The Wackiest Show in Tokyo that You Must See
When I was planning my trip to Japan, I stumbled on a lot of reviews for the Robot Restaurant Shinjuku, Tokyo. I wasn't too sure about it though and I thought I could just skip it because it was a bit too touristy for my liking. It wasn't until Laura uploaded a throwback video on Instagram with Robot Restaurant musicians that I decided to give it a go. I mean... who knows when my next trip to Tokyo will be? ;-)
I purchased two tickets from Voyagin and received a confirmation email in my inbox. Note: It is important to print out and carry the confirmation email with you on the day (the email with subject: "Booking Confirmed"). There were some people that tried to show the staff the payment confirmation emails only to be turned away. The staff will give you a drink voucher and proper hard copy ticket to bring with you across the road to the venue. Klook also has a really good deal on Robot Restaurant tickets that you can find here.
We opted for the 7:10 PM show but we arrived earlier. The promotion for the Robot Restaurant was crazy, there were a few staff carrying banners with 'Robot Restaurant' written on it. I called it a mini riot because closer to 7PM there were even more staff on the road than before. Hubby and I were really excited and we were among the first few that went into the restaurant. The menu at the restaurant was not terribly exciting so we went to the bar and redeemed our free drinks. At this point we couldn't wait to see how crazy the show will be especially since the restaurant was covered in hologram wallpapers, LEDs, crystals and mirrors to give the futuristic feel.
A silver robot went to the stage and started to play the grand piano for the customers. Later on the robot was accompanied with a couple of guitarists (also robots). They played really well and we really enjoyed the pre-show. This would be the best time to go to the toilet as they won't allow you to go in the middle of the show.
Afterwards we were ushered to the basement area. There were three rows of seats on opposite sides. I checked the seat number on the ticket and walked to my assigned seat which was the second row from the front. Snacks and beverages were available to be purchased before the show so don't be fussed if you missed out on some.
The show was divided into 3 parts and there was a couple breaks in between . We were warned to turn off our wi-fi so it wouldn't interfere with the robot's movements. The movement of the stage and robots were controlled by remote.
Part 1: Old & New
For the first part we were treated to was a sensational sound of electric guitars and taiko drums where a lot of Robot Restaurant performers were on board two moving stages. The dazzling lights, costumes and rhythmic drumming crescendoed throughout the introduction and really set the tone that we were in for more epic craziness.
Part 2: Robot Wars
The background story of the second part was shown on the wall LCD so that we knew the reason behind the war. The second part really reminded me of old Japanese movies such as Godzilla and Ultraman. I couldn't believe they made all of the robots themselves. To list a few, we saw a giant snake, a giant bird and even a copper coloured rhino!
There was a quick dance performance after the Robot Wars to relieve and relax our mind a bit from the intense scenes. It was almost impossible to take below photo because they turned off the lights and it was really dark. All of the dancers wore black masks and black clothes. Their clothes were equipped with neon coloured LED:
Part 3: Christmas Idols
Before the start of Part 3, we were each given a concert light stick. As per the story on LCD, we expected some of the Robot Restaurant idols to sing and dance on this last part. Since we came in December, the whole performance was tailored to Christmas. Each idol appeared in their Christmas costume and they encouraged audience to wave the light stick along.
Hubby and I walked out really satisfied by the skills of the performers. The show was very colourful, exciting and energetic as well. The off-the-wall show was clearly able to attract the excitement of tourists as well as local people from various ages and gender. If you're planning a trip to Tokyo, definitely add this futuristic and fun show to your to do list. Shop around for your tickets and find great deals such as through Voyagin or Klook.