Christmas Special at the Samurai Restaurant

Get into the festive spirit with a sparkling star with short legs, glowing turkey robot, and street-dancing reindeer — yes, you read that right. For a limited time only, the iconic Samurai Restaurant in Shinjuku is putting on a dazzling Christmas show that will definitely leave you speechless.

Want to know what makes the Samurai Restaurant one of Tokyo’s most popular attractions? Find out everything in The Samurai Restaurant: Discount Tickets and What To Expect.

What to expect

Pure chaos, but in the best way. As soon as you enter the venue, it is time to party. While the drinks get flowing, the glow sticks light up and the announcer gets the crowd hyped. The show is split into three different parts, with two small intervals where you can dance to Christmas tunes and buy exclusive Samurai Restaurant merchandise.

In the first two parts, you’ll experience traditional Japanese performances. These include enka-style singing and taiko drumming, reimagined with the help of neon lights and robots. It wouldn’t be the Samurai Restaurant without some, well, samurai — so expect a few to burst onto the stage to fight, perform acrobatics, and even break into some street dance. Manager Kazuyori Hayashi says that through these performances, he aims to showcase aspects of traditional Japanese culture in a “fresh and fun way”.

The Christmas Show

After seeing the first two parts, you might be wondering: where is the Christmas stuff? Well, Wham! — no pun intended — the grand finale will bring all your favorite Christmas things to life, including a fluffy pink cat robot.

As the Christmas performance commences, Christmas-themed robots make their way onto the stage to the sound of your favorite Christmas songs. The cast starts dancing in their Christmas costumes, a band of Santas begins playing electric guitars, and dancing dogs (or wolves, can’t tell) start manically headbanging in the back — a true festive sight to behold.

With so many robots, dancers, stars, reindeers, and snowmen appearing on stage at different times, there is a lot to unpack in such a short space of time. If you thought the energy was high in the first two parts, it only gets higher in the finale.

When speaking to Hayashi about why the Christmas part of the show was kept under wraps until the end, he explains that he “wants the audience to feel energized by the intense energy, and that it is by far the most memorable part for most visitors”.

Schedule 2024

The show runs three times a day: once in the morning at 10:30 a.m., again in the afternoon at 1:30 p.m., and finally at 4:00 p.m. You will need to arrive at the venue 15 minutes before the show starts.

Regardless of what time you go, you can still order alcoholic drinks. Please note that the drinking age in Japan is 20.

Tickets

It is best to buy tickets in advance, which you can do through Rakuten Travel Experiences. Tickets cost ¥9,000 and include entry as well as a set meal of your choice and bottle of water. You can purchase extra drinks and snacks at the venue. The morning performance is slightly cheaper, costing ¥7,800.

Since the Samurai Restaurant is part of GiraGiraGirls, those under 18 years old are not allowed to enter the venue.

How to get there

The Samurai Restaurant is in the heart of Kabukicho in Shinjuku. It is roughly a 4-minute walk from Shinjuku Station, which is on a variety of lines including the JR Yamanote Line, Odakyu Line, and several Tokyo Metro Lines.