Exploring Tokyo’s after-dark movie theaters and bookstores
After dinner or during an evening stroll, why not stop by a movie theater or bookstore? Tokyo’s late-night theaters offer a uniquely tranquil atmosphere, while at an after-hours bookstore, you might be inspired to make unexpected intellectual discoveries. Here is a selection of movie theaters and bookshops that enrich Tokyo’s nightlife.
Catch a movie at a cutting-edge theater
Movie buffs are well catered to in Tokyo. Multiplexes near many of the city’s major railway stations screen a wide variety of movies, including at relatively late hours.
If you’re looking to catch the latest blockbuster, set course for TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills, where the largest theater boasts a massive screen that extends across an entire wall. Alternatively, consider 109CINEMAS Premium Shinjuku, which offers a dedicated lounge for moviegoers that opens an hour before showtime, as well as a state-of-the-art sound system engineered by the late great musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. Tokyo’s top multiplexes invite you to immerse yourself in the world of cinema with their special amenities.
Expand your cinematic horizons at an arthouse theater
For a different cinematic experience, seek out an arthouse theater. Known as “mini-theaters” in Tokyo, they come in many guises. Waseda Shochiku in Takadanobaba is a long-established spot that captivates movie buffs with its carefully selected double features, ranging from classic masterpieces to the latest buzzworthy releases.
In Kyobashi, the National Film Archive of Japan, the country’s only national film institution, screens cherished treasures from the history of cinema. Its exhibition room stays open until 8:00 PM on the last Friday of every month and offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the history and culture of Japanese cinema.
Browse books long after nightfall
Visiting a bookstore at night lets you soak in a cultured atmosphere quite different from the daytime vibe. Enveloped in gentle warm lighting, the beautifully designed Daikanyama Tsutaya Books boasts an extensive selection spanning genres from art and the humanities to travel. The store invites you to pick out books at a leisurely pace, including a café where you can sip coffee while thumbing through a tome or three.
Other major bookstores that stay open until around 9 PM include Aoyama Book Center, which carries many titles on creative pursuits such as design, advertising, and photography, and the MARUZEN Marunouchi Main Store, which stocks everything from manga to books in foreign languages. Head out to find that perfect volume just for you.
Shopping for books is all well and good, but what if you could spend the night amid hundreds of them? That bibliophile’s dream comes true at BOOK AND BED TOKYO SHINJUKU, a hostel that invites you to fall asleep while reading a tome of your choice from the plentiful in-house selection.
Movies and books have the power to transport us into worlds beyond our daily lives. Discover your favorite movie theater or bookstore in the streets of Tokyo at night.
