What the Dickens! Ebisu: The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo's Best Comedy Club Venue

Where does Pirates of Tokyo Bay perform? Every month, we take the stage at What the Dickens! An authentic British pub on the 4th floor of Roob 6 Building in Ebisu, Tokyo. Just one stop from Shibuya on the Yamanote Line, it is one of the most unique things to do in Tokyo on any given night, and on show nights it becomes the city's most unpredictable comedy club experience. Whether you searched for a comedy club in Tokyo, a British pub in Ebisu, or the best shows in Tokyo, this is where it all happens.

If you are searching for comedy shows in Tokyo, a proper British pub with great food, or simply a night out that is genuinely different from a standard bar or restaurant, this is the place.

What the Dickens! - A Slice of Britain in Ebisu

What the Dickens! has been running since 1995, making it one of the longest-standing foreign-owned venues in Tokyo. It is not a theme bar. It is not a tourist trap. It is a real pub, warm, welcoming, slightly chaotic in the best possible way, with draught pints, live music most nights of the week, and a full kitchen serving British classics.

On Pirates of Tokyo Bay show nights, the 4th floor transforms. The pub fills up. The lights go down. And then nothing is scripted for the rest of the evening.

Venue Quick Facts

• Full name: What the Dickens!

• Address: 4F Roob 6 Bldg, 1-13-3 Ebisunishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0021

• Nearest station: Ebisu Station (JR Yamanote Line / Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line) 3 minutes on foot from the West Exit

• Distance from Shibuya: 1 stop on the Yamanote Line

• Floor: 4th floor. Take the elevator

• Opening hours: Tuesday–Thursday 5:00pm–midnight / Friday–Saturday 5:00pm–1:00am / Sunday 3:00pm–11:00pm / Monday closed

• Food style: Authentic British pub food

• Draft beer: Guinness, Fuller's London Pride, Asahi, Aspall Cider, Belhaven IPA and more

• Reservations: Not required for the pub; advance tickets strongly recommended for comedy shows

Does What the Dickens! Serve Food During Comedy Shows?

Yes! This is one of the things that makes it stand out as a comedy club experience in Tokyo. The full menu is available before and during the show. You are not limited to drinks. You can sit down with a pint of Guinness and a plate of fish and chips, watch unscripted comedy unfold around your table, and make a proper night of it.

Food highlights worth ordering:

• Fish & Chips with Tartare Sauce ¥1,400 - the classic, done properly

• Chicken Pie, Chips & Veg ¥1,400 - genuinely good comfort food

• Steak Pie, Chips & Veg ¥1,400 - rich, warming, very British

• Spicy Chicken Wings ¥600 - great for sharing at the table

• Nachos with Melted Cheese ¥800 - crowd favourite on show nights

For drinks, the draft selection runs from Guinness and Fuller's London Pride to Japanese craft options including Nest Beer White Ale and Sumidagawa Pale Ale. Non-alcoholic options are available too.

📍会場 / VENUE:
WHAT THE DICKENS!
EBISU / 恵比寿

What the Dickens!

Roob 6 Bldg 4F, 1-13-3 Ebisunishi, Shibuya, Tokyo
ROOB6ビル 4F, 恵比寿西1-13-3, 150-0021 渋谷区, 東京都

地図と道順を表示 / MAP & DIRECTIONS

How to Get There

From Ebisu Station (West Exit / 西口):

1. Exit through the West Gate (西口)

2. Head northeast toward 駒沢通り/都道416号

3. Turn left onto 駒沢通り/都道416号

4. Turn right before KFC

5. Turn left. What the Dickens! will be on your left

6. Take the elevator to the 4th floor

Total walking time: approximately 3 minutes (200 metres)

By train from Shibuya: One stop on the JR Yamanote Line to Ebisu Station. The whole journey is under 5 minutes door to door.

Why This Venue Works for Comedy

Most comedy clubs in Tokyo are either underground bars with low ceilings or formal theatre spaces with rows of seats facing a distant stage. What the Dickens! is neither. It is a proper pub with tables, booths, a bar you can lean on, and a stage that puts the performers close to the audience. That proximity matters for improv comedy, when the cast asks for suggestions, they are right in front of you, not across a theatre.

The atmosphere on show nights is warm, international, and relaxed. Regulars know each other. First-timers get settled quickly. The staff are friendly. The beer is cold. It has been the home of Pirates of Tokyo Bay for years, and there is a reason we keep coming back.

🎟️ Coming to a Show?

Pirates of Tokyo Bay performs monthly at What the Dickens!

• Tickets are ¥2,500 and include your first drink free.

• Doors open at 7:00pm.

• Show starts at 7:30pm.

• Check upcoming dates and reserve your seat: www.piratesoftokyobay.com/tickets

• Seats fill up. Book in advance.

この記事を日本語で読む → 日本語版

Tokyo Spring Comedy: Bloom, Boom, and a Special Guest on Stage!

