Tokyo Bars And Izakaya. The authentic Japanese bar - smoky, cramped, exclusively male and always expensive - is the nomiya , often containing nothing more than a short counter bar, generally run by a mama-san , a unique breed who both charm and terrorize their customers, and who are less likely to rip you off if you speak some Japanese (but that's no guarantee). If you're game, try the nomiya under the tracks at Yurakucho, along Shinjuku's Shomben Yokocho (Piss Alley) and Golden Gai, and on Nonbei Yokocho, the alley running alongside the train tracks just north of Shibuya Station.
The major breweries have their own reliable chains of izakaya (Japanese pubs), which are generally quite large, serve a good range of drinks and bar snacks and often have a lively atmosphere. There are branches of Kirin City , in Ginza, Harajuku and Shinjuku, and Sapporo's Lions Beer Hall in Ebisu, Ginza, Ikebukuro and Shinjuku among other places. These izakaya open at around 6pm and shut down around midnight, while the nomiya stay open to the early hours, as long as there are customers. Roppongi easily has Tokyo's greatest concentration of gaijin (ie foreigner friendly) bars, but note that many are closed on Sunday. If there's live music anywhere you'll often be paying for it through higher drinks prices or a cover charge. Some regular bars also have cover charges (and izakaya almost always do, ostensibly for the small snack served with your first drink), although there's plenty of choice among those that don't, so always check the deal before buying your drink.
For bars with a view , the major hotels are hard to beat, though you'll need to dress up in order not to feel out of place amid the gold-card crowd. Try the top-floor bars in the New Otani , the Akasaka Prince and the Park Hyatt for views across the centre of the city, or the Intercontinental and Nikko for stunning panoramas of the Rainbow Bridge. From mid-June through to late August, outdoor beer gardens sprout around Tokyo - look for the red lanterns and fairy lights on the roofs of buildings or in street-level gardens and plazas. You'll find particularly nice beer gardens at the Prince Hotel near Tokyo Tower, and Hanezawa Gardens , 3-12-15 Hiro-o, Shibuya-ku.