Kabukicho, located in Shinjuku, is an area known for its red-light district, but is also home to various kinds of entertainment. One of its newest is the Samurai Restaurant, which started in October 2023 as the successor of the famous Robot Restaurant which closed its doors amid COVID-19. Step foot inside, and find yourself in a vibrant world of Japanese culture, with samurai, ninja and pop culture all mixed together to create the ultimate entertainment show in Tokyo.
The Samurai Restaurant is located within the Gira Gira Girls Bar, which offers adult entertainment at night, making it have an age limit of 18 years or older. The venue is flashy and vibrant with no decorations related to Samurai, but no worries, you are at the right place! (It is appropriate and enjoyable at any age, so the operators are hoping to change the venue in the near future so that all ages can come and enjoy.)
Although it’s named a restaurant, it is more so an entertainment show, so although tickets come with a choice of ramen, sushi, sukiyaki bento boxes and more, the 1.5 hour show is what makes it special.
The show consists of several performances each with a different theme, starting with a wadaiko drum performance where drummers come out on dazzling flashing floats that portray icons of Japanese culture. Then come ninjas, samurai fights, and geisha performances, with floats that accent each scene. The show ends with a performance depicting a traditional omatsuri festival, where almost the whole crew comes on stage to enliven the finale. To be honest, how the samurai and other Japanese culture is expressed were a bit over the edge and unreal, but according to the operators the show is meant to be absolute entertainment, and that was exactly what it was.
Tickets are sold on site, but seating is limited and buying in advance online gives you a discount plus more options for food, so I recommend buying them online. The performance changes by season and incorporates holiday spirit (like Halloween for this month). If you’re looking for a fun and entertaining show, this is the place to go!
Place: Gira Gira Girls Bar (1-7-7 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
Hours: 10:50, 14:00, 16:30
Price: 8,000 ~ 10,000 JPN *depends on performance
Website: https://samurai-restaurant.tokyo/reservation/index.php
*Please check the official website for entry rules and other important information regarding ticketing.
<Author>
Saori Futsukaichi
Travel Consultant at WaWo Japan Travel