How to Lose Sleep in Nagoya  

By Ashley Atkinson, Ogaki 

In an attempt to further tarnish her reputation, Ashley has decided to carry on her tradition of reporting to the GM with her accounts of Nagoya and Gifu nightspots, crossing the spectrum from hip-hop to rock. Feel free to e-mail us with your own comments and experiences. This month we've added Diamond Hall and Apollo Theatre.

Club: Diamond Hall
Styles:
Mixed styles of rock and pop; DJ events
Review: Diamond Hall, with a capacity of about 1,000, is the biggest Nagoya venue short of the huge public halls where pop idols play. As such, it attracts a lot of internationally touring acts that are big but not stadium-big, as well as touring Japanese bands of the same caliber. The space is pretty cavernous and as such doesn't have a lot of atmosphere; take your place on the floor in the front for a more down-and-dirty experience or in the tiered back section to get a better view of the action on the large stage. There are two bars, one in the lobby area and one inside the main hall. As the club is on an upper floor, expect people jams on the way in and the way out for popular events. This is a good place to see touring bands and occasionally DJs, but it isn't the kind of club where people go on a regular basis to hang out. 
Access:
Take the subway to Shin-Sakae Machi station. Exit through exit #2. Make an immediate right, heading south for one block. Cross Hirokoji-dori and turn right, heading west. Diamond Hall is in the middle of the block on the left, in the Flex Building, 5th floor. Look for the signs. 
More information: http://www.
diamond-hall.com 

Club: Apollo Theatre
Styles:
Mixed styles of rock, special DJ events, etc. 
Review: Apollo Theatre is Diamond Hall's smaller sister club. It's darker, cozier, and true to its name laid out like a theater, with a small floor in front of the stage surrounded by tiers that look like they once contained tables and seats for some sort of show. Now the theater plays host to rock events of all sorts, encompassing all varieties thereof and occasionally branching out to other genres. Bands that appear here range from unfamous to indie-famous to semi-famous, mostly Japanese but occasionally foreign. It's a popular spot for all-night events featuring several bands and DJs around a musical theme. 
Access:
Take the subway to Shin- Sakae Machi station. Exit through exit #2. Make an immediate right, heading south for one block. Cross Hirokoji-dori and turn right, heading west. Apollo Theater is in the middle of the block on the left, in the Flex Building, basement floor. Look for the signs. 
More information: http://www.
diamond-hall.com 

Club: Tightrope
Styles:
Rock (local, indie, punk); indie electronica 
Review: Tightrope is one of the many small Nagoya venues playing host to local and touring rock, indie and punk bands. It's run by members of the popular Nagoya band Bone Idol, who also operate the itty-bitty Club BL in Higashiyama. The space itself isn't much to speak of; a small bar, a small floor and a small stage, and walls decorated with the requisite stickers and posters for bands that have formerly graced the premises. That said, it's a good place to see Japanese talent that hasn't made it onto the charts; check out their Sunday Trash Party, a weekly showcase for local bands; you can buy a pass for the whole month. One also occasionally finds touring American indie bands on the schedule.
Access:
Take the subway to Sakae station. Exit through exit #13. Head south and take your first left. On the second block you'll see a Lawson's on the right. The building is directly across from the Lawson's. Tightrope is on one of the upper floors.
More information: http://www.
tight-rope.com 

Club: Sound Bar Jap
Styles:
Soul, funk & disco
Review: Sound Bar Jap is a small, cozy dance club that takes its '70s theme very seriously. The walls are painted in orange and pink swirls and vintage posters; there are even afro wigs available for your use and the club offers dance classes for those who haven't yet gotten their John Travolta black belt. The music, likewise, sticks to the tried and true soul/disco formula, but if that's what you go in for, then this could be the place.
Access: Take the subway to Sakae. Go out exit 1 and head west (right) on Nishiki-dori. Take the third right.
Jap is on the left on the second block; take the elevator to the 5th floor.  
More information:
http://13b.power.ne.jp/jap/