What is the Pirates of Tokyo Bay? We are Tokyo's premier English and Japanese improv comedy group, performing monthly at What the Dickens! in Ebisu, just one stop from Shibuya. No scripts. No safety nets. Just live, unscripted comedy built entirely from your suggestions, on the spot, every single time.

Our next show is Sunday, March 29th, 2026. If you are searching for something genuinely different, something more alive than a typical comedy club experience, this is your night.

Spring Has Arrived. So Has Hayashi Mansuke.

March in Tokyo means cherry blossoms, hanami picnics, and the specific joy of being outside after a long winter. But cherry blossoms are gone in a week. A great night of improv comedy? That stays with you.

This month's show comes with a massive bonus. Returning to our stage as a Featured Player is Hayashi Mansuke, a veteran comedy performer from Yoshimoto Kogyo and a core member of The Empty Stage, one of Tokyo's top improv shows. He guest-performed with us in 2023, came back last month and absolutely owned the room, and now he's joining us as a regular featured member for 2026.

The chemistry between Mansuke and our international cast is something you genuinely cannot predict, and that is exactly the point.

"Do I need to speak both languages?"

This is the question we hear most. The answer is no.

Our shows are designed so that anyone, whether you speak English, Japanese, or are somewhere in the middle, will laugh just as hard as everyone else. We use physical comedy, pantomime, big reactions, and yes, occasional gibberish to make sure the whole room is in on the joke. Language ability is not a ticket requirement. Curiosity is.

Why What the Dickens!?

If you are looking for things to do in Tokyo that feel genuinely local and alive, What the Dickens! in Ebisu is one of the city's great hidden gems. A proper British pub on the 4th floor, with real fish and chips, cold pints, and a stage that has hosted some of the most unpredictable nights in Tokyo comedy.

Three minutes from Ebisu Station on the Yamanote Line. One stop from Shibuya. Easy to find, impossible to forget.

What to expect on the night:

• Doors open at 7:00pm - come early, grab your free drink, find a good seat

• Show starts at 7:30pm sharp

• Runtime approximately 1 hour 45 minutes

• Full British pub food and drinks menu available throughout

• You will be asked for suggestions, the weirder the better

🎟️ EVENT DETAILS / March 29th

• Date: Sunday, March 29th, 2026

• Doors: 7:00 PM

• Show Start: 7:30 PM

• Venue: What the Dickens!, Roob 6 Bldg 4F, 1-13-3 Ebisunishi, Ebisu (1 stop from Shibuya)

• Tickets: ¥2,500 (includes your 1st drink free!)

• Reserve: www.piratesoftokyobay.com/tickets

Seats fill up fast. Book in advance.

See you on the 29th!

この記事を日本語で読む → 日本語版

今アジアで最もエネルギッシュなグループと一緒にステージに立ってみませんか。 Audition and join Asia’s most traveled improv group

東京を拠点にする日本語&英語の即興グループであるパイレーツ・オブ・東京湾が今年もオーディションをすることになりました。私たちは恵比寿の毎月公演に加えて、シンガポール、マニラ、クアラルンプール、北京、ハワイ、ニューヨーク、など海外公演もしています。

私たちは日本語と英語を自由自在に操り、エネルギッシュなパフォーマンスを見せることで知られています。そんなグループに入ってみたいという方をオーディションでは探しているので、興味のある方はぜひご応募ください！経験不問、そしてバイリンガルである必要は全くございません！たくさんのお客様を笑わせたい方はこの機会をお見逃しなく！

オーディション日時は５月１３日（日曜日）。場所は新宿です。詳しくはこちらから、www.piratesoftokyobay.com/auditions

POTBより

The Pirates of Tokyo Bay, a bilingual improv comedy group based in Tokyo, is having open auditions for new members. The group tours regularly (Singapore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Hawaii, NYC, Germany, and more) and performs monthly in Tokyo.

The Pirates are known for their high energy shows that are performed in both English and Japanese. We are looking for new members to join us. No experience in necessary and you do not need to be bilingual to audition. If you have ever wanted to make hundreds of people laugh, join us!

Auditions will be on Sunday, May 13th in Shinjuku. Visit www.piratesoftokyobay.com/auditions for more info and sign up to audition.

