The “three major dining halls” that soothe Kabukicho residents

Kabukicho is home to a wide variety of people, and therefore has a wide variety of restaurants. Among them, teishoku-ya are beloved by night workers who drink a lot and strain their livers. In Kabukicho, there are three famous teishoku-ya, or teishoku restaurants, known as the “three major dining halls,” which are immensely popular.

The first, “A Shokudo,” is located relatively near the front of Kabukicho (near the entrance) and is popular among businessmen. In addition to a variety of set menus, the restaurant also serves a wide range of curry and rice bowl dishes. It is a restaurant with a deep sense of flavor, with the atmosphere of a traditional teishoku-ya (set meal restaurant).

There is a small park right in front of the restaurant. A health club sits right next to the park, and although it does not seem to be a place for children, one can sometimes see small children playing by themselves.

Shokudo B” has a storefront on the main street of Kabukicho, where scouts and catches are uncommonly present.’ It was also called Ai Honten Street before the building of the legendary host club “Ai Honten” disappeared due to aging in 20 years.

Shokudo B” located on such a main street is a favorite of both hosts and hostesses. One of the characteristics of restaurants in Kabukicho is that the deeper you go, the fewer people in suits there are. B Restaurant, which is open from late in the evening until 4:00 a.m., is a good place to go after hours with friends. There are semi-private seats in the back of the restaurant, where after hours hosts sometimes hold a party. There is a wide variety of sashimi, and you can enjoy fresh fish and white rice.

The last restaurant, C Restaurant, is located at the far end of Kabukicho. There are almost no scouts or catchers, and the area is surrounded by nothing but deserted love hotels and waiting rooms for delicatessen girls.

It is open until 6:00 a.m., the longest business hours of the three major dining halls. Some say that it is difficult for women to go there alone and that it is not a safe place to go at night. However, the restaurant, with only hostesses, their customers, and a few coquettish-looking men who do not look like they are in the security system, at around 2 a.m. can be said to be a typical scene of Kabukicho.

The restaurant is also an izakaya (Japanese style bar), and you can sense that there are a lot of regular customers in the store, as there are many bottles to be kept on hand. In addition to set menus, there are many a la carte dishes that can be served as snacks for alcoholic beverages. However, there are days when the conversation around me is so chaotic that I am more intrigued by the conversation than by the delicious food.

I can’t do this anymore, I want to quit being a host. This is what a senior staff member says to a new host at a teishoku-ya, as he hands him a menu and listens to him. After ordering, the newcomer sips a small glass of water and expresses his feelings. Why are first-time hostesses so brazen? They talk shit about you from the first time they meet you. They say things like, ‘You look like you have a bad personality,’ or, ‘You definitely have plastic surgery. And yet, when we exchange lines, she says things like, “How far can you go? I thought, ‘You’re not spending any money, so shut up. The older man calmed him down, bought him a nice set meal, and left the restaurant.

The two female customers who came in at the wrong time seemed to be returning from hosting. The two female customers who came in at the wrong time were apparently returning from hosting a party. They left the restaurant after eating their boiled fish set menus while complaining.

This late-night teishoku-ya oozes the “true feelings” of Kabukicho residents. If you find yourself in Kabukicho, why don’t you give it a try?

Sasaki Chihuahua

Born in Tokyo in 2000.
After attending an integrated school in Tokyo from elementary school to high school, he went on to Keio University.
He has been going to Kabukicho since he was 15 years old and has a wide range of personal connections.
At the university, he is studying sociology of the downtown area including Kabukicho.
His book ” Pien” to SNS Seikatsu to Seiketsu no Shohi” (The Disease of “Pien”: Consumption and Approval of the SNS Generation) is now on sale.