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Final Fantasy Square Enix cafe, Shinjuku Robot restaurant, Kagaya Shinbashi: Tokyo’s weirdest theme restaurants.

shinjuku robot restaurant, robot girls

Bizarre theme restaurants are maintaining their stronghold on the Japanese imagination. While in Tokyo, I visited two new themed cafes — robots and Final Fantasy — and an old favorite, Kagaya. Read on for scantily-clad fem-bots!

japanese robots, fembots, robot women

The Shinjuku Robot Restaurant has been raising eyebrows, for obvious reasons. I haven’t been to it yet, but apparently, 5000 yen buys you dinner inside a disco-neon space where women in bikinis para-para dance and battle each other on giant robots.

robot cafe tokyo, japan robots restaurant

To promote the recently-opened theme restaurant, a truck drives around blasting loud music, with these two fembot killer machines attached. (Address: B2F Shinjuku Robot Building, 1-7-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku)

artnia, square enix cafe

I did make it to the Square Enix Artnia cafe and gift shop, dedicated to all things Final Fantasy. (Address: Shinjuku Eastside Square, 6-27-30 Shinjuku)

final fantasy theme restaurant, tokyo store

Artnia is a giant egg next to the towering Square Enix headquarters, where video game magic happens.

final fantasy cloud, square enix shop

Inside, you can buy stuffed toys and memorabilia of your favorite characters, and posters of FF’s Cloud. (Doesn’t he remind you of Sebastiano?)

dragon quest slime, memorabilia, figurine

The Slimes (who are possibly the cutest villains ever) are popular Dragon Quest characters.

dragon quest slimes, slime toys, stuffed toy

We had lunch at Artnia cafe, which serves themed food. (Photography by First Mate Naomi)

chocobo, final fantasy bird, chocolate banana pancakes

I ate every last bit of these chocolate-banana pancakes, fittingly stamped with a Chocobo bird.

square enix pancakes, theme cafe, cute decorated pancakes

I’m afraid I’m not too familiar with Square Enix characters. Do you recognize the figures that adorn these sweets?

final fantasy toys, cute characters, video game store

How about these cute blue creatures?

final fantasy museum, figurines, tokyo shop

In the back, there is a Final Fantasy VIII concept art gallery that runs until April 28th.

japan square enix cafe, dragon quest toys

The character models are surrounded by dramatic lighting and mirrors. A fountain sits in the center.

mark, kagaya tokyo restaurant, izakaya

For us Pirates, no Tokyo TV mission is complete without a visit to Kagaya izakaya in Shinbashi. (Address: Hanasada Building B1F, 2-15-12 Shinbashi)

weirdest theme restaurant, crazy wacky theme restaurants

I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you, but Mark (the owner) has endless tricks and delights up his sleeve, including prank drinks and costume-crazy performances. You can glimpse the fun in this video of my 2010 visit.

kagaya, tokyo japan, weird bar

Hungry to learn more about Japan’s weird theme restaurants? I hope you’ll check out my book, which covers Ninja, vampire, Lock-Up, Christon, Alice in Wonderland, Princess, Butler and more.

Are you a Final Fantasy fan? Would you like me to visit and report on the robot restaurant? Tell me in the comments and on my Facebook.

PS: Tons of international travels coming up… can’t wait to announce where I’m heading next!

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34 Comments

  1. MaDonna
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 12:07 am | Permalink

    That Square Enix cafe looks so cute! AND my hotel was in East Shinjuku last time I visited – looks like I’ll have to go back :)

  2. Amber
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 12:19 am | Permalink

    SWEET

  3. Fiona
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 12:19 am | Permalink

    :o those r awesome!

  4. Torie
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 12:20 am | Permalink

    Brilliant photos

  5. jerry
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 12:20 am | Permalink

    Amazing

  6. Nao
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 12:25 am | Permalink

    Chocobo pancakes
    Wanna try them

  7. Rémi
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 12:26 am | Permalink

    I want to eat chocobo pancakes sitting in front of a robot lady.

  8. Lesh
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 12:32 am | Permalink

    That is just awesome .. IM so jealous lol I want to see.

  9. Tara
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 1:14 am | Permalink

    Yellow birds- Chocobos
    The character on the pancakes – Moogles (moguri (jp)
    Green character with lamp and knife – Tonberry
    Black with yellow eyes – Heartless from Kingdom Hearts

    • Tara
      Posted April 26, 2013 at 1:19 am | Permalink

      The crazy cat-looking blue and white with horns is from Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance.

      I have too many if those stuffed characters lol

      I need the Heartless

  10. Bella
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 2:16 am | Permalink

    Amaaaazing!!

  11. Yukiro Dravarious
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 7:39 am | Permalink

    haha, maybe Ill take my new colleagues to Kagaya tonight moahaha! love that place

  12. psique
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 1:18 pm | Permalink

    Loved this… <3

  13. Mami
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 7:10 pm | Permalink

    This is awesome.

  14. Artemis
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 7:10 pm | Permalink

    that’s fantastic.

  15. Pris
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 7:47 pm | Permalink

    My bf & I just booked our flights to Tokyo in June, I’m definitely saving everything in this blog entry on our Google map! I following your blog

  16. Chary
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 8:11 pm | Permalink

    it’ so cute!

  17. GL
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 8:12 pm | Permalink

    You live a supremely awesome life.

  18. 99Balloons
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 8:12 pm | Permalink

    I <3 Cloud

  19. natalie
    Posted April 26, 2013 at 10:04 pm | Permalink

    this makes my heart pump
    doki doki doki

  20. Jen
    Posted April 28, 2013 at 5:11 pm | Permalink

    That looks like a buster sword in the parfait. I haven’t played much of the Final Fantasy games myself, but I love the character designs and the Advent Children movie was just visually stunning. I have a lot of friends who would enjoy the Square Enix cafe.

    • lacarmina
      Posted April 29, 2013 at 9:35 pm | Permalink

      That’s right – buster sword!! Forgot what it was called.

  21. BW
    Posted April 28, 2013 at 7:31 pm | Permalink

    looking more fabulous beside that hat (ノ)´∀`(ヾ)

  22. Hell
    Posted April 29, 2013 at 5:46 pm | Permalink

    My god I want

  23. Luna
    Posted April 29, 2013 at 5:47 pm | Permalink

    Zap so cute

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