Honest Review: TOKYU KABUKICHO TOWER, Shinjuku, Tokyo - Japanese Arcade & Food Court

What do you think of this new style Tokyo arcade? Take a look round the Namco game centre and food hall at Tokyu Kabukicho Tower in Shinjuku.
Tokyu Kabukicho Tower is the largest entertainment complex in Japan. It has two hotels (Hotel Belustar and Hotel Groove), a theatre, cinema, live music venue, bars, a games arcade with a bar, called Namco Tokyo, and a food court called Kabuki Hall. It opened in 2023. Take a look around with us, exploring the game centre and the food court. It’s full of neon lights and heavily styled. I didn't eat there, all the reviews say the food court is expensive and not good quality, even though it looks visually stunning. What do you think - is it a tourist trap, or a fun place to visit? Are Tokyo’s arcades becoming too corporate, or is this their natural evolution?
00:00 About Tokyu Kabukicho Tower
00:32 Food court
01:53 Games arcade
05:31 What’s in the tower
06:02 Review
▶️ SUBSCRIBE for Japan travel videos on Thursdays.
🌈 CAKES WITH FACES MERCH (worldwide shipping): www.cakeswithfaces.co.uk
✨ FOLLOW CAKES WITH FACES:
/ cakeswithfaces
/ cakeswithfaces
/ cakeswithfaces
#japan #japantravel #japantrip #japanvlog #tokyo #shinjuku #kabukicho #japanesearcade

[@coorie]

Stopped by this arcade back at the end of March. At the time I went, a DJ was playing a bunch of anime OPs and the whole bottom floor was packed with locals jumping around and waving light sticks. It was very fun environment to walk through and felt authentic in that sense, but I didn’t try the food, which did give off that touristy vibe you talk about in the video. The arcade was much smaller than I thought it would be. Had more fun at other less flashy arcades with a lot more games.

[@cakeswithfaces]

That's cool they were playing anime music! Glad everyone was on the dance floor enjoying it, that sounds fun.

[@christianwilcox456]

We just got back from our once in a lifetime trip to Japan. We stayed in the Kabukicho Tower at Hotel Groove in an amazing Garden Suite which was perfect for us as a family of four - I would highly recommend it, the view was amazing and it was an amazing luxurious treat at the end of our holiday, which included a cruise around Japan. We found the food court lacking soul but we were there mid week. We didn't eat as we ate at better more traditional places in the surrounding area including Kura. The arcade was a bit of a disappointment after visiting Akihabara - mainly capsule and claw machines rather than video or other games. Your book and videos were absolutely invaluable in helping us plan our holiday and we packed in so much from our cruise around Japan - again we highly recommend this as a way to see a lot of Japan. Your guide ensured we got to see so much and get so much from all the dofferent places we visited. Please please check out and like our video. We all really enjoy your videos and would love to go back to Japan again.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Aww that's so great to hear, thanks so much! It sounds fantastic - so glad you enjoyed your trip, it sounds like quite an adventure going on a cruise as well!

[@MissiBoo]

Thank you for reviewing this place Amy. It won't be going on my wishlist 😂 I think that if I visited there, I would get a headache 🤣 When I saw the gachapon, my first thought was 'it's so dark'. I wasn't sure whether it was the camera angle. When Phil said that it was too dark, it confirmed my suspicions. I guess that this place won't enter your future guide book 😂. Thank you both for taking one for the team ❤🫶

[@cakeswithfaces]

Always happy to share places to go, and not go! :-) There are so many places to get gachapon now, and at every other place you can actually see them properly!! 😅

[@MissiBoo]

@@cakeswithfaces It must have been so frustrating

[@jan-ovepedersen5764]

Hi Amy, I've been there twice, July 2023 and March 2024. I've eaten at Kabuki Cafe twice as well, great food, and there were no extra charge except for the food and drinks. When I visited the food hall in 2023 there were mostly Japanese people present, in 2024 there were a lot of tourist visiting. The place was very crowded on both occations, and a bit too noizy for my liking, but it looks great. I had a look at the arcade and gaming part as well, I went all the way to the 7th floor both times. There were more activity on the higher floors in July 2023, this year in March there was not much above the arcade floors, a few cinemas and that was all. The beauty saloons was gone. I've also been to a Band-Maid Okyuji in the basement at Zepp Shinjuku, entrance at the ground floor to the left of Starbucks.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed Band Maid, that must have been amazing!

