10 Best Bars to Watch the Game in Tokyo

Tokyo's original football pub, the Footnik started in the 1990s screening matches mailed from the UK on tape before live satellite feeds reached Japan. It now shows football live alongside rugby and baseball, and it routinely extends its closing time deep into the small hours for an important match, with all-you-can-drink plans timed to the fixture. The crowd came for the game and reads it closely, which makes the Ebisu room the city's most serious place to watch soccer.

The British-style pub that expats and locals both name first. Hobgoblin runs five large screens streaming the Premier League, rugby, F1, UFC, and AFL across its Shibuya and Roppongi rooms, so a packed weekend can cover four different sports at once. It heaves on a big matchday, which is exactly why it earns the spot, and the staff will hold a table if you call ahead. The real ale and pub food do the rest.

Marked by a Union Jack in the heart of Shibuya, the Aldgate pairs match screens with a serious beer program: its own Aldgate Ale and Porter plus 21 local and overseas draughts. Devoted football fans gather here through the season, and the late 3am close means a European kickoff never gets cut short. It is the pick when you want the game and a proper pint rather than a wall of televisions. Our Aldgate profile has the tap list and hours.

One of the longest-established and largest sports bars in the city, Tokyo Sports Cafe in Roppongi screens essentially every major sporting event from around the world. The scale is the point: when an obscure fixture is on at an awkward hour, this is the room most likely to carry it, and the size means you can usually find a seat even on a busy night. The crowd is international and the staff are used to fielding requests for a specific feed.

A classic American-style room on Roppongi's main strip, Legends runs multiple big screens carrying both the British Premiership and the US slate, with hearty fare like buffalo wings, cheeseburgers, and chili cheese fries. It is best known for its lively Super Bowl morning parties, when it opens early for the Monday-morning Tokyo kickoff and fills with American fans. For an NFL Sunday or a US playoff game, this is the dependable choice.

A Northern California-inspired taproom with its own craft beer, a long list of US and Japanese brews, and wood-fired pizza. Two Dogs runs multiple screens that lean toward American sports, plus live music and comedy on quieter nights, so it suits a fan who wants the NFL or NBA without the chain-bar feel. The food is a real draw, which matters across a long American sports afternoon when you are settling in for two games back to back.

The HUB chain resembles a mid-90s British pub, with big screens and projectors and a reliable schedule of Premier League and Six Nations coverage at prices well below the Roppongi rooms. Branches sit near most major stations, so there is almost always one close to wherever you are staying. It is not the most atmospheric option, but for a midweek fixture or a budget night it is the dependable fallback that the whole city uses. See our HUB Shinjuku profile for hours.

The Shinjuku-sanchome branch of 82 is built for warm-weather viewing, with an open facade and al fresco standing tables that let you watch a match from the sidewalk. It is a long-running British-style pub that carries football and rugby through the season, and the standing-room setup means you can drop in for a half without committing to a full table. For a summer tournament or a quick midweek fixture, the street-side spot is the draw.

The Tokyo branches of Hooters run a lively, familiar American sports-bar format, screening the NFL, NBA, and UFC alongside the wings and burgers. It is not subtle, but the central Ginza and Shinjuku locations are easy to reach and reliably carry the major US events, which makes it a straightforward option for visitors who want a known quantity for a big American fixture. Call ahead for a pay-per-view UFC card, as those nights draw a crowd.

A long-standing British pub and live-music venue in Ebisu, What the Dickens screens football and rugby matches in a room that doubles as one of the area's better stages later in the night. That mix is the appeal: watch the match, then stay for a band without changing venue. It is a relaxed, local-leaning alternative to the Roppongi rooms, and it pairs naturally with a wider Ebisu bar crawl.