Tokyo Nightlife Field Guide is written by a small editorial team in Tokyo for visitors who want to understand Japan’s nightlife before they go out in it. We cover the law, safety, history and etiquette of the night, and we try to answer the questions visitors actually search for, in plain English, with sources you can check.
Who we are
This site is published by the team behind Pianissimo, a Tokyo outcall service. We say that up front because you should know who is behind anything you read about nightlife.
The editorial pages are written separately from the business. Articles do not rank, review or recommend venues, and our own service is not mentioned in the body of our guides. The site footer links to Pianissimo; that is the only place it appears.
What we write about
- Law and rules: what Japan’s Entertainment Business Act (Fueiho), the Anti-Prostitution Act and local ordinances actually say, quoted from the official text.
- Safety: scams, touts, overcharging, emergency numbers, lost passports, and what the police will and will not do.
- History and culture: the licensed quarters, the red-line districts, and how Tokyo’s night became what it is.
What we do not write
- How to break the law, or how to find or contact illegal businesses.
- Names, addresses or prices of unlicensed venues.
- Drugs, in any form.
- Sexually explicit descriptions, or anything that identifies a private person.
How we work
Every article is researched from primary sources where they exist: statutes on e-Gov, police and ministry pages, embassy advice, court decisions and academic work. Before publication each claim is checked again against its source, and anything we cannot confirm is either removed or labeled as unconfirmed. Read the full editorial policy.
Contact
Spotted an error, or a number that has changed? Please tell us. We correct mistakes and note the change in the article.