[@jan-ovepedersen5764]

@@cakeswithfaces Yes they are amazing, the best hardrock band on planet earth, my favorite band of all times 🙂

[@Malkaras]

OMG! I am staying at the Bellustar Hotel When I visit Japan later this year! I cant wait to visit and experience all of this!!!!!!

[@cakeswithfaces]

OOh you're very lucky! It looks fantastic - and the view will be amazing. You'll have to let me know how it is!

[@CandiPinki]

I really liked it!!! The games were more available so I got to play more, I liked that it was more spaced out so it was easier to walk around and that I could charge up and use my IC card to play! I ate at the food court and had delicious gyoza and a drink. It seemed to be filled with locals but maybe they were from other parts of Japan.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Glad you enjoyed it! That's a good point abut it being more spacious and comfortable to be in.

[@AlanVByrnes]

Thank you much for the future arcade Amy I want to get to Japan even more now with this for sure 🤩🤩🤩 looking like the future more and more here with this kind of stuff happy to see that’s finally happening with them still now 🫶🫶🫶

[@cakeswithfaces]

There are so many fun places to go!

[@davidwolstenholme4676]

WELCOME BACK AMY ,THIS A SHORT VIDEO,SHORT BUT SWEET.

[@petersziraki7672]

In general, most of these arcade places are built to just get your money, but based on my personal experience, the Bandai Namcro Cross Stores are actually trying to give you a chance to win. I usually win something there, but barely anything in any other arcade.

[@cakeswithfaces]

That's interesting! Sounds like I should have tried to win more there! I visited the Cross Store in Fukuoka too.

[@PipkinsUK]

I'll probably go there for a wander next year. I do prefer the old style arcade places but I guess this is a sign of the times and how they're going to be in the future.

[@cakeswithfaces]

It's definitely worth popping in to have a look if you're in the area!

[@swissfoodie3542]

Thanks a lot Amy for reviewing this place. I am with you, it doenst look nice. I hate "tourists traps" and the food arcade definitely looks and sounds like it. And in the other places, there is too much neon lights in my opinion, that would make me very nervous and I think I would have to leave within a few minutes. So no, I wont be going there next March, when I travel to Japan again. I will definitely go the world largest gachapon store in Sunshine City, thanks a lot for sharing this place with us in an other video.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Luckily there aren't too many tourist traps in Japan! :-) You won't be disappointed with the gachapon store in Sunshine City - just give yourself plenty of time to look through them all!

[@ShardSpyder]

Went and saw it last year when I was there. Was reminded of the Robot Restaurant in all the worst ways. Too kitschy and touristy, basically what your parents idea of what Japan is. All bright lights and wacky colors and designs. Will stick to to the arcades in Akihabara

[@cakeswithfaces]

I know exactly what you mean! I always avoided the Robot Restaurant for that reason..!

[@iiraingirlii]

Soo cool omg , I want to go there one day !

[@cakeswithfaces]

I hope you can make it there one day! ✨

[@jacquidinsdale9250]

Im visiting now from UK staying at the gracery been twice to Kabukicho tower this week going back tonight food amazing and a feel good vibe with DJ sets very safe place love it ❤

[@iiraingirlii]

@@cakeswithfaces ❤️❤️😔hopefully

[@iiraingirlii]

@@jacquidinsdale9250 have fun!

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@jacquidinsdale9250 Ah I love the Gracery - I've stayed there several times! Perfect location!

[@GavinDrury]

Stayed at Groove Hotel last year, really enjoyed it. Very spacious corner room with a fantastic view. Also took in the arcade which okay for a visit and also ate there. The food was good but the service was poor with very long wait times. It wasn't even that busy and could see other customers not really enjoying the experience.