Club: P.O.d.
Styles:
All DJ styles - house/techno, hip hop/soul, pop, rock
Review: P.O.d. is a smallish DJ club that seems to host whatever random selection of events promoters decide to set up there. They include house/techno, rock, and '80s, but most are of the hip-hop/R&B/soul variety (check the schedule before you go). There's a decent amount of seating well-positioned for viewing the small dance floor, and the vibe generally seems to be upbeat and welcoming. You'll find mostly Nihonjin here; it's not particularly favored by the gaijin set.
Access: Take the subway to Sakae. Go out exit 4 and head north toward the TV Tower. Pass the TV Tower and the Rainbow Bridge and take the first right. P.O.d. is in the Voice Building immediately on the right corner, 4th floor.   
More information:
http://liveweb.jp/~pod/

Club: High Cross (Gifu-shi)
Styles:
All DJ styles - house, techno, hip hop, soul, Euro, rock
Review: Despite its physical address in Gifu City, High Cross is actually a fair distance from the city center, way out in Ginan-cho, housed in what looks like it used to be a car dealership. Like a lot of clubs in
Japan, it seems to be patronized more for special events than for an average weekend night out. However, it also seems to have a good base of regulars who take part in its darts and dance competitions, hip-hop dance lessons and skate ramp (!) on a regular basis.  The smaller front room, with booths and a small dance floor, opens through a hallway into a larger warehouse-like back room that only occasionally packs out.  Guest DJs spin in various genres every Friday and Saturday for a cover that’s usually 1000-1500 yen, much better than you’d get at clubs in Nagoya.
Access: Take Route 21 east from
Gifu and then go south on Route 22. High Cross is just near the Ginan interchange.   
More information: http://www.ccn.aitai.ne.jp/~hi-x/crosstop.html

Club: Canolfan
Styles:
rock, indie, experimental electronic, jazz, folk, avant garde
Review: Canolfan is a café/gallery/performance space that often plays host to low-key local and touring groups, generally in the indie or experimental genres. The café space is bright, clean and sparsely decorated; while you’re waiting or watching you can browse CDs and magazines (some in English!) and chose a drink or snack from their café menu. Shows generally start and end early; if you’re a music fan (or a musician yourself) this a good place to check out the local talent in a laid-back setting, and maybe connect with some like-minded friends.
Access: Take the subway to Shin-Sakae Station. From the exit #2, walk east and immediately turn south towards Hirokouji-dori. Cross Hirokouji and turn left (east). Take the first right and Canolfan will be on your left (it’s rather brightly lit and hard to miss).
More information: http://homepage2.nifty.com/canolfan/

Club: The Plastic Factory
Styles:
house, trance, techno, special events
Review: The Plastic Factory is a club run by English ex-pats (no easy venture in Japan, I bet). It’s housed in a former plastic factory, hence the name, and the space has been renovated into a cool industrial-modern bar-club that on different nights can be low-key and loungey or wild and crazy (the second floor is a free space available for exhibitions, studio space, etc.) Every Friday is a DJ night; Saturday and occasionally other nights play host to special events that include wine tastings, Bhangra nights, movies and theme parties. The crowd is predictably gaijin-heavy, but a lot of foreign-friendly Japanese frequent the place as well. The owners have put a lot of work into making this place happen, and it seems to have paid off with parties that are said to be a lot of fun.
Access: Take the subway to Imaike Station. From exit 2 walk north. Take the third right (if you pass a Mini-Stop you’ve gone too far). Turn left at Don-taku Ramen and go up a short alley to find the entrance to the club (it’s best to take a map along, it’s tough to find).
More information: http://www.mangafrog.com

