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I’m underground in an adult club in Tokyo’s Kabukicho. And I’m about to have my mind blown! But don’t worry, this blog hasn’t suddenly got X-rated. Instead, I’m checking out the Samurai Restaurant, the new incarnation of Tokyo’s famous Robot Restaurant, which closed in 2020… but can it live up to its predecessor? Let’s find out…
Before its closure, the Robot Restaurant in Tokyo was one of the hot tourist tickets in town. A kitsch explosion of noise, colour and girls in bikinis riding giant motorised crabs while waving glow sticks. Despite the word restaurant, the food was terrible, but no-one went for that… they went for the bonkers spectacle on the stage. And they had a blast.
Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
Sadly, the lack of travel to Japan over the last four years took its toll, and the Robot Restaurant didn’t come back when the tourists did—but late last year, a new show arrived in the same spot in Shinjuku’s entertainment area—The Samurai Restaurant.
I’d seen the signs outside, but I hadn’t seen the same level of hype over the new show, which made me wonder if I would get a history lesson about feuding clans rather than a show featuring giant neon crustaceans. After all, when you think of samurai, you think of Shogun rather than sensory overload in swimwear.
Yet, here I am—gobsmacked!
In the first 15 minutes, there’s been drumming and acrobatics, someone’s riding a float of a giant one-eyed monster, and girls in skimpy outfits finished off with ridiculous boots with leg warmers are doing cartwheels. I have no idea what will come onto the stage next—and I can’t stop laughing!
The Very Important Fact About the Samurai Show
Now, before you head off and book from the description in that paragraph alone, I must mention an essential point. While it was closed, the Robot Restaurant space became an adult club called Gira Gira Girls, and, not wanting to rely on the tourists completely just yet, the two shows now cohabit in the space.
This doesn’t mean that the Samurai Show is adult-orientated; it’s good, clean, family-fun… but it does mean that, right now, no one under 18 can attend as they aren’t allowed in the building.
It’s also important to know that while the show experience lasts about two hours, this is not all filled with theatrical mayhem. It’s actually split into three acts of about 15 minutes each, with breaks in between.
This was the one thing that made me doubt, at one point, about recommending the show. The Robot Restaurant was kitsch but professional, while the Samurai Show has some rough edges.
When the performers are onstage, it’s amazing, but the sets for each act take a while to set up, which means that the show can be kind of disjointed.
The most noticeable issue was a really weird moment after Act One when I thought it was restarting, and I was very excited to see what they were going to throw at me now. Two samurai in sequins came on the stage to basically give a surprise to one of the tables, and then the curtain came down again. Say what now?
This means there’s a bit of waiting around, a bit of cheesy banter from the compere and staff to pass the time, and a vain attempt to sell you Samurai show merch and extra sake between the main events, but trust me, let this all wash over you.
Just be prepared for it, let it happen, enjoy your drinks/food, have a chat, let your brain calm back down, and wait for the next act to begin. The first act and the finale are worth the entrance fee alone.
In fact, the finale removed any doubts I had about suggesting that the Samurai Show needs to be added to your itinerary. It’s just glorious.
I don’t want to spoil it, but floats and dancers and musicians just kept coming onto the tiny stage one after the other until I didn’t think they could actually cram anything else on there. I was too busy taking photos and videos to even think about waving my glow stick!
How many photos I take of an experience in Japan is often a sign of how happy it’s made me – and there are over 200 pics and videos from the Samurai Restaurant!
It’s not high-end entertainment, and it’s not highbrow entertainment. I think some bits of the costumes might even be held together with some duct tape, but if you’re in Tokyo to see the slightly bonkers side of Japan, this is where you’ll find it.
Once it finished, I came out and just stood in the street for a bit. Normally I’m happy to sit in my hotel room and relax after a day’s sightseeing, but I couldn’t go straight back to a quiet room after that. I had to go and sit in the St James, my favourite pub in Kabukicho, for a bit to transition between the two as my mind was buzzing!
Are There Actually Any Samurai?
Well, yes – there’s a few men (and women) in sparkly samurai armour, and one guy in gold who’s obviously important in the feudal world, does a bit of dramatic hand shaking – but frankly, they’re crowded out by giant monsters, demons, singing women in dramatic hats and some kind of blue parrot thing that I still haven’t worked out.
There is also, it seems, a story. The show’s singing and a small amount of dialogue are in Japanese, and I couldn’t understand a word, but from the costumes, body language, and floats, it seemed to be a battle between good and evil Samurai combined with a love story.
