Rock Bar Crunch is a true heavy metal hideout in Gion, Kyoto — a tiny upstairs room lined with posters and screens looping metal videos, with late-night service that often runs until the first trains around 05:00, making it ideal post-gig territory. The atmosphere is intimate and social, anchored by owner Moo-chan, whose friendly, encyclopaedic taste keeps the soundtrack shifting from classic NWOBHM to modern extremes.
Open most nights from around 20:00 with one regular closed day; smoking is permitted inside. Founded in Umeda, Osaka, the bar relocated to its home turf in Kyoto in June 2016 and has since become the city’s go-to spot for heavy-music meetups, visiting bands and scene travellers.
ADDRESS:
Japan, 〒605-0078 Kyoto, Higashiyama Ward, Tominagacho, 138 ユニバース会館 ３Ｆ
Back to Kyoto.