Club: Club Buddha
Styles:
hip-hop, reggae, other misc. events
Review: Club Buddha is a small but cool space catering to reggae lovers, and occasionally to hip-hop, rock, jazz, electronica and bossa nova fans. It's certainly not the kind of place you'd stumble across accidentally, located behind a windowless door on the 6th floor of a quiet, back-street building. Once inside, you'll find a small dance floor and a smattering of seating. The lighting is nice, the walls are decorated with artful graffiti and the drinks are strong. The varied schedule is mostly comprised of events hosted by independent promoters, so check first before you head out. And in a venue this size, you're guaranteed to make some new friends.  Entrance is always 2,000 with two drinks included. Non-smokers beware -- this is one of the smokiest clubs I've ever been in (bad ventilation, I guess) and burning incense only adds to the problem. 
Access: Take the subway to Shin-Sakae Station. From the exit #2, walk west. At the first intersection, turn south towards Hirokouji-dori. Cross Hirokouji and turn right (west). You should pass a convenience store (Family Mart?) on the left. Take the next left and then the next right. The building which houses Club Buddha is past a parking lot on the right; look for a small sign. It's on the sixth floor.
More information:
http://www5.plala.or.jp/cmyk/buddha/

Club: Ozon
Styles:
electronic (dance, trance, house, etc.)
Review: Ozon is probably the most spacious dance club Nagoya has to offer, although it doesn't have quite the variety of ID. The huge, ware-house style main room is almost always devoted to electronic music, and it gets pretty crowded on weekends. Occasional touring DJs and dance-oriented acts like Rip Slyme make stops here too. A much smaller side room spins hip-hop and hosts the occasional random live act. There's plenty of intimate seating around the floor (in case you're not actually there to dance). The crowd is mostly young and runs the gamut from prim-and-proper Louis Vuitton girls to be-goggled techno devotees. I even spotted a few people wearing animal suits. It's not as crazy as ID, and not as sketchy as J-Max, so if you want a big club but a more low-key experience try Ozon.
Access: Take the subway to Sakae Station. More info to come.
More information: http://www.ozon.co.jp/

Club: Club Quattro
Styles:
all styles of bigger-name Japanese and international touring acts
Review: I'm not sure there is any country other than Japan where you will find a live club located in the high reaches  of a department store. Considering its bizarre location (on Parco's eighth floor), Quattro offers an excellent space to see higher-profile Japanese acts and visitors from overseas. It's spacious but not too big, providing an opportunity to get more intimate with big-name acts than is usually possible at home. The sound, lighting and layout are all carefully considered, and there's not the least bit of sketchiness to be found here (which makes it comfortable, if a little safe for those who like their clubs edgier -- possibly because it's part of a national club chain). The only negative aspect is the inflated ticket prices, which are usually around 6,000 yen for anyone you've ever heard of -- Japanese acts often play other Nagoya venues for much less.
Access: Take the subway to Yaba-cho Station. Quattro is on the eighth floor of Parco's east building.
More information: http://www.net-flyer.com/  

Club: G-Groove (Yanagase, Gifu-shi)
Styles:
pop, dance, special events
Review: G-Groove is not the kind of club we can conscientiously recommend going to on an average weekend night. It's located in a rather dubious section of Nishi-Yanagase, and its decor (gold, mirrors) definitely reflects the character of the neighborhood (which, if you're not familiar with it, boasts a lot of guys in dark suits and girls wearing much less). It's something of a shame, because it's a large, comfy space within walking distance of the station that could play a bigger role in Gifu's nightlife if it wasn't so smarmy. That said, it's safe for special events, such as local punk shows or last year's appearance by world-famous DJ Fantastic Plastic Machine -- which was busy, friendly and fun. The clientele probably varies by event, but on a normal night be warned of sketchy sararimen and clueless service-industry girls.
Access: From Gifu Station, walk directly north on the street that runs past Bierhall. Follow it into Yanagase and take the first left past Takashimaya. Cross the next main road and G-Groove is a short distance on the right.
More information:  

