What are some of the most unusual themed restaurants, bars or cafes you have been to in Japan?

What was the name of that bar in Roppongi where these thugs walked around making sure you were holding a drink? Is that still around?

You also have these weird places that serve raw fish on rice with some kind of spicy green horseradish thingy.

The Screaming Restaurant. You know, the one where you walk in, and the entire staff screams at you in high-pitched voices.

Alcatraz is a weird one, where they handcuff you and your table is in a cell.

Alcatraz. Also any number of OL and schoolgirl themed ones - not weird per se but shows the stuff that J men love.

Lock Up in Kobe / Shibuya is a bit odd. Kind of a ghost-house-meets-jail type thing going on. Every hour or so the lights are turned down, some kind of techno music starts, and people dressed as monsters start going mental. Then a woman dressed as a prison guard comes out and shoots them and everything is back to normal again.

Few places current and gone in Kichijoji.

Kind House Ruins: part of a chain of themed restaurants at that stage it was prehistoric, with dinosaur skeletons on the wall and hanging from the ceiling and overall a cave like atmosphere. still there but the theme has changed.

Horror-House: Popular now, a Snack/Bar come restaurant themed like a Ghosthouse with ghosts, etc popping up when you place an order, etc.

Milk-Bar: a very small pub having lots of milk-bottles around but is actually more Clockwork Orange themed.

Hammock-Cafe: Not a very well known place has no chairs, all seating is using hammocks strung from the ceiling, etc.

Okonomi-Yaki place: Used to be very popular(Gone now). Only took in like 12 patrons per evening and everyone(friends, strangers, etc) sat around the same table while the owner prepared the food, and everybody chatted and had a great time.

Some of those places were regulars on the areas feature programs on TV.

Tons of small places like that hidden away at nearly all stations.

Forgot one.

Silvania House Restaurant: A place for women and very young girls.

The whole place looks like a Silvaniya Doll-house with toys(Silvania of course) everywhere, play-rooms, etc.

Imagine dining in a 4yr old girls happiest fantasy = not for me.

Tapas restaurant below is good though. ;)

The Ninja restaurant in Akasaka Mitsuke. But don't waste your time going. It sucks and blows!

Never been to one, but the Osaka's no-pan shabushabu should have some kind of award presented for novelty and originality.

What was the name of that bar in Roppongi where these thugs walked around making sure you were holding a drink? Is that still around?

Gas Panic? (the orignial one, anyway, had big guys (parti-time models) who'd now and then walk around with a big bucket, which they'd bang with a stick to demand tips.)

I still ponder on my first stroll into Yoshinoya and was shouted at, seeing red faces pull their face out of a bowl, chopsticks, slurp, the funky music.... and the woman had to come over to the ticket machine and help gaijin boy order. Being stared at by the customers at midnight who would love to kill you doesn't help either... but hey 14 years later and I am still a customer who can play the ticket machine however the only thing now is the faces came out of the bowls and the the cell phone became priority no. 1 for the culture. Cool question to ask as this was my unusual moment for a restaurant. Does anyone know if they have a topless cafe in Japan?- I am serious.

Im surprised no one knows about Kagaya, which must be one of the most personal of the crazy places around Tokyo. all the rest like alcatraz or the Lockup are just chain restaurants in comparison. Search for kagaya on google, and you will know what i mean.

That would have to be The "Smokers ONLY Cafe" right across the street from Shinbashi Sta.

Ok I will tell this but keep in mind that I was not a willing participant in all this!

It was several years back and I was working in sales with a large department store and one of their best clients took us out to his favorite restaurant, it was a "Yoichien" (kindergarten) them place everyone wore a smocks and kindergarten hats and the waitresses acted like the teacher, I still have nightmares about the place, very, very disturbing!

I went to an S&M bar in Shibuya once. Once.

Taka

Did that Gundam - themed cafe survive the Summer or was it a flash in the pan? (or both?)

...in Akiba, natch.

The lock up in Shibuya!!

no-panties hostess bar.

Alcatraz ER in Shibuya. A cross between a prison, mental institute and kinky fantasy. The all-you-can-eat food was beyond terrible though.

What ever happened to those "Happening Bars"? I never went to one but people tell me that they were literally "anything goes". Are they still around?

Yoshinoya! They call it food! :P

Moderator: It is not a themed restaurant. Please post a proper answer.

Any sushi joint where you can point to a fish swimming in a tank and 5 minutes later it's sliced and diced and on your plate.