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Bars and Nightclubs Sapporo, Japan

Web www.barsjapan.com

With about 4000 businesses ranging from bars and restaurants to soaplands and brothels, Sapporo has one of the best nightlife districts in Japan, and due to the cold winter a substantial part of it is covered. It has the largest collection of seedy businesses north of places such as Kabuki-cho in Tokyo, but it is mostly just a place to have eat, drink and have fun - the fastest money spinners are definitely karaoke and

noodles - the latter made famous by Ramen Yokocho, but available everywhere else as well. There are many nightclubs and discos - the most famous being the decadent King Xmhu, but there are also many bars for drinking, ranging from somewhat traditional yakitori or izakaya style establishments to "gaijin" bars such as Rad Brothers, Jersey Bar, Locotonte and Salsita. There is even a gaijin bar called Gaijin Bar, though it is a bit of a dump. There are quiet jazz clubs and noisy live houses, somewhat odd places such as Voodoo Dance and 350 Bar, as well as interesting but pricey beer pubs like Mugishutei. Susukino is a fairly easy place to pick up a Japanese girlfriend or boyfriend, though the relationships are likely to be somewhat fleeting.


	350 Bar Minami 4 Nishi 3 Chuo-ku Sapporo, HAKKAIDO PREFECTURE 060-0063 Phone: +81 ( 0 )11 531 2625
You will not find any cheaper watering hole in Sapporo than 350 Bar. Everything sold here, drinks and snacks, costs just JPY350. Naturally, it is a very popular venue for those in their early twenties, so you had better get here early or you will have to stand in line. There is a food menu, but people do not usually come here to eat. Drinking, dancing and meeting people are the reasons to make this scene. And if you are not afraid to start up a conversation, who knows where it might lead?
	500 Bar Urban Bldg. 1F, Minami 3 Nishi 4 Chuo-ku Sapporo, HAKKAIDO PREFECTURE 060-0063 Phone: +81 ( 0 )11 242 6141
You do not have to be a rocket scientist to work out your bill in this bar, just count the number of items you have ordered and multiply that by JPY500. You will know exactly how much you have to pay. As it is so cheap, 500 Bar is very popular with people in their twenties. It even has a bit of a reputation as a "pick-up spot." There is a good selection of drinks, including draft and bottled beers, cocktails and spirits. The food menu may be somewhat limited, but then again, nobody really comes here to eat.
	Backstage Café & Gallery Minami 3 Nishi 4 Asano Bldg. 3F Sapporo, 060-0063 Phone: +81 11 241 5352
You do not always have to play billiards in a smoky joint beneath the railway lines; come to this elegant billiard hall and enjoy an evening of "shooting stick" in style. The interior is distinctly high class, with luxurious armchairs and sofas for relaxing between games. The walls are usually decorated with photographs or paintings that are for sale. Buy one, if you find something you appreciate. There are also three iMacs that you can use free of charge to check email or just surf the net.
	Bar Jersey Tanuki-koji 6, Minami 3 nishi 6 Chuo-ku Sapporo, HAKKAIDO PREFECTURE 060-0063 Phone: +81 ( 0 )11 242 4335
Bar Jersey is an American-style sports bar that shows all the major sporting events in season on a giant, 50-inch screen. The focus is on an American sports; so the NBA, NFL, and Major League Baseball are frequently shown. If, however, there are no major American events on, the staff will change channels for another sport, such as Premiership football. Check the web page for schedules. There is a wide selection of local and imported beers to keep you cool while you enjoy the action on screen. There is also a menu that includes burgers, pies and rice dishes.
	Beer Inn Mugishutei Largest selection of beer in the Orient Onda Building B1, South 9 West 5 Sapporo, 064-0809 Phone: +81 512 4774
This bar, which is owned by outgoing entrepreneur Phred Kaufman, claims to have the largest selection of beer in the Orient and it most likely true. On stock are over 300 brands from more than 50 countries, but the most special brand is Ezo Beer, a microbrew created by Kaufman himself. Beers start at JPY600. There is also a pretty good food menu featuring old favorites, such as burgers with all the trimmings for JPY1,300, Australian meat pies, and fish and chips. The bar also serves a unique "sea-urchin ice" for those with a sweet ( and fishy ) tooth.
	Betty Bleu New wave cocktail bar APR 1F, Minami 5 Nishi 2 Chuo-ku Sapporo, HAKKAIDO PREFECTURE 064-2515 Phone: +81 ( 0 )11 552 2515
This chic and stylish cocktail lounge is popular the young, trendy crowd who go in for something different. And Betty Bleu is certainly unique in the service it offers. You do not pay for individual drinks. Instead you pay by the hour and you select whatever you want from the large drinks menu, which lists over 100 different cocktails as well as all the usual shots. A counter seat costs JPY2,000 an hour, while you pay JPY3,000 for the privacy of a booth. There are also video rooms in which you can watch the latest releases while enjoying cocktail waiter service.
