Samurai Restaurant Kabukicho: What It’s Like & How to Book

The samurai restaurant in Kabukicho is one of those places people either rave about or shrug at. It’s a loud, neon-soaked show with taiko drums, sword fights and giant glowing floats, held in a basement in the middle of Shinjuku’s entertainment district. Whether it’s worth your money depends almost entirely on knowing what you’re walking into.

This guide walks through a visit the way it actually unfolds: booking, arriving, the ID check, the show itself and the moment you walk back out onto the street. Every price, time and rule below was checked against the official Samurai Restaurant website and its reservation form in September 2026. Where we rely on visitor reports instead, we say so.

Samurai Restaurant Kabukicho: The Essentials

Before the details, here’s what you need to know about the samurai restaurant in Kabukicho, all in one place. All of it comes from the official site.

• Official name: Samurai Restaurant (the show is billed as Samurai Restaurant Time)
• Address: B1, 1-7-7 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
• Business hours: 10:30am – 6:10pm
• Shows: three a day, each about 1 hour 40 minutes
• Price: ¥8,000 for the morning show, ¥10,000 for the afternoon shows, including a meal or two drinks
• Age: 18 and over only, with photo ID checked at the door
• Phone: 03-6205-6100 (9am – 9pm)

One thing surprises almost everyone: this is a daytime show. The last performance ends at 6:10pm. A few older guides online still list an evening show at 7pm, and at least one gives a different street number. The official schedule currently shows three shows, all finished by early evening, so plan around that.

Show Times and Prices

The official site lists this schedule. Prices include consumption tax.

Show	Doors open	Show time	Admission	Total with meal or drinks
1st	10:30am	10:50am – 12:30pm	¥6,500	¥8,000
2nd	1:30pm	2:00pm – 3:40pm	¥8,500	¥10,000
3rd	4:00pm	4:30pm – 6:10pm	¥8,500	¥10,000

The reservation form also notes that prices can change without notice and may vary by performance. Treat the table as the standard rate and confirm the price on the day you book.

What a Visit to the Samurai Restaurant Is Like

The official site doesn’t publish a minute-by-minute rundown, so this part combines the venue’s own rules with what recent visitor reviews and guides consistently describe. Performances change over time, so treat the show details as a preview rather than a script.

Arriving: Be There 30 Minutes Early

This is the rule most likely to catch you out. The official reservation terms say that if you don’t arrive 30 minutes before the program starts, your reservation will be cancelled. That lines up with the door times in the table above. If you’re booked for the 2:00pm show, aim to be outside the venue by 1:30pm.

The Samurai Restaurant is on the station side of Kabukicho, so it’s easy to reach. Kabukicho in the daytime is busy and mostly harmless, but touts do work these streets. Nobody on the pavement is selling tickets on the venue’s behalf, so ignore anyone offering you a “samurai show” or “robot show” deal. Our guide on how to avoid scams in Kabukicho covers the common approaches.

At the Door: ID, Entrance and House Rules

The Samurai Restaurant’s own site explains that the show is part of Gira Gira Girls, and that you enter through the Gira Gira Girls venue. Don’t be thrown when the sign over the door doesn’t say “Samurai Restaurant”. It also states clearly that the show contains no adult content.

Staff check everyone’s age on the way in. Bring ID that shows your date of birth, such as your passport, because without it you may be turned away. A few other house rules from the official site:

• Under 18s can’t enter, even with a parent.
• No alcohol under 20, Japan’s legal drinking age, even though 18- and 19-year-olds can watch the show.
• Visibly drunk guests may be refused entry. Save the pre-show beers for afterwards.
• There’s a dress code. The booking terms point you to the website for the entry restrictions, so check before you go.

Your Seat, Food and Drinks

You can’t reserve specific seats. The room is compact, and the stage and parade route run close to the audience, so most seats feel near the action.

Every ticket includes one option per person: a meal or two drinks. On the official booking form, meals come with one bottle of water, the two-drink option is chosen separately, and you can’t change your selection once it’s confirmed. The form also closes meal orders for the day at a certain point, so book ahead if you want food rather than drinks.

Recent visitor guides describe the meals as bento boxes and simple noodle dishes like ramen and udon. Nobody books this for the food. Rakuten Travel Experiences’ listing mentions extra snacks and drinks for sale during the breaks and says souvenirs are cash only, so carry some yen.

The Show Itself

The performance is split into parts, with intermissions in between. Use the breaks for the restroom and for ordering. Visitor reviews consistently describe the same ingredients:

• Taiko drumming that you feel in your chest as much as hear
• Samurai and ninja sword fights, deliberately theatrical rather than realistic
• Demons, heroes and folklore characters in huge, glowing costumes
• Parade floats and a big finale, with lights, music and the whole cast on stage

You don’t need to understand Japanese. The story is told through costumes, music and movement, and it’s played for fun rather than historical accuracy, with plenty of cues for the audience to cheer.

The official reservation page gives two warnings worth taking seriously. The program uses loud sounds and music, and it includes bright flashing lights that can make some people feel unwell. If you’re sensitive to either, bring earplugs and think twice.

After the Show

You’ll be back on the street between 12:30pm and 6:10pm, depending on your show. That’s the big planning advantage of this schedule. The 4:30pm show in particular ends just as Shinjuku’s evening is starting, so it works well as the first stop of a night out rather than the whole plan.

How to Book the Samurai Restaurant in Kabukicho

To book the samurai restaurant in Kabukicho, you have two realistic routes: the official website or a third-party booking platform. Walking in on the day is a gamble, because seats are limited and you can’t guarantee a spot. Booking ahead is the safer choice, especially in peak travel seasons.

