Introduction
Are you visiting Tokyo for the first time? Are you interested in its lesbian scene, or in LGBTQ+ culture more broadly? If one of these criteria applies to you, you might be interested in one of Tokyo’s most talked-about lesbian bars, Adezakura.
A well-known first stop on a night of bar hopping the popular lesbian bars of Shinjuku Nichome, Tokyo’s gay district, Adezakura has something for tourists, local queer people, and everyone in between! Read more to find out the ins and outs of visiting Adezakura, and to learn a little more about my personal experience at the bar.
First Impressions
When stepping inside Adezakura, my first thoughts were that this place is pretty much party central. Since I arrived on the later side (a little after 2 am), I didn’t catch it at its most crowded. But, what I did notice is that since it was late at night, men could enter as well as women (I’ll get more into the rules of entry later).
English pop music blasted on the bar’s speakers, and above the small bar hung a disco ball cheerfully reflecting light across the tiny space. The disco ball also had the help of some multicolored lights rotating around the room. Despite the place being pretty small, as most Japanese bars are, it did have a fair amount of space for dancing, with the bar counter crammed to one side of the room to allow for partying activities to commence. Although nobody was dancing while I was there, I could see that Adezakura was clearly built for it!
Another thing I realized is that Adezakura is perfect for tourists. Being a “shot bar”, a bar with no cover charge where you pay per drink, it’s familiar to Western tourists who might be more comfortable with this model than with paying a cover charge to enter.
In addition, since it was playing pop music in English, and seemed to have a pretty international clientele, I’d recommend this bar to tourists who don’t want to go too far out of their comfort zone. This might not be the bar to seek out if you want “the authentic Japanese experience”, but it is one where you can have some fun and meet fellow tourists as well as with Japanese people
Drink Menu
Adezakura’s drink menu is pretty standard, offering all your favorite classic cocktails like a lemon sour, rum and coke, and a whiskey highball. In addition, bartenders can probably make more complicated things if you ask, but rest assured that this bar has all the basics covered. Adezakura advertises all its drinks at ¥900, so you won’t get any surprises on your bill at the end of the night.
If you really want to go hard, you can order six shots for ¥5,000, or 12 shots for ¥10,000! But I don’t recommend doing this unless you’re sharing the shots with friends, since that’s both a lot of alcohol and a lot of money to spend.
Music, Vibe, and Decor
Like I hinted at previously, Adezakura has a very upbeat, party-friendly vibe with loud pop music playing all the time. It’s definitely not the bar to have quiet chats with your bartender, but it is the place to dance the night away before cooling down at a quieter joint.
The establishment has a bit of a ‘90s club feel, with rainbow lights dancing around the room, a neon sign or two adorning the walls, and a little leather booth on the side of the bar as well as leather bar stools lining the front of the counter. The only thing that deviates from this theme is the disco ball, which hearkens back to the ‘70s, but blends in perfectly with the rest of the decor.
Much of the walls of the bar are also lined with mirrors. So, if you’re the type of person that likes to watch yourself dancing, or who wants to snap a selfie while enjoying your night, Adezakura is the place to go!
Rules of Entry
Adezakura is open on Monday through Thursday, as well as Sunday, from 8 pm to 4 am, and from 8 pm to 5 am on Fridays, Saturdays and national holidays. Because this is a late night bar, it’s perfectly okay if you show up at 3 am and hang out for two hours until closing time, it’s all up to you! But, keep in mind that since Adezakura is a lesbian bar, their doors are only open to women from 8 pm to 2 am every night, but after 2 am, anyone can enter. So, plan your trip to the bar accordingly.
Like I mentioned before, Adezakura has no cover charge, and every drink costs ¥900, so it’s pretty easy to keep track of how much you spent, as long as you can actually remember how many drinks you had!
Accessibility
Adezakura is quite conveniently located, situated only three minutes away on foot from Shinjuku Sanchome Station (for the Fukutoshin Line, Marunouchi Line and Toei Shinjuku Line), three minutes away on foot from Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station (for the Marunouchi Line), and 15 minutes away on foot from Shinjuku Station (for all JR lines, the Marunouchi Line, and many others).
It’s safe to say that Adezakura is pretty easy to get to if you’re riding the train, and is also located right next to a plethora of other bars, clubs and restaurants in Shinjuku Nichome. So, if you’re already in Nichome and want to head over to Adezakura, you can easily do so!
Conclusion
Adezakura isn’t the place to go if you want to have a long, philosophical chat with your bartender. But, it’s definitely the place to bring all your friends and dance the night away, or do some lesbian dating if you’re looking for it. Perfect for tourists, foreigners living in Tokyo, and Japanese locals, you’re sure to have a raucously fun night at Adezakura!
If you want to read about my experience at Queen Tokyo, read the article below.
