This website will be closed on 19th April 2024

Other Articles

Enjoy Japanese Hits from the 70s and 80s at this Shinjuku Bar!

Oct 25, 2018

Songs done in the style that was popular during the Showa Era are known as “kayokyoku”. Recently young people and people who are not Japanese have started to develop an interest in these songs from the previous generation. In this article we would like to introduce you to Spotlight (Shinjuku Branch), a bar near Shinjuku Station where you can request your favorite Japanese kayokoku. When you listen to these songs with together with everyone in the bar, it may feel as if you have gone back in time.

Classic Interior Decor

Kayokyoku Bar Spotlight is a music bar where you can listen to hit songs from the 1970s and 80s while enjoying a drink. At the Shinjuku branch, you take the elevator up to the ninth floor and are in the bar as soon as the elevator doors open.



On your left is a DJ booth with tons of vinyl records surrounding it, as well as seats at the bar counter. The window side has tables overlooking Shinjuku’s cityscape.

Payment System and How to Enjoy Your Night

After being shown to your seat, order your favorite drink and say cheers! Note that there is a table charge of 1,100 yen per person, and that drinks start from 600 yen. There are all-you-can-drink courses available that include the table charge. There is a request book at each table and request cards that you can fill out and give to the staff. If you have trouble reading or writing Japanese, you can go up to the shelf that holds the records and pass which one you want to listen to directly to the staff.



Records from female idols Seiko Matsuda and Momoe Yamaguchi are available, as well as famous “city pop” artists Tatsuro Yamashita and his wife Mariya Takeuchi. Of course, there are Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) records and those of other artists who are popular overseas. If you’re not sure which song you would like to listen to, there is a monthly ranking board behind the DJ booth you can use for reference.

DJ, Play That Song!

When the DJ plays the requested song, information about the record’s release date plays on a nearby monitor. Sometimes old commercials from the Showa Era appear on screen as well!

The bar is in a great location that is only a six-minute walk from either Shinjuku Station’s East or South Exit. If you love music, it’s a good idea to stop by! Get fired up listening to old Japanese hits from the 70s and 80s!

Spotlight (Shinjuku Branch)
Address: 9F Daishin Dai 2 Building 3-31-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Open: Weekdays 7PM-2AM, Holidays 5PM-12AM
Closed: Sundays or Mondays (if the Monday is a Holiday)
Telephone Number: 03-6709-8890

Page
Top