Japan's Innovative Restaurants
In the neon-lit wonderland of Tokyo’s entertainment district, Japanese workers file into the streets on the hunt for drinks and a little bit of relaxation after a long day's work. Some will crowd into one of the many sushi restaurants to be found here. Others will opt for bars, food stalls, karaoke joints, or perhaps settle for the casual izakaya where they can they can loosen their ties, eat, drink, and get a bit loud, and for a brief moment get away from it all.
And yet, some will opt for something a little different. For interspersed among these mainstays, a new form of entertainment is attracting both locals and tourists alike. Part fantasy, part restaurant, it is an innovation, a new variation on dinner theater so popular that it has now begun to spread outside Japan's borders. These are restaurants that combine traditional dining with a Disney-esque live show. The experience is uniquely Tokyo, where it's not uncommon to encounter ninjas, monsters, Arabian courtesans, and even robots in these shows. In recent times, the restaurants have evolved into celebrity hotspots, and for travel shows visiting Japan as well.
Neon B-52's and Barmaids on Wheels
A favorite is the “Robot Restaurant” in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Easily recognized with its bright neon sign and animatronic cyborgs outside, the restaurant has all the trappings of a James Bond super-villain hideout, electrified at every corner. Boasting a construction cost upwards of $100 million, nowhere else is this price tag put to better use than in the building's interior. Upon entering, visitors are treated to a waiting room where it seems just about every surface is either covered in glass, lighted panels, video screens, or some sort of sparkly paneling. If that isn’t enough, robots circle the room, and a waitress driving a motorized bar is buzzing along serving drinks. Once seated, feel free to interact with the robot dinosaur on your table. It reacts to motion and touch.
Once the show begins visitors are directed to an underground theater, and soon the waiting room seems tame in comparison. Amid the chaos of flashing lights, traditional taiko drums, and techno music, patrons are treated to giant robots, metal-clad dancers, dinosaur battles, mono-wheels, sword-fights, and evil villains; and you can't miss the giant neon B-52 and tank. All respect to P.T. Barnum, but this could be the greatest show on earth. Reviewers tend to agree.
A Call to Investors?
With their growing popularity, there is certainly a market for them abroad, as can be seen by the creation of similar restaurants in New York and Australia. In contemplating the future of Japanese entertainment, a question inevitably arises. Will innovations such as these theme restaurants remain the domain of Japan or will large Japanese companies be willing to take a risk and export them abroad? Doing so may result in shaking things up a bit on both ends of the business: the restaurant side and the entertainment side. Nevertheless, corporate decision makers ought to sit up and take notice of the popularity of these restaurants among tourists.
Innovation isn’t just visible in Japan’s restaurants; it is everywhere. It’s in the neon-bathed Shinjuku alleyways, on the streets of bohemian Shimokitazawa, in the shops of Harajuku, and in the heart of every person that yearns for something different to spice up their night.