a night in harajuku

and a morning walk through the rain

Jul 07, 2025

last march…i went to tokyo.

and yes…before you say anything…i am one of those 20-somethings who ended up taking a trip to tokyo this year.

i’m not an anomaly…i definitely fit the stereotype (lol).

this was my second time in the city. the first was in november 2022…and i absolutely loved it. i did all the touristy things: teamlab…mt. fuji…shibuya sky…shibuya crossing…etc…

that trip was super sightseeing-heavy (which was great) but what i didn’t really tap into on that first visit (and what i ended up deeply regretting in hindsight) was not exploring the nightlife.

so this time…i went in with a mission: experience that side of the city.

one night…while looking up cool places to go out on tiktok…i came across this spot called bonobo: a 55-year-old house in harajuku that had been converted into a bar.

from the photos and videos I saw online, it looked like such a weird…wonderful…off-the-beaten-path type of place (which is basically my love language) so…of course i had to go.

A cozy, dimly-lit bar on a rainy Tokyo street corner, glowing with warm interior lights and a neon sign. The exterior features vintage Coca-Cola signage and Japanese text, giving it a nostalgic, retro vibe. A couple of stools and umbrellas rest outside, while patrons can be seen inside enjoying drinks and conversation. — outside of bonobo

when i got there…there was one door that led me into this empty…narrow…dimly lit little bar with crimson red walls. there were a few stools…a long wooden counter…and a bartender in a drapey oversized shirt with long shaggy hair and a goatee. it was dead silent and (for a second) i thought i was in the wrong place…until the bartender looked up and pointed toward a thick gray door in the back (i guess my appearance indicated that i was specifically seeking out a night dancing to music over chilling at a quaint little bar).

so i open the door…and suddenly…i’m in a completely different world: a low-lit, super funky space with a dance floor…psychedelic lights…abstract neon art hanging from the ceiling…and deep house music blaring from the speakers.

tokyo (and japan in general) is so tea-heavy…which i love. all the bars i went to served tea. and as someone who doesn’t really drink…it was kind of perfect (america should take notes). so i got an iced oolong tea and stood toward the back just swaying to the music…sipping on my tea…and people-watching.

about 45 minutes in…i realized i needed to pee. i noticed a staircase near the back of the bar and walked up them…assuming that it would lead me to the bathroom. but when i opened the door at the top…i accidentally stepped into a completely different section of the bar.

it was this super chill…loungy space with a tatami floor…a vinyl setup…and a room of eclectic japanese alt baddies that all looked like they were in their mid-to-late-twenties (they all looked like they'd just stepped out of a pinterest mood board). someone was brewing coffee in one corner... someone else was flipping burgers on a little stovetop in the other...it was such a warm…lived-in…intimate space (and very different from the vibe on the first floor).

what i loved about this place is that it was probably 98% locals. aside from bonobo, most of the places i went out to were like...60% tourists 30% japanese people (which wasn’t the goal as i didn’t fly across the world to hang out with people i could see back home) (but in hindsight makes sense as most young people traveling to tokyo were probably looking up “best bars and clubs in tokyo” and all flocking to whatever spot had the most likes...just like i was). walking in…i definitely felt like i was intruding. i was the only black person there (and the second i opened the door everyone looked at me like a deer in headlights). for a moment…i wasn’t sure if i should even stay. but eventually…everyone welcomed me in without hesitation.

i spent the rest of the night upstairs with my green tea, sitting cross-legged on the tatami mat with this chill group of people listening to vinyl.

as someone from los angeles (and i don’t know if this is a collective experience for anyone else who’s traveled to a foreign country and is also from los angeles) but every time i travel abroad and say i’m from los angeles…foreigners lose their fucking minds (in my experience…los angeles and new york are the only two places in america you can say you’re from while abroad without getting an immediate look of disgust) (i can’t blame them as american tourists are obnoxious as fuck).

but they picked my brain about all things los angeles related: if in-n-out is actually worth the hype (it isn’t)…if the wildfires were as bad as they looked (they were)…and if i’ve ever been to erewhon (to be so honest i was surprised when i got asked this question as it’s more on the niche side of los angeles culture) (erewhon is pricey but not gonna lie…their hot food options are really good) (i’m super into their kbbq beef and breakfast burritos).

it was just a very low-key few hours i spent in this random corner of tokyo…feeling more at ease than i had in weeks.

i stayed at the club until it closed around 4:30 am…and even then i wasn’t fully ready for the night to just…be over.

so once bonobo closed…i put my airpod maxes on…stopped by a 7/11 to get an onigri…and wandered around until the wee hours of the morning until the trains started running.

i’ve outgrown the party version of me (that was definitely more of an early-twenties thing) but this night reminded me how much i actually do like going out…talking to people…and letting the night unfold. it’s super grounding…especially when you’re far from home and immersed in a completely different culture.

god damn…i love tokyo. and i can’t wait to go back and stay out until sunrise all over again.

if you enjoyed this piece…here are some others i’d recommend: