This storied Shinjuku spot hosts high-voltage punk and rock shows in a thrillingly intimate setting. A small basement venue with a performing-arts aesthetic (wood grain walls, checkerboard floor, and theatrically cobwebbed ceilings), Loft was Tokyo’s most important underground punk venue in the ’80s. These days, the vibe is more arty and eclectic, but just as exciting. Newcomers will be surprised to find that it has two stages, which often alternate bands throughout the night. Arrive early.

For hardcore metal and punk fans, Antiknock has near-mythical status. The gritty basement spot near Takashimaya Times Square has been putting on rock shows since 1985 and is where headbanging thrash, deathcore, and metal fanatics gather to stage-dive, crowd-surf, and let loose. It’s known for its exquisite, aggressive sound system (consider earplugs), cult-status merch (the venue’s “See You in the Pit” T-shirt is a must), and for having some of the cheapest drinks in Tokyo.

Line up early to squeeze yourself into this tiny basement club in Shimokitazawa where rising, cutting-edge rock bands roar around the stage. A gritty, no-frills black box that is mostly all stage, Shelter has consistently packed in a fiery young crowd since first opening its doors in 1991. Blink and you’ll miss the entrance at the base of the Senda Building: It’s marked by only a dry-erase board listing the night’s performers and a retro, lit-up neon sign just above the basement stairs.

This small, standing-room-only live house across from Shindaita Station has been hosting local and international rock bands since 2009 (clips from shows by Superchunk, Boris, Shadows, and the Brats are still making the rounds online). Stop by Lucky, the venue’s merch and print shop, and Pootle, its in-house café that serves fried chicken with its own cult following. Same-day tickets go on sale 30 minutes before each performance.

For decades, this influential Shibuya basement has helped shape Tokyo’s J-rock scene, ushering bands like the incendiary girl group BAND-MAID into the mainstream. It’s known for its iconic egg-shaped dance floor (its logo is an egg hovering over bands of sound waves) and rock ’n’ roll spirit: When the club made international headlines after Fox News mistakenly identified it as a nuclear power plant, Eggman’s leadership responded by saying their electricity was “powered only by music.”

Be prepared to sweat it out at this small but mighty Shimokitazawa party spot, which fits around 200 people and spotlights emerging J-rock talent early (CHAI and King Gnu played here before becoming stars). It’s tucked into the same underground complex as its smaller sister club Three, which caters to a more laidback crowd with indie, funk, disco, and jazz. Both entrances are tricky to find; a small sign at the top of the stairs between the liquor store and parking lot marks the way down.

A temple of hardcore metal, glam, and punk-rock history, this Meguro live house (often referred to as Rock-May-Kan) has been hosting some of Japan’s heaviest thrashers since it opened in 1980 (X Japan performed here, and BABYMETAL have described it as “sacred”). A small, stripped-down industrial box decorated only by a single neon sign and disco ball, it’s known for its mega-watt sound system, diehard fans, and terrifically unruly shows.

In 2009, a fire forced one of Kōenji’s most famous music venues, 20,000V, to shut its doors. But the resilient staff opened this heavy-hitting live house just down the street. A stone’s throw from Higashi-koenji Station, this tiny, grungy, box-shaped bar is a favorite among Japanoise, hardcore, punk, and alternative headbangers who delight in putting its notorious sound system to the test. Capacity is estimated at 130 people, so it’s best to arrive early or buy tickets in advance.

Widely considered the beating heart of Japan’s punk and hardcore scenes, this gritty, underground Shinjuku club is a Tokyo institution. It’s exceptionally hard to find (very little signage on a very busy strip) but worth the scavenger hunt: Upon entering, you’ll walk down a hallway full of shredded show flyers before squeezing in with the throngs of metalheads who pack all the way to the speakers. When you need a drink (and a break), there’s a proper second barroom where you can take five.

Housed inside an old cinema near Shibuya Station, WWW has tiered floors and high ceilings that make each show feel like a dramatic production. The entrance is on the basement level down the building’s front staircase, and the lineup—a mix of indie rock, alternative music, hip-hop, and R&B—draws a young, hip crowd. If you’re in the mood for an adventure, climb the building’s narrow side stairwell up to its sister venue, a box-style live house called WWW X that doubles as a dance club.