What to do at Night in Japan

While you're planning your trip to Japan there will most likely be many things on your to-do list. Sometimes it can look really scary because you may be thinking how am I going to get all of this done during my trip to Japan? There is a simple solution, and not many people think about it. On your list of things to see and do in Japan is probably some stuff that can be done during the night hours. This can save you a lot of time for activities during the day.

Let's go over your options!

Karaoke

This activity is probably on your to-do list if you are traveling with a group of people or even with one other person. Karaoke in Japan is a great experience to have in Japan because there are not many opportunities for it in other parts of the world. And even if you do come across karaoke where you're from it may not be well put together. Karaoke is a great place to go at night since they stay open really late. While staying in the city parts of Japan just look for these characters, カラオケ. This means karaoke in Japanese katakana writing. If you see this then that means the place offers karaoke. Not only can you sing your heart out for however many hours you choose to pay, but they also have menus to order snacks and drinks.

My friend is picking a song. Karaoke until 2 am. No regrets. 

Izakaya

An izakaya is a Japanese bar. Japanese bars stay open really late and is probably the only open space you can be your loudest. This is not your typical bar that you may be familiar with back in your country. Japanese bars are pretty much hole-in-the-wall places that are a great source for trying Japanese food. The most famous Japanese food you can find at an izakaya is yakitori (grilled meat skewers). You can expect people to be drinking at the izakaya, but what may come as a surprise is that izakaya is a great way to meet locals (whether you know Japanese or not). They're drunk and ready to mingle, they will be very curious about you and will have the "liquid courage" to ask you questions. If you are not a big drinker, like myself, you can always deny a drink by saying you're allergic. It's much easier to deny a drink with this excuse as the drinking culture in Japan is a big deal.

Arcades

Some really well known brand-name arcades are open really late, like past midnight. An example is an entertainment arcade called Round 1. This is a deluxe entertainment arcade that has standard arcade games but also has gambling machines, bowling and billiard tables. If you're not ready for the day to be over while in Japan, you can always go to Round 1 for any of these services. So don't feel to sad if you pass up a few arcades during your day outings because you can always check it out during the night. And if you're interested in learning more about arcades in Japan click here read my blog on it.

Shrines

Yes, some shrines never close. You will have to look into each shrines hours online (the ones you are interested in) and see if they stay open all night. For example, Yasaka Shrine and Fushimi Inari in Kyoto is always open and free to enter. It may look like it's closed at night because there will literally be no people around, but this is a great option for people who may not like to be in a large crowds. Many people don't go at night because of their interest in taking pictures. Taking pictures at night can be difficult but it is possible. During my college study abroad, I had classmates who went and stayed at Fushimi Inari during the whole night. I don't think they got back to the dorms until three in the morning.

Fushimi Inari at night. Some parts got really hard to see.

Ramen

Surprised? You can find ramen shops that stay open until morning. Think of it as a great food to have after a night of drinking. This is the reason why some ramen shops will stay open all night and until morning. Ramen is a great food to have during the night. My favorite ramen shop in Kyoto called Miyoshi Ramen is open from 11:00 am until 5:30 am. I have even been to this ramen shop at 1 am, so I can say from personal experience that you can try ramen at night.

Thank you all for reading my blog. I hope this helps with your travel planning to Japan. You have a lot you want to do, so I hope you can now fit everything into your schedule. Don't be scared to go out at night as Japan is one of the safer countries in the world. Just be smart and aware of your surroundings if you go out at night alone, but I recommend going to with some other people if possible.

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