Best Rooftop Bars in Tokyo

Tokyo's rooftop bar scene has developed considerably in recent years, moving beyond the traditional observation decks of its skyscrapers to a new generation of design-forward rooftop bars and terraces that treat the city's extraordinary skyline as an integral part of the drinking experience. The contrast between the intimate neighbourhoods below and the vast luminescent metropolis above is uniquely Tokyoite.

The New York Bar at the Park Hyatt Shinjuku — where Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson met in Lost in Translation — remains one of the world's most cinematic bar experiences, 52 floors above the city. Roku Rokku at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel offers commanding Shibuya views. The rooftop terrace at Trunk (Hotel) in Shibuya attracts a young, creative crowd. Several of Tokyo's department stores — including Isetan in Shinjuku and Takashimaya in Nihonbashi — have rooftop garden areas that transform into informal drinking spaces in summer.