Photo By: Kelsey Lark
Region
Kanto
Island
Honshu
Largest City
Tokyo
Population
12,059,237

Climb

Sing your heart out at this cozy lesbian bar in Ikebukuro!

Just a couple of decades ago, the famous gayborhood Shinjuku Ni-chome was the only place in Tokyo the LGBT community could call their own. With the interest in LGBT travel in Tokyo steadily growing, several gay and lesbian bars have popped up in nearby neighborhoods like Ikebukuro. This is where you’ll find lesbian bar Climb.

The boom of LGBT culture can be seen with the growing popularity of the Tokyo Rainbow Pride Parade, which boasted more than 150,000 visitors in 2018. Climb is but one of several options for those looking for a more local lesbian bar experience.

Let’s take a look into this intimate “snack” style bar.

Ikebukuro’s lesbian bar

Ikebukuro, where Climb is located, is a metropolitan hub only a few train stops away from Shinjuku and a great place to hang with friends or meet other women. The friendly bartenders and sleek decor create a warm and inviting atmosphere. If you’ve ever been to Goldfinger in Shinjuku Ni-chome, expect the same cozy size but with more seating and less crowds. Though the bar is small, it has a few comfy sofas to accommodate groups in addition to the bar seating.

Urue Bar

Climb hosts regular singles nights where it’s strictly ladies only. This is a great way to meet locals and get to know the lesbian scene in Japan a little better. It will require some Japanese language skills though as you won’t find many English-speaking attendees.

The bar is now accepting male patrons all days of the week when the singles event isn’t on. So, it’s the perfect LGBT-friendly place for the whole gang to get together.

What’s on the menu

The menu is surprisingly extensive with several local and imported brands available.

You’ll find beer, cocktails, plum wine, and an assortment of other tasty alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages alike. After downing a few drinks, you’ll be ready to indulge in all-you-can-sing karaoke! A complimentary Japanese snack of your choosing is included with the cover charge.

Trivia

Urue Bar

For ladies only!

More

Things To Know

Hours and fees

Climb is open from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday to Saturday and has a cover charge of ¥1,000. All-you-can-sing karaoke is an additional ¥1,000.

Re-opening

Climb did a re-opening in April 2019 and are now open to all genders and also upped the cover charge to ¥1,000. (Prices and entry may be subject to change.)

How To Get There

Address

3-22-10 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima City, Tokyo 171-0021, D7 Building 4F

By train

It’s about a five-minute walk from JR Ikebukuro station’s West Exit.

Editor’s note: Finding this bar on Google Maps is tricky. It’s in the same building as this bar, but on the 4th floor (#403 specifically). If that is too difficult to navigate, try typing in this address: 171-0021 Tōkyō-to, Toshima City, Nishiikebukuro, 3-chōme−22−10 D7 Building #403. It will bring up the building next door actually, but, go to the building with the big “D7” sign outside and head the fourth floor!

Where To Stay

Hotel Urban
  • 3-26-6 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-0021 Japan
  • ¥8,360 - ¥25,081
  • 4.26/5 (3,107 reviews)
  • 0.3 km
Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro
  • 1-6-1 Hoterumetoroporitan, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-8505 Japan
  • ¥22,880 - ¥82,560
  • 4.42/5 (4,180 reviews)
  • 0.3 km
Tokyu Stay Ikebukuro
  • 2-12-2 Ikebukuro (2-4-Chome), Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-0014 Japan
  • ¥14,706 - ¥23,920
  • 4.09/5 (1,640 reviews)
  • 0.4 km
Asta Hotel
  • 2-24-4 Ikebukuro (2-4-Chome), Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-0014 Japan
  • ¥10,170 - ¥11,520
  • 3.85/5 (31 reviews)
  • 0.5 km
Hotel Starplaza Ikebukuro
  • 2-10-2 Ikebukuro (2-4-Chome), Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-0014 Japan
  • ¥8,900 - ¥11,000
  • 3.65/5 (1,922 reviews)
  • 0.5 km

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