Option 1: Book on the Official Website

The official reservation form works in English and takes a few minutes. Here’s how it works:

1. Choose the date and show time on the calendar.
2. Select the number of people. The form handles individual bookings. Groups of 10 to 40 are handled as group bookings and asked to pay by bank transfer.
3. Enter your details: name, country, email and a phone number with your international dialling code.
4. Pick a payment method. The form offers credit card, bank transfer or payment on arrival.
5. Choose each person’s meal or two-drink option. Remember this can’t be changed later.
6. Tick the confirmations, including that everyone in the group is 18 or over, and submit.

The terms also include a birthday option and a coupon code field. The strict part is cancellation. For credit card bookings, payment is taken immediately, and no refunds or changes are made for personal reasons. The venue only refunds if a performance is cancelled because of a natural disaster or equipment trouble. For bank transfers, cancelling or reducing your group after payment means a 100% cancellation fee.

In short, book directly only once your plans are fixed.

Option 2: Book Through a Third-Party Platform

Samurai Restaurant tickets are also sold on booking sites such as GetYourGuide, Klook and Rakuten Travel Experiences. Two things differ from booking directly:

• What’s included. Some listings sell the ticket with two drinks, others with a meal and one drink. Read the inclusions line by line.
• Cancellation. Several recent guides point out that some platforms offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the show, which the official site doesn’t. Policies change, so check the specific listing before you pay.

Platform prices sometimes come in slightly under the official rate thanks to promotions, and sometimes over it. If your travel dates might move, the flexibility of a refundable third-party ticket is usually worth more than a small saving. If your dates are set, the official site keeps things simple.

Which Show Should You Book?

• 10:50am show: the cheapest at ¥8,000. Good for a budget, and it leaves your afternoon free.
• 2:00pm show: a comfortable middle slot if you’re sightseeing across Tokyo in the morning.
• 4:30pm show: our pick if you want a big night in Shinjuku. You finish at 6:10pm, right on time for dinner and drinks nearby.

Is the Samurai Restaurant in Kabukicho Worth It?

It’s worth it if you love spectacle, camp and Tokyo at its most over-the-top. Few places in the city pack that much noise, colour and costume into under two hours, with booking and food handled for you.

It isn’t worth it if you want traditional Japanese performing arts. This is a pop-culture show, not kabuki or noh. It’s also a splurge: ¥8,000 to ¥10,000 buys a snack-level meal or two drinks and a show, not a dinner. Reviews also split on pacing, with some visitors wishing the intermissions were shorter.

Our honest take on the samurai restaurant in Kabukicho: go with the right expectations, pick your show time around the rest of your day, and don’t count on the meal to fill you up.

Getting There and Where to Go Next

The venue sits in Kabukicho, Shinjuku’s main entertainment district, a short walk from the station. Recent guides give these walking times:

• JR Shinjuku Station, East Exit: about 5 minutes
• Tokyo Metro Shinjuku Station (Marunouchi Line), Exits B11/B12: about 4 minutes

For a broader overview of the area, the Japan National Tourism Organization has a helpful guide to Shinjuku.

When the show lets out, you’re in one of the best places in Tokyo to keep the evening going:

• Golden Gai: narrow alleys packed with tiny bars, many seating only a handful of people. Our Golden Gai Shinjuku guide explains cover charges and which bars welcome visitors.
• Kabukicho after dark: the neighbourhood changes completely once the sun goes down. Here’s what to do in Kabukicho, day and night.
• More theatrical venues: if the Samurai Restaurant was your kind of fun, our round-up of themed bars in Tokyo has plenty more concept spots.

Samurai Restaurant Kabukicho FAQ

How long is the Samurai Restaurant show? About 1 hour 40 minutes, including intermissions.

Is there a Samurai Restaurant show at night? No. The official schedule lists three shows, and the last one finishes at 6:10pm.

Can I get a refund if I booked on the official website? Not for personal reasons. Refunds only apply if the performance is cancelled because of a natural disaster or equipment trouble. If you need flexibility, compare the cancellation terms on third-party platforms.

Do I need to bring my passport? Bring ID that proves your age. A passport is the example the venue gives, and without ID you may be refused entry.

Is the Samurai Restaurant family-friendly? Not for kids. Nobody under 18 can enter, and the show uses loud sound and flashing lights.

Is there adult content? No. The official site states that Samurai Restaurant Time contains no adult content.

Turn the Show into a Full Night in Shinjuku

The samurai restaurant in Kabukicho is a great opening act, but it ends just as Shinjuku starts to get interesting. The hard part comes next: finding bars that won’t spring a surprise cover charge, working out which tiny spots welcome foreigners, and getting to places that never show up on Google Maps.

If you’d rather enjoy the night than research it, our Tokyo After 10 nightlife private tour pairs you with a local guide who knows Shinjuku’s side streets. Catch the 4:30pm show, step outside at 6:10pm, and let someone who lives here take it from there.

About the Author

Ted

Administrator

Ever since I started working, I’ve been hooked on Tokyo’s nightlife — from hostess clubs to the more risqué side of things, I’ve explored it all. Whenever I travel for business across Japan, I make it a point to dive into the local night scene. With years of firsthand experience and curiosity as my guide, I started this blog to share the real, unfiltered world of Japan’s adult nightlife with foreign travelers. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned visitor, I hope this site helps you discover the hidden side of Japan after dark.

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