Club: Radix
Styles:
hip-hop, reggae, other misc. events
Review: Radix is a bit off the beaten path of Fushimi/Sakae/Shin-Sakae club-hopping, but if you’re a hip-hop or reggae fan it’s probably worth the effort, as it’s one of only a few that caters primarily to those genres. Located in Tsurumai, which is quite desolate after dark, the trek to the club can be a bit taxing. After entering you’ll head immediately upstairs before heading back downstairs into the club space itself (might be a good idea to look out for emergency exits). The dance floor/seating space is just the right size for a decent crowd and the setup creates a nice vibe (good visibility for people-watching). The schedule is mostly locally-organized hip-hop and reggae events with
Nagoya talent, spiced up with occasional touring performers like the Pharcyde or the Ninja Tune family and reggae sound systems from Jamaica, or random rock events.
Access: Take the subway to Tsurumai Station. Exit through Exit 4 and walk southwest. Be sure you are NOT heading straight down Route 41, but rather following the road that cuts diagonally ACROSS Route 41. You will have to cross a large intersection to do so. Radix is a brief walk down this diagonal road on the left.
More information: http://www.radix.to

Club: Heartland Studio
Styles:
rock, pop
Review: Heartland Studio is the cleanest, brightest rock club you’ll probably ever set foot in. Its white walls, checkerboard floor and high-watt lighting system make it feel decidedly un-underground. The show I attended – which featured choreographed interpretive rock dancing – finished promptly at
9:30, at which time the lights got even brighter and the employees briskly began sweeping up the floor. The club seems to cater to a slightly older, tamer crowd as well, with bands that lean towards the poppy and/or cheesy end of the spectrum. Most are local; the schedule occasionally features some worthwhile local showcases, such as a John Lennon tribute held in December. You’ll be asked to buy the obligatory drink ticket on the way in.
Access: From Fushimi Station, walk west on Hirokouji-dori. Pass the Hard Rock Café and take the first left. Heartland Studio is in the same building as the Hard Rock, but underneath it. Facing the steps that lead up to the Hard Rock parking deck (across the street from the Hilton Hotel), look to your left and you’ll see another set of steps heading down to the club.
More information: http://heartland.freegate.co.jp/
 

Club: B’s Café (Yanagase, Gifu City )
Styles:
house, dance, R&B, hip-hop, bossa jazz, etc.
Review: B’s is one of the few clubs actually located in
Gifu City , for those nights you just can’t make it to Nagoya . Unfortunately, you’ll still have to pay Nagoya prices to get in – from 1,000 to 2,500 yen depending on the event.  The club itself is an itty-bitty space on the second or third story, with an intentionally cave-like atmosphere. But the resident and visiting DJs nearly always provide a quality soundtrack, with the exact variety of music  changing from evening to evening. The staff is friendly, the drinks start at only 300 yen and it’s open until 5 if you’re in for a late night until the first train. B’s gets crowded for the more popular events, and it’s a great place to meet some youthful Gifu natives (you’ll see a lot of all-white outfits, braids and sunglasses on the hip-hop oriented nights). 
Access:
From Gifu Station, exit to the north side and turn left, walking until you reach the first main intersection. Turn right here and walk several blocks. You will pass the
Gifu City Bunka Center on your right. Take the second right after you pass Takashimaya department store (located within Yanagase)  and B’s is on the right corner, upstairs (look for a sign outside).
More information: http://www.sagaaz.com/Gifu/Main/Play/club/bscafe/bscafe.html; print schedules available at stores in Gifu-shi

Club: Club Wall, “Metro” night (2nd Saturdays)
Styles: house, techno, gay anthem, occasional drag performance
Review:
Nagoya ’s only regular gay party is the second Saturday of every month at Club Wall. Mixed crowd, foreign and Japanese, gay and straight, men and women. A small place with one bar and dance floor at basement level. Cover is 2,000 yen (2 drinks included), drink prices start at 500 yen after that. The party usually picks up around midnight and goes until the club closes at 5 a.m.
Access: Sakae Station, exit 8. Facing the entrance of Mitsukoshi Department Store, walk right and turn down the small street that runs parallel to the building with the UniQlo sign, toward Loft. Club Wall is on the left about three blocks down across from a capsule hotel.
More information: 052-251-5609
(By D. Nance)

