Last Friday, as part of a friend’s birthday celebration, I found myself inside of Club Asia; one of Shibuya’s many clubs situated in the love hotel district. Club Asia, like many of the area’s clubs, features a variety of musical genres and live performances ranging from Reggae and Hip Hop to Rock and Punk. This night happened to feature live performances from an assortment of Rock flavored bands.

Coming from Osaka and having lived in NYC, I am no stranger to the club/bar scene but as I have mentioned in the past, there is always regional variation: an area one must study and contend with. After all, no one wants to go against proper etiquette and commit a faux pas. With that in mind, I will present ten unwritten rules and social conducts that I gleaned from my observations at the club. It seems apparent that one must project these qualities and perform these actions in order to properly blend in and enjoy the Club Asia experience. (Note: this is only applicable to Rock/Punk nights)

1. Pay, without question or complaint, the 4,000 yen cover charge to listen to mediocre bands that few have heard of.
2. Never smile.
3. Limit speaking.
4. Never talk to people you don’t know.
5. Appear expressionless. It’s best if you can display a sense of disgust or abstract boredom.
6. Be aloof–a big city favorite.
7. When dancing, be sure to move out of synch with the music.
8. Never, ever apologize for running into others.
9. Limit eye contact.
10. Take up as much space at the bar as possible so that others cannot purchase drinks.

Follow these tips and you’ll be a Club Asia pro in no time!

Club Asia official homepage ^[1]
Hikari Entertainment ^[2]