Nice place to meet new people in Tokyo?

Hello, I'm a 24 y/o Japanese girl originally from Aichi. I've been living in Tokyo for about a year now and still having a hard time meeting people. In fact I haven't made any friends here outside of work yet and I'm starting to feel a bit lonely :(

I suppose many people go to bars and places like that to meet new people and I've been trying to go out over the past few days as well. The thing is though, as a single girl (with no female friends to go out with), it feels like it's almost impossible for me to go to a bar alone without coming off as completely desperate or looking like one of those girls looking for Gaijin attention (like the ones you see in Roppongi/Shibuya). I just want interesting conversations and most of all new friends. (From other countries, preferably - I find it easier to get along with non-Japanese people.)

Does anyone know any good places in Tokyo where I can meet new people in a friendly atmosphere? Hopefully somewhere I can go by myself without looking like a complete weirdo :D

Thanks in advance for your input :)

I advise you to join an international circle, outdoor, sports, language or any kind. What do you like to do?

If you want an opportunity to meet both men and women, I'd say a gym membership is a good place to start.

If you go regularly, eventually you will make friends (if you are open and friendly).

If you are interested in more intimate encounters, I would say cafes are great for meeting good guys.
Obviously there are good (date-worthy) guys in bars too but I would venture to say that cafes offer a better selection.
(Maybe that's biased on my part as a guy who likes the cafe culture in Tokyo.)

Thanks guys, this helps a lot. I was almost starting to hate Tokyo because of all this, but I suppose I have to do something about it myself...

- V-san

International circles sound like a nice idea. My interests/hobbies are mostly indoor activities, like music, films, boardgames and all that (haha, I'm dorky). I've been trying to look for board gaming circles, but it looks like there are only war game/tabletop RPG clubs. I suppose I have to look more.

- kyototrans-san

Cafes sound nice - I don't know many cafes in Tokyo though, the ones I do know are just franchise places. Know any good places in particular?

I'm still open to other suggestions, so if anyone's got an idea, please let me know :)

Try out Mickey's Cafe. I met some people here 5 years ago, and we have become very good friends ove the years. Some nights are quiet, so try it a few times. good luck.

http://www.mickeyhouse.jp/index.htm

In any big city, you definitely have to be proactive.
Whether NY or Tokyo, the truth is there are just so many people, you have to stand out to get noticed and have people come to you.

If that's something you're not good at, then you need to place yourself in situations where you're slightly vulnerable; just enough for someone to take interest.

In this sense, joining a gym, international circles, taking up a new hobby (shogi, go, calligraphy, tea, flower arrangement, etc) can be extremely rewarding.
Not only do you gain intellectually, culturally, and physically, but by opening yourself up to new experiences and people, and you invite people to help you, reach out to you.

As for cafes
The SegaFredo in Shibuya is a great place for people watching and meeting people.
http://www.segafredo.jp/storelocator.html#p1

But in general, if you take some long walks through Shibuya, Omotesando, and Shinjuku, you will find some great cafes.

Hey, it only takes a smile to start up a conversation.

Godone san, if you live in Tokyo you should check out your local kokusai-koryu lounge. There is at least one in every ward (ku). They hold non-profit events aimed just so that people of different cultures can be friends with each other.

Otherwise, since you like music I can suggest you to check out the Pink Cow for good live music and food. I know it's not always easy to make friends when everyone is there for the music, even when the atmosphere is friendly, but at least you can enjoy good music there.
http://www.thepinkcow.com/

If you want to find some non-Japanese friends, the quickest and secure way is to go to some centers like "koksai bunka kaikan".

Since there are many strangers who look for Japanese friends and since these centres hold boards for advertisements, it should be quite easy for you to get to know serious people.

When I lived in Europe I made an advertise like "Let's exchange cultures!" and many people contacted me. Most of them were weird and some were nice and we are still good friends.

I suggest you to make a phone call or go online to the centers before visiting because the facilities may be different from the centers to centers.

I know when you do not find friends in new place it is very depressing. Good luck!

Maybe you can put an ad in an English magazine like http://metropolis.co.jp/. There's lots of ads in that magazine, some of them are looking for only sex or Gaijin Hunting but I think there are honest ads too.

You can also put your ad on this website too -- in the penfriends section (which still exists!).

There are so many social sites today. Try a site like http://www.worldfriends.tv to make friends with people from Japan! I've found plenty of Japanese friends there. Very cute guys too. hehe.