[@cakeswithfaces]

I'd love to stay at the hotel one day! It must be like staying in an observation deck :-)

[@GavinDrury]

@cakeswithfaces It was a bit. Got some great shots and time lapses. Here's a quick tour of of room. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoeqoZSHe6udkK8si=hHHsNJ900Pv6rg4z

[@Beclu86]

It looks like it's worth a visit if you're in the area, but not a must-see. I think there are a few normal arcades nearby, so it could be fun to compare and contrast.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Yes there are several arcades in Shinjuku - can't walk past without taking a look in!

[@ellenrik]

WOW! That reminded me SO much of Las Vegas, Nevada. Not a good thing either. 🙃😜

[@cakeswithfaces]

Yes, the lack of windows or natural light and glitzy style!

[@iam_nick]

I think Japan needs to evolve that’s why there is such new thing, it’s OK keep the traditional somewhere and still make stuff for the new generations I’d say.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Yes, we should remember that things won't always be the same forever! :-)

[@Needster]

since no one else has said it "haha millenium tower yakuza"

[@cakeswithfaces]

Haha, parts of Kabukicho are unbelievably similar to the game!

[@Melissa-pi3km]

The cross stores are awesome! We won the top prize figure from a kuji in only 2 pulls!

[@cakeswithfaces]

Wow, that's very lucky! Congratulations!

[@Ranerdar]

My wish would be for somewhere in the middle. I like some of the added amenities, but too much neon while also being too dark. Maybe I'm old, but the vibe didn't seem for me. Which is fine, not everything is for everyone. But if my two options are this or the old school. I'll take the old school.

[@cakeswithfaces]

You can't beat the original arcades! :-)

[@scottshep8978]

Yeah it's a tourist trap arcade. It some good ideas,like having a place to eat and drink and the ability to use a CC(credit card).

[@cakeswithfaces]

A bar/cafe in the arcade is a good idea - some old-fashioned ones have vending machines so that's an evolution.

[@antonyjackson2324]

I went into there May last year - played a claw machine and won one of those figures in a box!

[@cakeswithfaces]

Well done! You have better claw machine skills than me!! 😂

[@antonyjackson2324]

Alas - zero skill involved - more luck! I only played once to give it a try - and won!

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@antonyjackson2324 That's extremely lucky!

[@AndrewAbroadTravel]

I visited Kabukicho Tower soon after it opened. Tbh I wasn't impressed at all. I walked around the yokocho looked at the prices and said no way. So cramped in there when busy. The arcade was boring to me. Sunshine City much better. The Matrix seemed interesting. You see people go into pods and transform into the character they select. Didn't seem too popular. I was excited about the Evangelion rooms in the hotel but they weren't complete when I went. Never been back to Kabukicho Tower and looks like you won't either.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Sunshine City is great! There's so much good stuff in Ikebukuro now, it's becoming a real rival to Akihabara.

[@shoeithecat523]

Looks cool, albeit in that artificial futuristic “cool Japan” aesthetic. Not my kind of place and I say this as someone who stayed in Akihabara, but that’s mainly cos it looked like a convenient location and had that fun neon look to it, like how I always imagined Tokyo should look like. Chose Akihabara again as the base for our next trip cos it just felt so cute, friendly and authentic - but not too hectic late at night - in a way this place doesn’t particularly look. Still, may poke my head in it we end up in Kabukicho one evening :)

[@cakeswithfaces]

I agree - Akihabara is much more authentic! It does look cool, but it doesn't feel like the real thing in the way that other places do.

[@Gotta_Keep_Moving_On]

Visited the sunshine city store just a couple of weeks ago. Took me an age going through the Gacapon to find the JAWS ones I wanted. Got them in the end :) I didn't visit the place you review in the video...to be honest it does look a bit too false for me.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Glad you found Jaws in the end! That must have been quite a hunt, that store is HUGE!

[@Gotta_Keep_Moving_On]

@@cakeswithfaces It certainly is 🤣

[@christopherhightower7308]

yeah... If I had a choice I'd go with thee old style. All them lights would give me a headache. :{

[@cakeswithfaces]

Can't beat the original, traditional arcades in Akiba!

