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Shimokitazawa LIVE HAUS Guide: A Basement Live House and Club Rethinking the Format
How to find and enjoy LIVE HAUS in Shimokitazawa: directions, capacity, its all-welcome philosophy, tickets and tips for first-time visitors.
LIVE HAUS (nicknamed "Rivu Haus" in Japanese) is a basement live house and club in Shimokitazawa that officially opened in August 2020. Its founders set out to "take apart and redefine" the traditional live house: the name means "a house to live in," and the venue says it aims to provide good sound at prices that older venues could not offer.
Info checked against the venue's official website and venue listings on October 22, 2026. Details can change, so confirm on the official page for your show.
Quick facts
| Opened | August 2020 (the planned April opening was delayed) |
| Address | JOW3 Building B1F, 2-14-2 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo (東京都世田谷区北沢2-14-2 JOW3ビル B1F) |
| Nearest station | About 3 minutes on foot from Shimokitazawa Station, in the basement of a building on the South Exit shopping street |
| Capacity | About 90 per the official site's current text; earlier statements and listings say 100 to 150 |
| Type | Live house and club |
| Tickets | Each show's page on the venue's website, plus other ticket sites |
| Official links | Website |
Our own LIVE HAUS page lists upcoming shows here.
What it's like
LIVE HAUS describes itself as both a live house and a club, so the schedule mixes band shows with DJ nights. The venue's statement says it wants to be a place where people of all backgrounds can gather, respecting race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation and disabilities, and it welcomes benefit events that raise donations. It also says it wants to support the underground and to back events that bring in overseas artists.
At around 100 people, the room is small and close. One listing describes a system at opening in which the usual hall-rental charge was linked to drink sales, with a goal of a zero-yen rental fee, and a drink-only entry for younger visitors and overseas guests. Those policies may have changed since 2020, so check each show's page for the current terms.
How to get there
LIVE HAUS is in the basement of a building on the shopping street that runs from Shimokitazawa's South Exit. Listings give these walking times:
- Shimokitazawa Station (Odakyu Line and Keio Inokashira Line): about 3 to 4 minutes on foot
Look for the JOW3 Building and head down to the basement. Because the area has many other small venues nearby, such as Chikamatsu, search for "LIVE HAUS Shimokitazawa" in your map app too.
Tickets and the door
Ticket details are listed on each show's page on the venue's website or on the ticket site linked there. Each show page on this site links to the official page when one is available. If you're new to the system, our first-timer's guide explains Adv/Door prices and reservations.
- Drink fee: A separate one-drink fee is collected at the entrance. Our live house guide explains how it works.
- Bags: The venue is small and no coin lockers are listed, so travel light.
- Last train: Check your last train home before you go. Most trains in Tokyo stop around midnight.