Club: Club Source
Styles:
soul, funk, occasionally hip-hop
Review:
The cover at Club Source is a bit steep (2,500 for men and 2,000 for women, with only one drink included) but if you want soul music, soul is what you’ll get here. Every Friday and Saturday night features the ’70s and ’80s Flash Back, where you can get your fill of “pure soul groovin’” and “best black history,” accompanied by the giant day-glo posters of dancing black people that are dotted around the room. The club itself is spacious, with a decent-sized dance floor and generous seating around it. The clientele tend to be somewhat on the older side, more so than other clubs in Nagoya anyway, and the floor never seems to be packed, but if you enjoy a more low-key night of dancing Source could be your place.
Access: From Fushimi Station, walk west on Hirokouji-dori.  Take the first left, then the first right, and Club Source is on the corner.
More information: http://www.club-source.jp/

Club: Club JB’s
Styles:
electronic/dance, hip-hop, occasional live bands
Review: Club JB’s is a mid-sized dance venue located in the same Sakae building as Lush, Cipher, Tite Rope and Club Daughter. JB’s is on the bottom floor, where you’ll find a dimly-lit club with a smallish dance floor and a separate bar area. The club offers a good variety of DJ and live events, with a little something for everyone somewhere on the schedule. DJs include nationally-famous touring acts, as well as locals. JB’s varied musical offerings and cool, low-key crowd make it worth checking out as an alternative to the bigger, crazier clubs.
Access: Take the subway to Sakae station. Exit through exit #13. Head south and take your first left. On the second block you'll see a Lawson's on the right. The building is directly across from the Lawson's. JBs is downstairs.
More information: http://www.shscity.com/jbs/

Club: Club Rock’n’Roll
Styles:
rock of all varieties, primarily local and lesser-known Japanese touring bands
Review: Club Rock’n’Roll is a small-scale live venue of the best kind – intimate, friendly and frequented by local bands and scenesters. It’s a smallish place, rather cheerful (for a rock club at least), with walls covered by stickers from bands that have played there in the 10 years it’s been in existence. You won’t find any names you recognize on the schedule, but if you’re interested in catching some native Nagoya bands or their out-of-town friends, head to Club Rock’n’Roll.
Access: From Shin-Sakae Station, go out exit #2 and head west on Nishiki-dori. Take the first left (on the large main road) then the first right. Take the first left again and Rock’n’Roll is three blocks down on the right side.
More information: print schedules available at other
Nagoya venues

Club: ID Cafe
Styles:
house/electronic, disco/soul, hip-hop
Review: Although ID sometimes gets maligned as a cheesy pick-up joint, it’s still the biggest, cheapest, most action-packed club in
Nagoya, a good time almost guaranteed if you employ your four drink tickets carefully. 3,000 yen gets the guys in, while it’s only 2,500 for the ladies. With five floors, each offering a different vibe and a different type of music, there’s something for everyone. The basement house/trance floor is usually fairly deserted; one floor up, you’ll find a boudoir-themed room with soul and disco. Just above that is a chill-out area with no dance floor, just tables, topped by the hip-hop floor, which is usually packed. The club is always super-busy on weekends – the clientele is a great cross-section of university students, young professionals, young un-professionals and gaijin, and after everyone’s had a drink (or three or four) it’s easy to find a willing dance or conversation partner. The club closes relatively early, at 2:30 am, but for a carefree, drunken good time in Nagoya, without worrying about taking over a club with a large groups of rowdy gaijin, ID can’t really be beat.
Access: Sakae – more info coming soon
More information: http://www.idx-net.com/iD/

