lively. Only 4% of venues have Tuesday as their busiest night.
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