Crocodile
Yuk it up at this laid-back Shibuya “live house”

Photos by Jun Imai

Crocodile is located between Shibuya and Harajuku, but its soul lies in neither of those neighborhoods. This grungy pub has more in common with the underground “live houses” of Kichijoji and Takadanobaba, offering a down-home venue for all manner of performances, musical and otherwise.

We’re most familiar with Crocodile as the home of the Tokyo Comedy Store, the English-language performance troupe that hosts a monthly show there. The bar’s setup is perfect for live comedy: the stage faces a pit of tables that can accommodate parties from couples to large groups, while a slightly raised area to the right allows the aristocrats of the crowd to set themselves above the rabble. Loners can lounge around the large table fronting the bar on the opposite side, where they are able to take in the show while enjoying easy access to the bartender. If you want an idea of just how intimate Crocodile is, head to the bathrooms (which, in fact, are Port-a-Potties). To reach them, you’ll have to pass by the performers waiting backstage for their chance under the spotlights. It’s a good place to ask for autographs.

The Comedy Store’s emcee begins most shows by telling the crowd that “the more you drink, the funnier we are.” Who are we to disagree? All the standard cocktails are available (¥650-¥800), and although beer lovers don’t have too many interesting choices, what is on the menu is relatively cheap—Japanese brews go for under ¥600 and pitchers ring in at ¥2,400. Crocodile even offers a couple of varieties of shochu and sake (¥550-¥750), plus wine by the glass, bottle or half bottle. The food menu includes standard pub fare: salads, pizza, pasta, hamburgers and rice and chicken dishes for ¥1,000 or less—though we haven’t been daring (or drunk) enough to try the fried alligator (¥1,000).

The crowd is always a mixed bag, ranging from couples to groups of Japanese (who are instructed to pretend they’re having fun by “laughing when the gaijin laugh”) to Tokyo American Club-type housewives—and if there’s a demographic more in need of a good chuckle, we can’t imagine who it would be. Predictably, the performers’ friends make up a good portion of the crowd, providing support during sets.

The TCS shows are split into two parts, the first of which is straight-up standup, and the second half improvisation. The rotating lineup of foreign comedians can be counted on to crack wise about the absurdities of life in Japan, while a couple of Japanese performers gamely take to the stage in their second language. Guaranteed to bring down the house are the jittery Kevin Cooney (above left), whose voluble expressions of outrage call to mind a skinny Sam Kennison, and Cloudy Bongwater, whose bleached hair, sunglasses and hilarious gags regularly get the biggest laughs.

The improv set involves audience participation, and by the time it begins, the giddy crowd is up for anything. The intimate and atmospheric Crocodile offers the perfect backdrop not just to laugh
at the performers, but to laugh at ourselves as well.

B1 6-18-8 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-3499-5205. Open daily 6pm-late. Nearest stn: Shibuya, Meiji-Jingumae or Harajuku. The Tokyo Comedy Store performs at Crocodile on the fourth Friday of every month. Doors open at 7pm and performances are 8-10:30pm. Admission ¥2,000 plus one drink minimum. www.music.co.jp/~croco

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