Club Bed Ikebukuro

Club Bed won't appear on any list of Tokyo's best clubs, and it doesn't aspire to. What it offers instead is a genuinely local clubbing experience at a price point that's hard to beat in central Tokyo.

The entrance is a staircase down from street level, marked by a small sign and a member of staff checking IDs. The basement room opens up into a space that feels bigger than it looks from outside, thanks to dark walls and strategic mirror placement. The DJ booth is elevated at one end, the bar at the other, and the dance floor fills everything in between.

I visited on a Saturday at midnight. About 100 people were already dancing, and the number grew steadily over the next two hours. The crowd was young, mostly in their early twenties, dressed in streetwear and club fashion. Groups of friends made up most of the attendance; few people came solo.

The DJ's set was an education in Japanese pop music. Current J-pop hits blended into EDM drops, which transitioned into anime opening themes that provoked the biggest singalong reactions I've seen in a club. The room knew every word. For a foreigner unfamiliar with the songs, it was simultaneously alienating and fascinating.

The 1,500 JPY cover with a drink included was genuine value. An additional beer at 600 JPY meant I spent a total of 2,100 JPY for a full night of clubbing. The sound system was adequate for the room, the staff were efficient if not chatty, and the bathroom was cleaner than most Tokyo clubs.