	Cara Café Enjoy a singsong in style New Olympia Bldg. 5F Minami 6 Nishi 3, Chuo-ku Sapporo, HAKKAIDO PREFECTURE 064-0806 Phone: +81 ( 0 )11 530 0789
This upmarket karaoke lounge is equipped with the very latest in karaoke sound systems, so even the worst possible crooners can sound reasonable. It has a dozen rooms altogether, six of which are suites, complete with sofas to ensure your comfort. The ordinary rooms cost JPY280 for 30 minutes, while the suites go for JPY380, but there is a dazzling array of special offers ( ladies 20% off, for example, or a reduction of 10% if you spend more than JPY1,000 on drinks ), so ask at the door for the daily, seasonal or other discounts.
	Electric Ship Bar Romatic spot with a fabulous view Watanabe Bldg. 9F, Minami 4, Nishi 2 Chuo-ku Sapporo, HAKKAIDO PREFECTURE 064-0804 Phone: +81 ( 0 )11 520 2233
Do not be misled by the name: this is not a ship. It is not even at sea level. It is, in fact, on the 9th floor of a building right in the heart of Susukino, and it has wall-to-wall windows on three sides that offer guests a fabulous night view of the city. This makes it a perfect place for a romantic evening. Although beers and spirits are available, the drinks of choice here are cocktails, of which there is an incredible range on offer, and they start at JPY600.
	Kirin Beer En Minami 1 Nishi 1-60 Chuo-ku Sapporo, HOKKAIDO PREFECTURE 060-0061 Phone: +81 11 533 3000
This huge beer keller seats almost 800 brew-swilling, meat-eating revelers. The first floor has a capacity of 230, while the second and third levels that constitute the "spacecraft," and which circle the first floor, hold 561. The onus here is on quantity. You nominate your menu ( for both food and drinks ) and then you have 100 minutes to consume as much as you can. There are a few different dinner options, like a lamb-based selection to a combination of lamb and crab. There is a choice of over 20 different alcoholic beverages.
	Rad Brothers Mituswa Bldg 1F, Minami 7, Nishi 3 Sapporo, 064-0807 Phone: +81 11 561 3601
Step into this bar and you may think that you are in New York, Paris or London, as the clientele consists of people from all over the planet. Whether you are a regular or a first-time visitor, you can be sure of a warm welcome, and you do not have to worry about language problems--practically everyone speaks English. There is a dance floor for those who need a little movement, but it can get very crowded, especially at weekends. The system here is strictly cash-on-delivery, and local and imported beers are available along with a wide range of cocktails.
	Sapporo Beer Garden The freshest and best beer in Japan Kita 7-Jo Higashi 9-chome Sapporo, 065-0007 Phone: +81 11 742 1531
The claim is that Sapporo is the site of the first beer brewed in Japan. Whether this is true or not is a moot point. What cannot be denied is that this beer garden serves the best beer in Japan--and some pretty good food to go with it, too. The most popular selection here is the Ghengis Khan, lamb and vegetables you grill at your table. The deal is that you pay JPY3,400 for all you can eat and drink ( draft beer or soft drinks ) for 100 minutes. Those who do not want the lamb can opt for grilled Hokkaido salmon.
	Sapporo Soccer Café World soccer games broadcast in real time Minami 5 Nishi 2 Chome Woodshop Building 2F Sapporo, 064-0805 Phone: +81 11 520 5275
Soccer fans visiting Sapporo should make a point of dropping in to the Sapporo Soccer Café, a wonderful little bar that, as the name tells us, is devoted to the world's top spectator sport. Open late, this café shows live English Premiership games as well as games from other European and South American leagues. One wall is entirely covered with large TV screens and soccer memorabilia. The bar offers a wide range of drinks, including imported and local draft and bottled beers, cocktails and spirits. It also serves sandwiches, pizzas, and salads. Roast chicken is a house specialty.
	The Gaijin Bar Foreigner-friendly bar, wide range of beers Minami 2 Nishi 7 Chuo-ku Sapporo, HAKKAIDO PREFECTURE 060-0060 Phone: +81 ( 0 )11 272 1033
The word gaijin means foreigner, so you can imagine that most of the clientele of this bar are non-Japanese, and a very friendly bunch they are. Step in and order a drink and you will soon be talking to someone. You will find a wide variety of bottled beers with prices starting at JPY300, and it is one of the few places in the city that sells real ale. If you like to nibble on something while you are drinking, there is a good menu that includes grilled burritos, burgers and meat pies.