But it might also be about something completely else entirely!
Do you need a great understanding of the plot to enjoy things… no. You’ll be too busy swinging your head from side to side, watching what’s coming next on stage, to worry about the plot points.
Are There Drinks and Snacks?
Doh, Helen. It’s called the Samurai Restaurant, you’re saying. Well, as I said, the old Robot Restaurant was as famous for its terrible food as the robots, so I wasn’t exactly planning on dining – but it turned out I was only the only person without a bowl of ramen or a bento.
When you buy tickets in advance from Get Your Guide, which is how I bought mine, you’re not offered food but two drinks. Everyone else, though, seemed to have been given a food option.
The guys beside me had ramen, which they said wasn’t bad. However, they ordered some extra takoyaki, which they only ate half of. I’m not sure if that was a reflection of the food or their appetites.
If you don’t have a pre-order placed, you pick your selection from the menu and hand over the tickets that are included in your package – one ticket gets you a standard-sized can of something like Asahi or Lemon Sour. They also had sake and soft drinks. If you want larger sizes or the more premium drinks, it’s two tickets for one.
I wasn’t sure if there would be an interval, so I double-stacked my drinks. However, there were plenty of opportunities to get other refreshments.
If you want to order something not included with your ticket, it’s cash only, paid upfront. The prices aren’t that bad – from memory, it was 300 yen for a small beer or a lemon sour.
Make Sure You’re Prepared
Other things to note. They must take a copy of your ID to prove everyone is over 18. They will accept a driving license if you aren’t keen on handing over your passport to a club in Kabukicho!
They also have a dress code that you can easily miss in the description.
No sunglasses are allowed to be worn inside, and if you’re wearing shorts, you’ll be asked to don a pair of baggy pants and a fisherman’s jacket. Most people at my show who had to do this took it as a great photographic opportunity.
Need Extra Planning Help?
Our Japan trip planners can help. You might like our First-Timers Japan Planner, which will help you plan your trip to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka step-by-step, including tips on everything from picking hotels to sightseeing and dining. Or our super-duper Tokyo Disney Planner makes arranging your park trip MUCH easier. Find them in our Planners store – printable and digital versions are available.
When is The Show On?
Right now, the show is only a daytime activity. They started with one show a day but are now up to three—10.30 am, 1.30 pm, and 4 pm. The staff member I was talking to said they are considering adding more because it’s selling out, so there may soon be an evening show.
The popularity surprised me because I hadn’t seen much hype about it. I certainly didn’t expect it to be full, but both my show and the one before it were booked solid. The space is quite small, probably only 40-50 seats.
One thing to note if you buy your tickets online: I booked for 4 p.m., but my instructions said to arrive 30 minutes before. So I turned up at 3.30pm, which was way too early. The doors open at 4 p.m., and the show doesn’t start until 4.30 p.m. They will let you sit inside and wait if you ask, and that’s definitely worth a look, as the decor is quite something!
If lots of people turn up early, you might get ferried over the road to another entertainment establishment to wait and do your pre-orders to ease congestion in the actual venue.
As I said in my piece on is Kabukicho safe, I’m not easily shocked, and as a female traveling solo, I wouldn’t normally get to see the inside of the lady bars of Kabukicho, so this was quite fun. Although, I did just mention to my friend that if I was never seen again, I was last seen going into the Pink Palace!
Conversely, don’t turn up at the last minute, as you need time to check IDs, preorder drinks, and find your allocated seat.
How Do You Get Tickets?
You can buy them in advance from the theatre in Kabukicho. This is slightly cheaper than booking online, especially for the earlier show, as they give a discount.
However, if like me, you want to know what you’re doing when on your trip – and to make sure you get in, you can book online via Get Your Guide.
The exact price varies by time and where you buy your ticket, but the 10.30 a.m. show is the cheapest at around AU$85 per person. I paid AU$98 for the late afternoon show.
If you’re flexible with your timings, you could wait and book when you get there, but I think as more people talk about it, it will become like the Robot Restaurant, and you’ll need to book your seat in advance so you don’t miss out. I’ve already added it to my post on the list of things in Tokyo that you should plan ahead for in preparation for that day!.
So, Would I Recommend the Samurai Restaurant?
Absolutely. It’s everything you want from kitsch Tokyo in one noisy, technicolour extravaganza. Is it logistically perfect? No. Is it a heck of a lot of fun, unlike anything you’ve seen before? Yes.
And definitely don’t expect a history lesson!
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