Location: Shinjuku, Tokyo Address: 169-0075 Tokyo, Shinjuku, Takadanobaba, 3-3-8
Nearest Train Station: Takadanobaba Station
Contact: 03-3361-2569
Capacity: 400
Drink Charge: 500yen
First Row Capacity: 9~11
Coin Lockers: Around 40 small ones inside
Takadanobaba Area is owned by the same company that runs Ikebukuro Edge. Along with Edge, it is one of the most popular and well-known venues in Tokyo. It typically caters to smaller indie bands, with the slightly more popular bands being able to hold one-mans, while smaller bands play event lives with each other.
The easiest station to get to Area from is Takadanobaba Station, which is just two stops from Shinjuku Station on the JR Yamanote Line. Take the Waseda Exit and turn left.
Go straight down the sidewalk. (If you are coming from the Metro exit [marked in green here], turn left at the top of the stairs and go straight.)
Keep walking down the sidewalk for a few minutes until you see the Seiyu supermarket on the other side of the street. Area is located right next to it (marked in blue).
Cross the crosswalk in front of the venue and you're there! When they begin lining people up before the live (usually 10-15 minutes before open), they will line up the first 30-50 people on the stairs of the venue, but everyone else will line up on the side street to the left (marked with a blue arrow).
Other Useful Information:
Area staff is really strict about hanging around the venue too early. They will chase you away from the venue, the lockers across the street, and even from in front of the Seven Eleven.
Although there are lockers inside the venue, most people use the lockers in a building across the street from Area. Instead of crossing the crosswalk in front of Area, keep walking straight just a little longer. You'll pass a cafe and on your left there will be a brick building that has lockers in the lobby. Usually you can find a growing crowd of bangya there putting their stuff away.
The drink counter closes at the end of the live, so you have to redeem your drink before the encore starts.
It's best to use the restrooms in either Seven Eleven or one of the nearby cafes before the live, as Area's toilets can get kind of gross (all traditional Japanese style).
Area has three saku: first row, second step, and third step (the steps are raised up). The floors are also slightly slanted, so it's known as a venue where you can see fairly well from just about any spot.
Merch is typically in the back of the live space, in front of the PA / guest area.
There is a vending machine in the lobby if you want to buy PET bottles of water, tea, etc.
Area is known to card if you ask for alcohol, so be sure to have your ID handy if you decide to get an alcoholic drink.
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