History of CLUB LIKE IT

Shibuya – in the heart of the record district

The Shibuya venue sat in Udagawacho, right in the middle of the record stores – facing the old TOWER RECORDS, next to MANHATTAN RECORDS and above Manhattan HOUSE / QUINT REX / Cisco Records (as of 2006). It was literally surrounded by the pop culture of that era.

Concepts and experiments

At the tail end of the analog record golden age, CLUB LIKE IT tried to extend club culture into anime and otaku territory. It ran a non-smoking club (featured on NHK “Ohayō Nippon”) and daytime, non-alcoholic high-school events (featured on TV Asahi’s “Street Fighter”) – both unusual formats at the time.

There were also memorable nights such as “ZARD OFF”, a fan-organised memorial event held after the passing of ZARD’s vocalist Izumi Sakai, which later gained semi-official status. With venue rentals starting at 29,800 JPY, many niche events were born here before the role was passed on to the Ikebukuro venues.

Anime & game meets club culture

From the very beginning, Shibuya experiments included intentionally mixing anime and game elements into club events.
DJs played remixes of anime songs and game music, VJs incorporated game footage and character motifs into visuals, and cosplay guests were welcomed as part of the floor.

At a time when “anime songs in a club” or “a club where game fans gather” were far from mainstream, CLUB LIKE IT was quietly exploring an early form of what would later be called an “ani-club” vibe, building a loose bridge between club culture and anime/game culture.

Ikebukuro 1st – A nod to Paradise Garage

The first Ikebukuro venue was designed with New York’s “Paradise Garage” in mind – not as a copy, but as a small homage. It stood out visually and atmospherically, evoking the roots of club culture.

A wide range of events took place there, with DJs, staff and audience sharing a tight physical space. The venue carried the feeling of being “a place that takes music seriously”.

Ikebukuro 2nd “LIKE IT＋K” – Sports & DJ Bar

“LIKE IT＋K”, opened near the west exit, was a Sports & DJ Bar where club music and sports viewing coexisted. With free entrance and no table charge, it offered hip-hop and R&B alongside darts and live sports broadcasts.

As the “＋K” hints, the kitchen played a major role as well, experimenting with izakaya-style food menus. The venue aimed to sit somewhere between “everyday life with music” and “a special event night”.