Shelter is a 250-capacity basement under a bank, opened in 1991 by the Loft group, and it is the room most Japanese indie and punk bands remember as their first real gig. Low ceiling, standing floor, a sound system that is louder than it needs to be, and a bill most nights of four acts, from high-school hardcore to touring guitar bands who return here out of loyalty when they could fill a hall.
Go without knowing the bands. Buy a ticket at the door, trade the drink token for a beer, and stand near the back where the regulars stand. Shows finish early by European standards, around ten, which leaves time for the curry houses and bars upstairs and the last train from a station three minutes away.
Tips
- Tickets are 2,500–3,500 yen plus a 600-yen drink charge paid at the door; many shows have same-day tickets
- Check the schedule online; weekend bills are usually four bands sharing the night
- Basement Bar and Three, a minute away, are the sister venues for the same kind of music