Tokyo does secrets better than almost any city on earth. Beneath the neon and noise, behind unmarked doors and past unmarked staircases, a parallel nightlife scene thrives — one built on craft cocktails, intimate service, and the quiet thrill of knowing where to look.
Tokyo's speakeasy culture isn't a gimmick. It grew organically from a bartending tradition that prizes discretion, precision, and the craft of a single perfect drink. These aren't themed bars playing dress-up in Prohibition nostalgia — they are serious cocktail establishments that happen to be hidden.
This guide covers the best speakeasies and hidden bars in Tokyo, sorted by area, with everything you need to find them, get in, and order well.
What Is a Tokyo Speakeasy?
In Tokyo, the term "speakeasy" covers a broad range of hidden or hard-to-find drinking establishments:
- Password bars — Entry requires a code word or reservation password, often obtained via social media or a friend's referral
- Hidden entrance bars — Accessed through a bookshelf, a public phone booth, a refrigerator door, or a staircase with no signage
- Secret floor bars — Located inside another establishment (restaurant, hotel, or even a convenience store building)
- Reservation-only dens — No walk-ins accepted; you need to know to book ahead
The Best Tokyo Speakeasies by Area
Ginza & Higashi-Ginza: The Prestige Tier
Ginza is Tokyo's most expensive neighbourhood, and its hidden bars match the postal code. Expect world-class cocktail programs, premium spirits, and clientele that includes finance executives and fashion industry regulars.
Star Bar Ginza Run by Hisashi Kishi, former World Cocktail Championship winner. The space is small, formal, and extraordinary — a 12-seat counter in the basement of a Ginza building. No walk-ins without a reservation; the menu is essentially omakase. Area: Ginza | Hours: 6pm–2am Mon–Sat | Reservation required
Bar High Five Hidetsugu Ueno's legendary bar in the basement of the Efendi Building, Ginza. Consistently ranked among the world's 50 best bars. No cocktail menu — you describe what you want and Ueno-san builds it. The bar's omakase approach is the gold standard of Tokyo cocktail culture. Reservation strongly recommended. Area: Ginza | Hours: 6pm–2am Mon–Sat | Reservation strongly recommended
Codename Mixology Akasaka A proper password bar. The concept changes seasonally — the current edition is accessed via a discreet door inside a building lobby in Akasaka, with entry confirmed by a reservation code sent via email. Cocktails are theatrical but technically excellent. The space holds 24 people; full venue buyouts are available. Area: Akasaka | Hours: 7pm–2am | Reservation required, password provided on booking
Shibuya & Aoyama: The Design-Forward Scene
This triangle of neighbourhoods (Shibuya, Omotesando, Aoyama) contains Tokyo's highest concentration of design-led hidden bars — spaces where the concept and the interior are as considered as the drink.
SG Club (Shibuya) Arguably the most famous speakeasy-adjacent bar in Tokyo. Run by Shuzo Nagumo, one of Japan's most decorated bartenders, SG Club is split across two levels. Guzzle (ground floor) is the casual entry point. SG (lower level) is the intimate cocktail destination — 20 seats, no loud music, an omakase cocktail experience that rivals a Michelin-starred meal. Reserve through their website; same-day walk-ins are rare but possible on weeknights. Area: Shibuya | Hours: 6pm–2am | Dress code: Smart casual required on lower level
Bar Trench (Ebisu) A Tokyo institution with a Gothic European aesthetic. Bar Trench sits below street level on a quiet Ebisu back lane, identifiable only by a small lantern outside an otherwise unmarked door. Their aperitivo-style cocktail menu is 80+ deep; the absinthe and vermouth selection is the best in Japan. No reservations — but go before 8pm on weekdays or expect a short wait. Area: Ebisu (Shibuya-adjacent) | Hours: 6pm–3am | No reservations
The Bath House (Aoyama) A reservation-only cocktail bar built inside a renovated sento (public bathhouse). The original tiling and wooden benches remain; the cocktail bar occupies what was once the changing room. Gin-forward menu with Japanese botanicals. The entrance is on a residential side street with no signage — the reservation confirmation email includes a map pin. Area: Aoyama | Hours: 7pm–1am Tue–Sat | Reservation only
Fuglen Tokyo (Tomigaya) Norwegian-founded coffee bar by day, craft cocktail destination by night. Not hidden in the secret-door sense, but notoriously hard to find in a residential neighbourhood most tourists never reach. One of the best value cocktail experiences in Tokyo; the Aquavit-based drinks are outstanding. Area: Tomigaya (Shibuya-adjacent) | Hours: 8am–2am daily
Shinjuku: Golden Gai's Hidden Tier
Golden Gai's famous drinking alley is well-documented, but within its six narrow lanes are bars so small and so specifically curated that they operate as semi-private spaces.