[@tidus9000]

I'm staying at Hotel Groove right now and to be honest, I wouldn't rate it. The view is lovely to be fair but the room is lacking some of the basics that we've come to expect compared to other hotels weve stayed at while being absolutely tiny too. Location is good for Shinjuku but, for the money, you'd be better off staying somewhere cheaper and near a train station. We spent our first week at the Tokyo Dome hotel which was a little cheaper but about a minute from a station and much preferred our experience there

[@cakeswithfaces]

Ah really, that's interesting to know! Thanks for sharing your experience there. I don't feel so bad about missing out on it now..! I stayed at the Gracery almost next door and love it there.

[@areasevenpro]

I stayed in Kabukicho last year, but I had to skip Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, as it was overcrowded at the time. Maybe next year, I'll check it out. Otherwise, there's not much for me there.

[@cakeswithfaces]

It must have just opened at that point. I enjoy walking around Kabukicho and Shinjuku at night - there's always so much going on, you never know what you'll see!

[@andyy2857]

Hey, I'm trying to buy tickets to a concert in japan but I need a Japanese phone number to buy the tickets. Would you happen to know a loophole to my problem? Btw I already tried japan Rabbit, and they wouldn't buy my tickets

[@cakeswithfaces]

That's a tricky problem! Maybe see if the tickets are available through another site? I had the same problem for my trip earlier this year, and successfully bought tickets through Ticketpay and picked them up at the convenience store. I think eplus is usable without a Japanese phone number too. Otherwise, I've heard other people have got friends in Japan to let them use their number, that they met through apps where you practice your language skills, like Hello Talk - make some new friends, let them practice their english and ask them to help you!

[@AlanVByrnes]

How much is it to go in here by the way??? 😃😃😃

[@cakeswithfaces]

It's free to go in! You just pay for whatever machines you play on.

[@evicencio31863]

You have to avoid the food court, it was 'a tourist trip'. Try to find other place in 'food court and restaurant in the shopping center or mall'.

[@cakeswithfaces]

There are thousands of other (much better!) places to eat all around Shinjuku! :-)

[@evicencio31863]

@@cakeswithfaces Don't forget 'all you can eat sushi' is near the gate borderline of Shinjuku-Kabucho (if my spelling correct). It costs ¥3500-¥4400, and 'no tourist trap'.

[@evicencio31863]

@@cakeswithfaces kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKOVZ4mef5yfnsUsi=U7VQqa8nV719JM5Q Please ask comments at 'Food in Japan'. Located Shinjuku-Kabukicho. There's no tourist trap, but you have to eat your 'treasure food' or you pay(this is not a joke).

[@Omni0404]

5:23 Sounds like somebody stepped on a cat! 🐈🦶

[@cakeswithfaces]

No cats were harmed in the making of this video 😝

[@lizzytt]

New Video!

[@cakeswithfaces]

Woop woop! 🙌🙌

[@olab.4352]

It reminds me of the London Trocadero in the early 1990:s (I'm old) Google it - it was cool,

[@cakeswithfaces]

Ah I remember the Trocadero! I kinda miss it!! :-)

[@shoeithecat523]

Ha yes it does, with Sega world!

[@sho8567]

When I hear the word “Kabukicho”, I automatically assume that there are dodgy areas and lower quality(cough)(cough)things there. This is my Japanese perspective. I might be biased.

[@cakeswithfaces]

I can see why! I think the Kabukicho Tower is all above board! :-)

[@emtasmic]

This looks like an overstimulation nightmare 😩

[@cakeswithfaces]

You got it, 100%

[@RoissyAngel]

Looks horrendous. What fun is there in these arcades for the Japanese? I do not understand the attraction of slot machines?

[@cakeswithfaces]

You don't really get slot machines (gambling slot machines) in game centre style arcades. There are similar machines in pachinko parlours. Game centre arcades tend to have video games, UFO catchers, gachapon and sometimes purikura photo booths.

[@MadeleinFletcher]

Way to dark and fake. Too much like Tokyo in videogames.

[@cakeswithfaces]

My opinion too! :-)

[@davidwolstenholme4676]

PEOPLE SHOULD NEVER GO BY APPEARANCES OF A PLACE SHOULD THEY AMY