Club: Club Plaza, Ogaki-shi, Gifu-ken
Styles:
Hip-hop
Review:
Club Plaza seems, somewhat laughably, to be the only thing resembling a bar or nightclub for young people in the Seino district. The 1,000 yen/1 drink cover charge is reasonable, the club is spacious and the music (varieties of Japanese & American hip-hop and R&B) is pretty good. This would ordinarily make for a great local club, but one important thing was missing on the night we attended … people. The four of us gaijin brought the total population of the club to 10 – that’s including two DJs, the bartender and three resident dance instructors who all eerily resembled Alicia Keys. This isn’t to say we didn’t have a good time; we danced, played drinking games and made ludicrous song requests until about 3 a.m. But we were the ONLY ONES doing so. If you Seino-ites find yourselves in the mood to dance and you need someplace closer to home, Club Plaza could be your answer. Just consider yourselves forewarned!
Access: From Ogaki Station, by car, taxi or bicycle – begin by going due south from the front entrance of Ogaki station. Turn left at any point and go several blocks until you reach the intersection with route 258. Turn right here and go south for several kilometers. Continue across a low bridge and
Club Plaza is further down on the left, marked by a red and yellow sign next to the road (near the sign with Doraemon on it).
More information: ----

Club: JMax
Styles:
Hip-hop, house/dance
/disco
Review:
Upon entering JMax, you might think that you’ve stumbled into a strip club by mistake. You’ll find yourself in a kind of gilded, mirrored antechamber, with the faint beats of music pumping out from behind ornate closed doors. For the price of entry (2,000 for the ladies and 2,500 for men) you’ll get four drink tickets, a deal matched by no other club except ID Café. The club itself is quite large, with two party rooms: one for disco/dance/techno and the other for hip-hop & R&B. The hip-hop room seems to draw more of a foreign crowd, with lots of Caribbeans, South Asians and various sorts of Westerners in attendance. The music was enjoyable, but there was a high disparity between the skills of the three DJs; and the patrons were friendly, although a few caused problems with too much aggression toward the ladies.

Back in the electronic room, you’ll find girls dressed in matching outfits doing synchronized dance moves on platforms and Japanese boys gleefully bouncing around together (whether this indicates that the club caters to the gay crowd or not I’ll leave to you to decide). The music here is a little variable as well, moving without warning from the hits of 1979 to sirens wailing and thump-thumping techno. But in sum, the club offers a nice space with a couple of musical options and plenty of seating secluded from the dance floor when you need to get away.

Access: From
Fushimi Station, walk south on Fushimi-dori. Turn left at the first corner south of Hirokouji-dori. Walk until you see a Circle K on the right, then turn right. JMax is on your left.
More information: http://www.jmax-jmedix.co.jp/

Club: Huck Finn
Styles:
rock, punk
, indie
Review:
Huck Finn is a classic punk club – downstairs, dirty and painted black. In fact, it’s been a central fixture in Nagoya ’s thriving punk scene since it opened in 1981. The setup is simple: stage at the front, bar at the back and lots of sweaty rock’n’rollers in between. Of course, there’s the requisite tiny, filthy bathroom as well. Their schedule features Japanese punk & indie bands, whether local or touring, and stickers from former visitors plaster the walls. There are frequent stops from nationally famous acts such as Guitar Wolf, and the occasional international band as well. Shows usually start and end earlier than they do in our home countries, so that leaves plenty of time to get home or move on to the next destination. If you’re interested in checking out some Japanese rawk in a club that’s Nagoya institution, head for Huck Finn.
Access:
Exit Imaike Station via exit #8. Facing south, take the first left (only a few meters from the exit). Turn right at the second corner. Huck Finn is on the right further down the block. Look for a sign on the sidewalk and steps leading downstairs.
More information: http://www.nicnet.co.jp/imaike_t/huckfinn/index.asp

