Shinjuku’s Robot Restaurant is the stuff of legend the world over. An epic music and light show with a dash of burlesque flair featuring enormous robots, exotically dressed dancers and more neon than the original and 2010 sequel to Tron put together, it’s a must-see for anyone visiting Tokyo and looking for a dose of quintessential “WTF Japan?” weirdness (no, seriously, just check out its website).
But what if you’re not a trust-fund Toby or a highly successful business magnate with the cash to splash on weekend trips to Japan? Those plane tickets don’t come cheap, and Tokyo is known for being on the pricey side, so short of a wealthy aunt popping her clogs or your idea for edible cutlery coming to fruition, you may never have the chance to see this baffling spectacle of awesomeness. If you happen to live in or near Sydney, though, your feet won’t even need to leave terra firma for you to experience it, thanks to a unique event coming up in February.
That’s right folks, Aussies – which, my Australian friends would no doubt appreciate me stating for the record, is pronounced “ozzies” and not “ossies” – living in the city that every non-Australian automatically assumes is the country’s capital but actually isn’t will soon have the chance to catch Japan’s epic Robot Restaurant show without having to fly thousands of miles to Shinjuku. For the first time ever, the Robot Restaurant’s madcap performance will be hitting the road thanks to the folks at travel site Contiki, who are arranging a special pop-up event to mark the start of their new “Japan Unrivalled” trips to the Land of the Rising Sun.
As well as being able to check out the chaotic glowstick-waving show in person, city guide Concrete Playground writes that Japanese food and drink will also be available at the event, so if you’re in the area be sure to get down there for some good times and tasty grub. The location at which the show will be staged has yet to be announced, so keep an eye on Contiki’s website for more details.
If both Japan and Australia are still too far away for you, then there’s no need to worry. It might not be quite like seeing it in the flesh, but grab a beer and any spare glow sticks you may have lying around from your last Sailor Moon tribute concert and enjoy these videos from Robot Restaurant instead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_krt7QmDC-g
▼ Battling a giant snake. I’m sure we’ve all been there.
▼ More robot dancing
▼ And finally, a glorious accident waiting to happen
If any of our readers down-under manage to check out the show, do be sure to let us know what you thought.
h/t Concrete Playground
Feature image: YouTube