Top 10 Foreigner-Friendly Bars and Clubs in Sapporo
Underground clubs, LGBT bars, and beer halls in Sapporo's sexy red-light district.
Sapporo is the largest city on the northern island of Hokkaido, most known for its highly-instagrammable Snow Festival. Flocks of travelers will visit the super cool city for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon. Turns out that marathons and the sweltering summers of Tokyo are not a good match.
Sapporo’s red-light district Susukino is where the party’s at.
Regardless, Sapporo is a great place to chill and blow off some steam, especially in the bustling Susukino night-life district. Here are some of the best places for foreigners to party it up in the far north.
King Xmhu
Photo by: King XMHU That stage, though.
Unique, tribal-style decor makes King Xmhu impossible to miss. It’s packed with two floors for dancing, an exclusive third floor for the VIPs, frequent special guests and events galore. This is a great choice for female travelers. Ladies who arrive between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays can enjoy unlimited drinks all night!
Open every night except Thursday, there are plenty of opportunities to show Sapporo your best dance moves. Show that you’re following the club on social media at the door for perks like free entry and drinks.
- Hours: 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Sun to Wed; until 5 a.m. Fri and Sat
- Cover Charge: Free for women, and from ¥1500 for men (depending on your time of entry)
- Average drink price: ¥700
- 064-0807 Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 7 Jonishi 4-424-10 - Map
- kingxmhu.com/en
Bar Yamazaki
One for the cocktail lovers, Bar Yamazaki is a quaint old school joint with excellent service and bartenders dedicated to their craft. The bar’s legendary original owner Tatsuro Yamazaki was kicking ass and serving drinks well into his nineties and won several international awards for his creative cocktails.
Unfortunately, Mr. Yamazaki passed away in 2016 at the age of 96, but his apprentices still serve the drinks with class—the Yamazaki way. Skip the martinis and Moscow mules and go straight for the original cocktails like the classic “Sapporo.”
- Hours: 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Mon through Sat
- Cover charge: ¥1000
- Average drink price: ¥1200
- 060-0063 Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 3 Jonishi 3, Katsumi Building 4F - Map
- www.bar-yamazaki.com/english.html
Sapporo Beer Museum
Drink ’em up.
It would be criminal to go to Sapporo and not drink Sapporo beer. A trip to the Sapporo Beer Museum will take you through the history of this widely-loved beer brand. More important, though is the tasting room where you can sample fresh beer for a discounted price including some brews that are only available in Hokkaido. Keep the beers coming and hop over to the Sapporo Beer Garden next door for all you can eat and drink debauchery.
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (last entry and 7:30 p.m.) Closed on Mondays
- Cover Charge: Free!
- Average drink price: ¥300; ¥800 for a three beer tasting set
- Kita-hachijo Dori, 9 Chome Kita 7 Jōhigashi, Higashi-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido 060-0907 - Map
- https://www.sapporobeer.jp/english/brewery/s_museum/
Bar Orb
With a cozy atmosphere and friendly staff, Bar Orb has been welcoming all for over ten years. As one of the oldest LGBT bars in Sapporo, it is particularly popular among Sapporo’s lesbian crowd for its women-only Saturday nights.
Photo by: Bar Orb Bar Orb is one of the oldest LGBT bars in Sapporo. Here’s them at the 2016 Sapporo Rainbow Pride.
Owner Kae is well known for making delicious food, mixing amazing cocktails, and creating a place where anyone can make new friends.
- Hours: 7 p.m. to the last customer leaves Mon to Sat (Women only on Saturdays)
- Cover charge: ¥300
- Average drink price: ¥600
- 064-0805 Chuo Ward, Minami 5 Jonishi 2, Shakokaikan Building 4F - Map
- http://www.barorb.com/
Beer Inn Mugishutei
If you fancy yourself as a beer connoisseur of sorts, you have to check out Beer Inn Mugishutei. It’s got beer in the name, so it’s a no brainer!
Mugishutei claims to have the greatest selection of beer in East Asia, boasting over 300 brews from over 50 countries. They also claim to have the best burgers in Japan. There’s only one way to verify all of this, so make sure you go there hungry.
- Hours: 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily
- Cover Charge: ¥900 (waived if you mention their homepage)
- Average drink price: ¥700
- 064-0809 Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 9 Jonishi 5 - Map
- www.ezo-beer.com/eng/mugishutei.php
Bar Sign Oh!
This is one of the most celebrated LGBT bars in Sapporo welcoming people of all sexual orientations. Honestly, a more welcoming place is hard to find—they even offer tourist information for their foreign visitors.
Open until the last customer calls it quits with the latest pop music playing in the background and a killer view to boot, Bar Sign Oh is a great place to dance the night away.
- Hours: 7 p.m. to last customer Sun to Wed (from 8 p.m. on Fri to Sat)
- Coverage Charge: ¥1000
- Average drink price: ¥600
- 064-0806 Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 6, Jonishi 6-2-13 SA Building 5F - Map
- www.sign-oh.com
Flair Bar Es
Ever wanted to take a shot of vodka off a ski? Yes, a ski that you go skiing with. The bar has one such ski with shot glasses glued on the length of it. Line up and take your shot in unison with other patrons, as seen in the video below.
Bartenders who juggle bottles and perform tricks add even more to the slightly-wacky atmosphere. Just in case you feel the need to get some retro gaming in, there’s also an NES and Super NES waiting for you.
- Hours: 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sun to Thur (6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Fri to Sat)
- Cover charge: Free
- Average drink price: ¥600
- 064-0804 Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 4, Jonishi 4 Chome-16 - Map
- www.es-entertainment.jp/program/flair-bar-es
TK36 Bar and Grill
Photo by: TK36 Bar and Grill Where’s your head at?
A staple of the foreign community in Sapporo, and popular among locals too, TK36 is a neat and clean international bar, with regular events and sports televised across the big screens. Serving awesome burgers, a great range of drinks and a large international crowd, this is the place to be if you want something a bit closer to home.
- Hours: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Mon to Fri (from 1 p.m. Sat and Sun)
- Cover Charge: Free
- Average drink price: ¥600
- 064-0804 Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 4 Jonishi 2 Chome-7-5 - Map
- www.tk6.jp
Slow Boat
Photo by: ov_cs Slow ride, take it easy.
Slow Boat is one of Sapporo’s true hidden gems, opened by the late jazz pianist Ryo Fukui. An intimate jazz bar with a mixture of professional gigs and amateur jam sessions make it a worthy pilgrimage for anyone who loves jazz. There is an additional cover charge for the more big-league shows, so check their website in advance. Just make sure to get there early to enjoy both sets!
- Hours: 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Mon to Sat
- Cover Charge: ¥1000 (plus live fee from ¥1500)
- Average drink price: ¥700
- 060-0063 Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 3 Jonishi 3, Morini Building 4F - Map
- www.jazz-slowboat.jp/english-guide
Precious Hall
This underground club has a stellar reputation for house music. Often graced by famous DJs from around the world, Precious Hall’s dimly-lit dance floor and world-class sound system keep the focus on the music.
The club hosts events regularly but their opening hours are irregular. Make sure to keep an eye on the schedule for when they are open.
- Hours: Varies, check their website for the full schedule
- Cover Charge: Varies by event
- Average drink price: ¥700
- 060-0062 Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 2, Jonishi 3 Chome-13-2, Parade B2F - Map
- www.precioushall.com/schedule
