Tokyo’s best live music venues

Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall
It's certainly not the aesthetics that lure people to this amphitheatre, nestled in the corner of Hibiya Park. The Open-Air Concert Hall has been hosting music events since 1942, although it was completely overhauled in the early eighties. Outdoor gigs are a rarity in Tokyo, and one that's worth savouring – even if you have to do it within blocky, concrete environs such as these.
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Shibusashirazu Orchestra at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall

Higashi-Koenji 20000V
The original 20000V was an institution on the Koenji live scene, until a tragic fire at the late-night yakitori shop upstairs put its building out of commission. Undeterred, some of the venue's staff decided to set up a new, unofficial successor (the actual name is 'ni-man denatsu', literally '20,000 volts'). It's the go-to place for hardcore and noisy indie, and the drinks are cheap. Bonus.
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Muryoku Muzenji
It's decorated like an acid vision of an idyllic childhood, underground folk legend Kan Mikami does a gig there every month, and it's the only place in Tokyo where you're likely to hear Jingle Cats playing in between sets. What more could you possibly want?
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Muryoku Muzenji

Pit Inn
Long before Blue Note came to town, there was Pit Inn. The first incarnation opened way back in 1965, starting life as a jazz coffee shop for car enthusiasts (no, really), and it moved to its current location in 1992. While its competitors aim for pricey dinner-lounge chic, here the emphasis is strictly on the music: all the chairs face the stage, and if you ask for lobster thermidor they'll probably laugh at you.
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Shelter
For nearly two decades, Shelter has been one of the must-play venues for indie bands hoping to crack the big time, following in the footsteps of alumni including Number Girl, Asian Kung-Fu Generation and The Back Horn. It celebrated its 20th anniversary in autumn 2011 with a string of gigs whose lineups were voted for by the punters themselves.
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