Bar Albatross Four floors, 15 seats max, an antique chandelier on every level. Despite being literally in the middle of Golden Gai's most photographed alley, the upper floors feel completely secret. Jazz, candles, very good whisky. Area: Golden Gai, Shinjuku | Hours: 6pm–5am
Araku (Golden Gai) A 6-seat bar run by a single bartender who has worked in Tokyo's top hotel bars for 15 years. No menu posted outside. Entry is technically open but the bartender uses quiet judgment — showing up with a recommendation from another Golden Gai bar owner helps significantly. Area: Golden Gai, Shinjuku | Hours: 8pm–3am Fri–Tue
West Shinjuku: The Craft Legend
Bar Benfiddich (West Shinjuku) Not technically hidden, but notorious enough to deserve inclusion: a 9th-floor bar accessible via an old elevator in a nondescript building. Hiroyasu Kayama grows his own botanicals and makes bitters, cordials, and syrups from scratch. The result is one of the most extraordinary cocktail menus in Japan. Reservations essential. Area: West Shinjuku | Hours: 6pm–2am | Reservation strongly recommended
Password Bars: How It Works
Tokyo's password bar concept is a legitimate access system, not a gimmick:
- Find the bar on social media — Most post on Instagram with a booking link
- Make a reservation — You'll receive a confirmation with the password (or door code) by email or DM
- Arrive at the entrance — Often unmarked; your confirmation email will include the exact address
- State the password — Either to a host, into an intercom, or by showing your confirmation on your phone
Password bars are not exclusive for the sake of it. The system manages capacity, sets tone, and ensures guests are there because they want to be — not because they stumbled in. Respecting the format (dressing appropriately, arriving on time, not photographing other guests) is expected.
Tokyo Speakeasy Tips
Booking advice:
- Most serious hidden bars accept reservations via their own website or Instagram DM
- Book at least 3 days ahead for weekends; same-week bookings often work on weeknights
- Some bars (Bar Trench, Bar High Five) are walk-in only — arrive at opening time to guarantee a seat
- English-speaking staff are common in international-facing bars; a translation app handles the rest
What to wear:
- Smart casual minimum at any cocktail-focused hidden bar
- Formal optional but welcomed at Ginza institutions (Star Bar, Bar High Five)
- Golden Gai is casual — anything goes
What to expect:
- Cocktail prices range 2,000–5,000+ yen per drink at premium venues
- Service charges (10–15%) and seating charges (500–1,500 yen) are standard
- Omakase cocktail formats (you describe your preferences, the bartender creates) are common and highly recommended
- Most bars are 8–15 seats — intimate by design
Language:
- English menus are common at tourist-facing venues
- At Ginza institutions, a basic phrase in Japanese goes a long way: "omakase de onegaishimasu" ("I'll leave it up to you") is universally appreciated
Area Map: Where to Bar-Hop
Ginza / Higashi-Ginza route: Star Bar Ginza → Bar High Five (both basement, Ginza) → End at 300 Bar for a final nightcap
Shibuya / Ebisu route: SG Club (Shibuya) → Bar Trench (Ebisu, 5 min taxi) → Fuglen (Tomigaya, 10 min taxi)
Shinjuku Golden Gai route: Bar Albatross → Araku → Any of the 200+ surrounding micro-bars until dawn
More Tokyo Nightlife Guides
Looking for more? Check out our other guides to Tokyo's best nightlife:
