When you search “Samurai” as a Tokyo activity, one of the results that pops up is the Samurai Restaurant in Shinjuku Kabukicho. It’s located right in the middle of Kabukicho, a lively area packed with foreign visitors.
Samurai Restaurant
If you’re expecting a traditional samurai show, period drama, or sword fighting, this is completely different. What you get is a flashy dance performance featuring dancers dressed in samurai-style costumes and vibrant kimono.
The show is a mix of all kinds of Japanese cultural elements. They ride a Nebuta-style float, walk through a torii gate, sing Japanese songs and enka, and some dancers wear skeleton masks. Then it turns into a festival-style dance with everyone shouting “Wasshoi! Wasshoi!” The energy and momentum are what drive the excitement.
Even though it was in the morning, the venue was surprisingly full. Looking around the audience, it seemed like everyone except us was a foreign tourist.
The show runs three times a day. According to the official website, the morning show costs 8,000 yen and the afternoon show is 10,000 yen.
Samurai Restaurant Food
The price includes sake, a meal, water, matcha, and wagashi. The food itself is decent—nothing special—but if you think of it as a meal with entertainment, it feels reasonable.
I chose the “Samurai Sushi,” though there was nothing particularly samurai about it. The sake was good, and the wagashi was fairly enjoyable, but the matcha was very weak and honestly not tasty.
It’s the kind of activity you won’t regret seeing once, just for the story value. But if you’re looking for a pure, authentic samurai cultural show, this maybe not the place.
Tokyo has many different samurai shows, so find the one that suits your style.
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