By: Alex
Through movies, TV dramas, and video games, everyone knows that Kabukicho in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district is a hub of entertainment venues. Yet, as times continue to change, the renowned nightclub , which has a 49-year history, could not withstand the passage of time and will definitely close at the end of June. To thank its supporters, the nightclub will open to the public every Saturday afternoon this month in the form of a café, allowing all customers to reminisce and witness this soon-to-be-lost piece of history.
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▲ (photo by aihonten)
is one of the landmarks of Kabukicho, founded by Eida Takeshi in 1971. He personally decorated the nightclub to be dazzling and resplendent: luxurious seats and private rooms adorned with various mirrors, crystals, chandeliers, lights, statues, and decorations, with the aroma of alcohol wafting through the air. Male hosts attentively served big-spending female guests, epitomizing the glitz and glamour of Japan’s Showa era (1926–1989) just before the economic bubble burst.
▲ (photo by aihonten)
▲ (photo by aihonten)
However, due to the aging interior decor, the nightclub can no longer continue operations and has decided to close at the end of June 2020 in order to relocate and start anew. It is reported that although a few decorations can still be used, most will have to be discarded, and the new venue will definitely not be identical to the original.
▲ (photo by aihonten)
▲ (photo by aihonten)
’s “coffee time,” open every Saturday afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. in June, adopts an “all-you-can-drink” format, serving coffee, soft drinks, and small candies for a fee of 1,000 yen (approximately 70 HKD), with no reservation required. Although the male hosts will not appear in their usual roles, there will be guides on-site to take visitors around the nightclub and answer questions to the best of their ability.
▲ (photo by aihonten)
▲ (photo by aihonten)
▲ (photo by aihonten)
▲ (photo by xxxxotxxxx @Twitter)
▲ (photo by xxxxotxxxx @Twitter)
▲ (photo by xxxxotxxxx @Twitter)
▲ (photo by xxxxotxxxx @Twitter)
▲ (photo by xxxxotxxxx @Twitter)
Source: grapee.jp