Samurai Restaurant: How to Get Cheap Tickets to Tokyo’s Wildest Attraction

For those who want to see the crazy side of Tokyo, this is the perfect attraction. The Samurai Restaurant in Shinjuku (not to be confused with the Samurai Rock Restaurant located in Akihabara) opened in October 2023. It serves up flashy martial arts theatrics along with your meal, giving you a unique experience even for Tokyo’s standards.

But what if I told you it’s not a new attraction? In fact, it has been around for many years, just with a different name. Read on to learn what I mean—plus where to find cheap Samurai Restaurant tickets (spoiler: It’s not their official website).

What is the Samurai Restaurant?

Don’t be fooled by the name: the Samurai Restaurant in Shinjuku is not a restaurant. It’s a 2-hour experience where you enjoy the thrill of a flashy martial arts and acrobatics show. And if you’re hungry, you can have a simple meal to go along with it.

Where is the Samurai Restaurant Located?

The Samurai Restaurant is situated in the red-light district of Kabukicho, in Shinjuku. The show itself is suitable for people over 13 years of age. But because it is part of an adult entertainment establishment called GiraGiraGirls, it is ranked as an 18+ affair. 

What to Expect at the Samurai Restaurant Tokyo

A complete assault on the senses. A 2-hour long over-the-top, tacky show, with quirky costumes, Power Rangers-level fight scenes, and cheesy dialogues. But all of this, in the most exciting way. It is really one of the most entertaining shows in Tokyo.

The venue is rather small with a limited audience, so you will find yourself really close to the stage, and regularly have eye contact with the performers. It adds to the immersion and almost makes you feel like you are attending a private show.

The show is split into three ‘stories’, with two breaks of 15 minutes in between. While you can have a bathroom break during this time (I actually recommend you to have a bathroom break, as the throne room is as flashy as the rest of the establishment and with reflecting golden walls so that you can, well… look at yourself while doing your business), be sure to rush back and enjoy the lively interval demonstrations, too.

During the show, you will be seated on stools and booths in front of the stage. You’ll be encouraged to stay on your spot during the performance—if you’re immersed in the experience, you wouldn’t wanna move anyway.

Here is a video I made of my visit there:

What are the Show Timings?

The Samurai Restaurant has a morning show at 10:30am, an early afternoon show at 1:30pm, and a late afternoon show at 4pm. They run shows daily, although some days might only have two shows instead of three. Before the show, you will have to wait for 30 minutes while enjoying some entertainment until the real theatrics start. The show itself lasts around 1 hour 40 minutes, so you should be out of the venue 2 hours 10 minutes after entering.

Food and Drinks at the Samurai Restaurant

You’re not coming here for a Michelin-starred meal, but of course, you’ll still get something to munch on during the show. Your ticket originally includes either a bento meal or a set of two drinks. The bento has options to choose from: steak, sushi, appetizer, ramen, or udon noodles.

And to my surprise, the food was actually decent. Portions might be a bit small, but the shows are in the morning or in the afternoon anyway so you probably won’t be really hungry.

The drinks include a range of alcohol as well as soft drinks. Honestly, if you drink I’d recommend going for it. This show is pretty crazy, and the flashes and loud music make it a great place to have a few beers. Plus you’ll be out in Kabukicho in Shinjuku by around 6pm if you choose to go to the late afternoon (which I would definitely recommend). Sounds to me like the perfect occasion to head to a nearby bar and keep the night going until late.

You can also choose to pay separately for snacks from their English-language menu. If you’re vegetarian, they have popcorn and mochi on their menu.

However, note that you’d need to book your ticket at least one day in advance to choose a bento. If you book late, you can choose from one of: ramen, udon, or a pair of drinks.

How to Find Cheap Tickets for the Samurai Restaurant

Looking for a Samurai Restaurant Tokyo reservation? Morning tickets cost ¥8,000 and afternoon’s are ¥10,000.

You may consider booking tickets on their official website. But the UX is absolutely terrible and their cancellation policy isn’t customer friendly with no refund (although you can choose the option to pay at the door) nor modifications allowed. So instead, I’d recommend booking with a booking platform:

• GetYourGuide offers tickets for the Samurai Restaurant, at the same price as the official website. Their cancellation policy allow you to cancel 24 hours before the show and get a full a refund.
• Rakuten Travel Experiences offers discounted morning tickets priced at ¥6,800 (15% off). They do offer discounted afternoon tickets, but only at 2% off, at ¥9,800. Note that the discount might vary depending on the season (high travel seasons like March and April usually have lower discount rates). Rakuten’s cancellation policy allows you for a full refund if you cancel up to 48 hours before the show.

But… What Happened to the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku?

Ok, here comes the story time. You might have heard about Tokyo’s “Robot Restaurant”. It also went by the unofficial names Robot Cafe, Robot Bar, Robot Show, you name it. This was one of the most popular attractions in Tokyo and even Japan. But the clientele was almost exclusively international tourists.

So it won’t surprise you that soon after COVID-19 started and Japan closed its border to foreign visitors, the establishment closed down indefinitely.

Well, indefinitely until the managing company (the same people managing GiraGiraGirls) decided to re-launch the show in June 2023, keeping the name Robot Restaurant, but using a scene on a different floor of the same building where Robot Restaurant was. New show, new performers, a few new machines, but the same vibe.

And here is the funny part. After some successful pre-shows with the press and business partners, on the day of the opening to the public… one of the central mechanical pieces of the scene broke down.

And Robot Restaurant had to once again close its doors for repair. But they actually used this time to change the show again and re-brand it as “Samurai Restaurant”, which they reopened in October 2023.

Things To Do Around After The Samurai Restaurant

After a crazy ride at the Samurai Restaurant, you’ll probably be left hanging for some party time. The good news is, you’re in the perfect area for this. It is filled with bars, izakaya, attractions, and other naughty establishments (we’re in Kabukicho after all, the red-light district of Tokyo).

Beyond the naughty connotations of Kabukicho, there are plenty of great nearby places to visit to after the Samurai Restaurant.

You can check out the newly built Kabukicho Tower, enjoy a drink at the famous Golden Gai district, or try your luck at a Pachinko parlor to stay in the flashy and noisy theme. And if you’re a shopaholic, Don Quijote is where to head.

So, once you’re done with your show at the Samurai Restaurant Tokyo… you know where to head next! (And next, and next.)

The Bottom Line

I went two times to Samurai Restaurant: the first time before COVID-19 when it was still a Robot Restaurant, and a second time after its reopening in 2023. And I have to say, I had a blast each time. This might not be the most family-friendly place – although kids and teenagers would probably enjoy all the craziness – and anyway it’s at the moment strictly for over 18s due to the GiraGiraGirls bar, but it’s a must-visit for those who want to taste a bit of this WTF Tokyo vibe you’ve heard so much about.