Club: Club Daughter
Styles:
rock, electronic (experimental, trance, drum&bass), miscellaneous
Review:
Club Daughter is small and sparse, essentially just a dim mid-size concrete room with a bar at one end, a small stage at the other and a DJ booth on one wall. But who needs atmosphere when you’re there for the music? What Club Daughter lacks in interior design, it makes up for with innovative acts. The club specializes in underground rock and electronic music of the experimental sort, occasionally booking international artists like Alex Paterson of The Orb and Kid 606. The rest of the schedule is filled in with DJ/dance nights of varying genres and indie/post-rock bands. If that’s your bag, check it out!
Access: Take the subway to Sakae station. Exit through exit #13. Head south and take your first left. On the second block you'll see a Lawson's on the right. Turn left here and Club Daughter is a short way up the street on the left, downstairs.
More information:
Print schedules are available at other Nagoya venues and stores

Club: Lush the Underground/Cipher
Styles:
Lush -- disco, R&B, soul, dance, house; Cipher -- hip hop, reggae, R&B, soul
Review: Two clubs for the price of one! Admission to either Lush the Underground or Cipher will get you into the other club as well. Conveniently enough, they're on different floors of the same building. Both are smallish clubs with a good amount of bar-area seating and an S-size dance floor (Lush also offers a pool table).  At Lush you'll find a variety of danceable music and friendly patrons, including the occasional fellow gaijin. Upstairs at Cipher you'll get more of a thug vibe, with hip-hop on the turntables and girls shaking their things in booty shorts. The size of the crowd is a little unpredictable, but either way, it's a good option for a lower-key night out (open till 5 am on weekends).
Access: Take the subway to Sakae station. Exit through exit #13. Head south and take your first left. On the second block you'll see a Lawson's on the right. The building is directly across from the Lawson's. Lush is on the 3rd floor and Cipher is on the 4th.
More information: http://www.underground.co.jp/

Club: Club Mago
Styles:
Varieties of trance, house and techno, with smatterings of salsa, disco and rock events
Review: Nestled deep in the bowels of a Shin-Sakae office building, Mago isn't the kind of club you'd just stumble across. It's an intimate place with a smallish dance floor, and the separate bar area allows you to escape for a sit-down drink (500 yen each). I've heard that it's one of the most popular clubs for the electronic crowd, getting pretty packed on Saturdays and for special events. Every Saturday night, admission is 1500 yen with 1 drink until midnight and 2500 yen with one drink thereafter. On Sunday mornings, they host a 1000 yen after-hours party starting at 5 am, with free coffee to boot. If an evening of house/trance music with some of Nagoya's youth is enough this could be the place.
Access: On Hirokouji-dori in Shin-Sakae. Near the intersection with Route 19 in the basement of the Flex Building West. Walk from Sakae on the right side of the street, or walk south from Shin-Sakae station, cross Hirokouji-dori and turn right. Look for a small overhead sign outside, take the elevator downstairs and follow the hallway into the depths of the building.
More information: http://www.club-mago.co.jp/

Club: Tokuzo
Styles:
Live rock, folk, jazz and avant-garde
Review: Tokuzo is a comfortable, cozy venue for watching a variety of Japanese (and occasionally international) live artists. It's the stomping ground for acts like Acid Mother's Temple, a Japanese band that's one of the most currently famous outside of Japan. The upstairs club is well-decorated, with a good deal more ambience than many rock venues. The small tables dotted throughout mean that the show will probably be a sit-down affair. Food is served for 400-700 yen and drinks are 450-600. Shows start early and end early, so you have plenty of time to make it home (or stay and drink all night!). Check their schedule for lots of kanji names and a few in English, and take a chance on a new act.
Access: Take the subway to Imaike station. Exit through exit #10. Walk west for approximately 2 minutes, and take the second left onto a small side street. Tokuzo is a short distance down on the right. Look for a blue and yellow awning.
More information: http://www.tokuzo.com/