When most people think of Tokyo, the stereotypical image that comes to mind is a city of lights and neon signs lighting up the night. Although there are many aspects of Tokyo, the nightlife is definitely one of the best.

The area we stayed in, Akasaka, is pretty close to Roppongi, the music district. On different weekend nights, we went out to various clubs in the area. Our concierge for these trips was Satoko, a cute Japanese girl who went to MSU and now lives in Tokyo. We went to a club called Garden House during our first weekend in Tokyo. The crowd is very international; I met people from Glasgow, Rio, Melbourne, and London, as well as some Tokyo townies.

Another great place to go at night is Shibuya. This district has a lot of shops and restaurants, and at night it looks like Times Square in New York City. Shibuya also has one of the busiest intersections in the world. There aren’t that many cars, but when the crosswalk light turns green about five thousand people cross in every direction.

The best night out was when we went to karaoke in Roppongi. Japanese karaoke is much different than its American counterpart; no one gets up on a stage to embarrass themself. Instead, guests are given a private room and unlimited beverages for however long they pay to stay.

There are thousands of songs available in English, including a plethora of American classics. Karaoke is a much bigger part of the culture in Japan than America. Satoko said she goes out once or twice a week for karaoke with her friends. It’s cool that going out at night in Japan revolves around more than just drinking, which is all too common in the United States.