♡ Pirates

第六回 高円寺演芸まつり The 6th Koenji Engei Festival

今年で第六回を数える「高円寺演芸まつり」は高円寺駅地区の神社や銭湯、居酒屋や自転車屋に葬祭場など様々な場所で、落語や漫才、マジックなどの演芸を楽しめる10日間のお祭りです。回を重ねるにつれ、参加する芸人や会場、お客様の数は増えています。

わかりやすい解説付の銭湯寄席「はじめての寄席」や、寄席演芸の花形「紙切り」を存分に楽しめる、「二楽劇場in高円寺」、太神楽曲芸協会若手が取り組む 舞台公演「ナゲツナゲ～太神楽曲芸～」などのほか、江戸食文化の天ぷら、寿司、蕎麦やの老舗が連なるエトアール商店街では、お店の選べる食事付落語会を開 催するなど、寄席演芸だけでなく、街歩きも一緒に楽しめます。初めての取り組みとして、バイリンガルの落語家、立川志の春が英語および英語字幕付きの日本 語でお噺を披露し、関東の唯一即興コメディ団のパイレーツ・オブ・東京湾のショーをお寺で楽しめる公演もあります。

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【高円寺演芸まつり開催中初！英語落語とバイリンガル即興コメディで抱腹絶倒！】

2016年2月は高円寺史上初に英語話者向けの会が高円寺演芸まつり開催中に開催されます。日本語ネイティブでさえわかりにくい落語は高度な日本語能力を持っている日本語学習者でさえ大変わかりにくいです。

まず2月11日、バイリンガルの落語家立川志の春さんが英語および英語字幕付きの日本語でお噺を披露します。

2月13日には立川こはるさんの英語字幕付落語と関東の唯一即興コメディ団のパイレーツ・オブ・東京湾の笑いをお届けします。

日本語ネイティブもぜひ、どうぞお気軽におこしください。

● 2016年2月11日（開場13：30、開演14：00）
「立川志の春独演会」
※ 英語落語および英語字幕付き落語

http://peatix.com/event/134651

● 2016年2月13日 （開場13：30、開演14：00）
「パイレーツ・オブ・東京湾 立川こはる」
※ 関東で唯一のバイリンガル即興コメディ団体及び英語字幕付き落語

http://peatix.com/event/136017

チケット：一般2,000円、学生1,500円 （要学生証）
会場：長善寺 （東京都杉並区高円寺南2–40–50）
TEL：03–3311–2922 （当日のみ）
お問い合わせ：rakugowithoutborders@gmail.com (日英語対応)
【アーツカウンシル東京のページから】

This year’s Koenji Engei Festival, the sixth of its kind, offers ten days of theatrical performances like rakugo (one-man comic storytelling), manzai stand-up comedic double acts and magic shows at diverse locations in the Koenji district such as shrines and public baths, izakayas, bicycle shops and funeral halls. The number of participating artists, venues and visitors has risen with each festival.

The festival includes “Hajimete no yose” (‘my first yose’) theatrical entertainment with easy-to-follow commentary at a public bath; “Niraku Theater in Koenji,” where the audience can get its fill of the star attraction of yose engei Japanese-style vaudeville entertainment, kamikiri paper cutting craft; and “Nagetsunage: Daikagura Kyokugei,” a traditional performing arts show featuring young members of the Daikagura Kyokugeikai group.

But it’s not all indoor or seated Japanese-style vaudeville. Passers-by in the street will also be able to enjoy festivities — for example Koenji’s Etoile Shopping Street will play host to rakugo performances with a choice of meal included from its row of long-established eating houses offering Edo cuisine like tempura, sushi and soba.

In a first for the festival, bilingual rakugo performer Shinoharu Tatekawa will take to the stage in a temple to demonstrate kobanashi comic vignettes in both English and English-subtitled Japanese, alongside a performance by the Kanto region’s only bilingual improv comedy group, Pirates of Tokyo Bay

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【A first during the Koenji Engei Festival! English-language Rakugo and Bilingual Improv Comedy】

For the first time Koenji’s history, two shows aiming at English speaking audiences will accompany the Koenji Engei Festival. Rakugo — the Ultimate One Man Comedy — is very hard to access without knowledge of Japanese but on February 11th, Tatekawa Shinoharu, a bilingual rakugo-artist will show his art in both Japanese with sur-titles as well as English.

On February 13th we present Tatekawa Koharu — Rakugo with Japanese sur-titles along with the Pirates of Tokyo Bay — Tokyo’s only bilingual comedy group!

● February 11, 2016

”Tatekawa Shinoharu Solo Show”

＊ Rakugo — Ultimate One Man Comedy in English/ Japanese with English Sur-Titles

http://peatix.com/event/134651

● February 13, 2016

”Pirates of Tokyo Bay and Tatekawa Koharu”

＊ Tokyo’s only bilingual comedy group and Rakugo — Ultimate One Man Comedy — in Japanese with English Sur-Titles

http://peatix.com/event/136017

Both events start at 14:00. Doors open: 13:30

Ticket：2,000Yen, Students 1,500 Yen (Students must show a valid student ID card at the entrance.)

Venue：Chozenji Temple（2–40–50 Koenji Minami, Suginami-ku, Tokyo）

Tel：03–3311–2922 (only February 11 and 13)

Enquiries: rakugowithoutborders@gmail.com (Japanese/English)

【From Art Council Tokyo page】

https://www.artscouncil-tokyo.jp/en/what-we-do/support/program/10206/