Shinjuku Station is well-known for its confusing maze of exits, but if you’re able to find your way to Exit 9 of the Shinjuku Subnade shopping mall, then make a left down Kabukicho Sakura-Dori, and you’ll find the flashing lights of Samurai Restaurant Time just a block away.

This time, I was joined by LIVE JAPAN editor Timothy. On our visit, outside we were greeted by giant animatronic witches cackling our way. Overhead is a giant screen telling you to come on in, and once you duck your head in, you’re welcomed by a dazzling array of lights and mirrors, where not a single surface seems to be matte. This waiting area is just a taste of what’s to come!

Here, you can put your bags in a locker if you like. The seats at the show are not cramped, but there is no special place to put your bags after this, so it is easiest to just bring your valuables and leave mid-sized bags here.

There is a dress code of no large tattoos or shorts for men; if you do show up with that, you may just be asked to wear a traditional happi (festival jacket).

Let’s get one thing straight – this is not an average “restaurant.” At Samurai Restaurant Time, the show is really the main focus, and the food is more to keep you going. You’ll be so distracted by the spectacle before you, you’ll barely be thinking about food!

That said, when you book through Rakuten, you’ll have the choice of two drinks with your ticket or a bento with bottled water. You can choose between sukiyaki beef, sushi bento, appetizer set, ramen, or udon.

On our visit, we had the sukiyaki beef bento. We were surprised to find it came in a magical box where you pull a string to heat it up! It takes a few minutes to heat up, but we almost immediately saw steam rising as that umami sukiyaki scent wafted our way.

Inside was meat, a shiitake mushroom, some konyakku noodles, all on rice and with two little sides. I pulled my string very early on, but it was still warm halfway through the show when I finally opened it.

You can also order sides and drinks, with a selection of Japanese beer, highballs, and sake.

After settling in and getting hyped up by the show’s host with free sake and an energetic “kanpai!” (cheers!), the curtains rise to reveal the stage.

Enormous floats make their way forward, ridden by flamboyantly dressed performers playing the drums, chanting, and dancing.

Broadly speaking, the show is broken down into a few different acts: Hyakki (a hundred demon spirits), an interlude battle performance, Historical Drama, Asian Pirates, and Matsuri (Japanese festival). Each performance is about 10-20 minutes, with breaks in between to process everything you’ve seen.

Talking about the overall concept, Tomoo Sasaki, General Manager of GIRA Ltd. that runs the Samurai Restaurant, said, “The name ‘Robot Restaurant’ became well-known, but we felt like it had reached its natural conclusion. So when we were thinking of what to do to make a fresh start, we thought that we should answer the wishes of the customers who were looking for the real Japan.

“There are a lot of people who come to Japan and get to Narita or Haneda airport and think, ‘Huh. This isn’t what I expected Japan to be like.’ We wanted to create something that would show them the Japan they were hoping for, with things like samurai and ninja.”

Right from the first performance, the stage is filled with contrasts, battles, love stories, all without the need for any words.

During the performance we watched (as there is rumor the performances may change over time), it began with a giant blue float followed by a giant red one. The blue float and its performers had airy, feminine costumes, while the red performers had devil horns and were brought on with flames in the background.

This type of contrast happens a lot throughout the performance, with an energetic use of lighting and fun costume design.

After the introductory floats, the focus in the following acts is mainly on the individual performers. There are sword fights and lovers’ dances, melancholy songs and energetic battle cries.

There are some portions with spoken English accompanied by subtitles. The clear good vs. evil themes and storytelling through set design and performances makes words mostly unnecessary.

Sasaki explained, “Our inspiration comes from a lot of different places. There isn’t just one thing I can point to and say, ‘This is where our inspiration came from.’ Instead, it’s a mixture of different things. I think that, in itself, is the concept of the Samurai Restaurant, a mix of different things with our own spin on it.”

Throughout the show, the live performances, music, and backdrop all blend seamlessly for an over-the-top experience.

The stage performers are often dancing, singing, chanting, or even doing backflips. They are often accompanied by a live band, if they are not hitting the drums or playing the shamisen (stringed instrument) themselves on stage.

The digital backdrop interacts with the performances, with sword fighting scenes accompanied by anime-like slashes to emphasize the movement, or floating cherry blossom petals during a song.

There are non-digital elements too, as “real” (decorative) cherry blossom petals fall from the ceiling, or smoke comes barreling out of the dragon’s nose.

All of this makes for a pretty crazy experience, and there is never a dull moment!

There’s so much to look out for during this exciting array of performances, so the best way to give you an idea is to just show you! Here are some of our favorites that we spotted. (These are not their official names, just our imaginings of what they might be!)

LIVE JAPAN editor Timothy also shared his impressions of the performance. “It was pretty wild, with live musicians and drummers pounding out an intense soundtrack as colorful cast members dance and act. Everyone’s really into what they are doing on stage, and you’ll love their energy. All of this is right in front of your table, but it’s not overwhelming. Each act has its own pace, and you can enjoy your tasty bento while sipping some drinks and chilling with friends. It’s a fun time sharing that zany, over-the-top side of Tokyo; if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s worth adding to your list of things to do during your trip.”

The Samurai Restaurant is an energetic and over-the-top take on some of Japan’s vibrant culture and folklore. If that’s something you’re interested in, this show is for you!

Importantly, the show is held in Kabukicho, known as Tokyo’s red light district, and entry is restricted to over 18s only. The legal drinking age in Japan is 20, so alcohol will only be served to over 20s.

With that in mind, the Samurai Restaurant is a great option for couples, or families with older children, or even a group of friends who want to go for drinks with some entertainment to accompany it!

Whoever you go with, we hope you have a great time! If we’ve convinced you to go, take a look at reservation details below.