Robot Restaurant
This seemed like it would be such an easy post to write, but as I edited the pictures I realized that in fact it was the exact opposite. The images of rainbow wigged taiko drummers, horses playing guitars, and mermaids riding sharks left me confused as to how to adequately describe the experience that is “Robot Restaurant”. First I should explain that although it is called a ‘restaurant’ you don’t have to eat there, and in fact they only offer one thing, a sushi bento. You might think that for the $70 it costs to go to Robot Restaurant that it would include food or drinks, but you’d be wrong! What you do get for the $70 is 90 minutes of crazy lights, music, dancing, and action! When it was all said and done, I felt like it was money well spent, after all, it’s not the kind of thing you do more than once (probably). There is an overall plot to the show, but it got a little lost in places—who cares!
The space where the show takes place is like a third level basement or something (we went down a lot of stairs!). It’s small and dark, without any space to spare. You might be able to tell in the compilation video how the props and performers are literally sometimes just a few inches from the ceiling! It’s pretty amazing to see just how large the props are and how they are able to maneuver them in such close quarters.
I don’t really know what else I can say about it beyond, if you ever find yourself in Shinjuku, Tokyo—go check it out in person. I definitely do not think that words can fully describe the experience of Robot Restaurant. The best I can really do is offer you these photos and the video montage below. And even that might just leave you with more questions than answers!
