You had me at, "Futuristic robots and sexy Japanese babes fighting off monsters!"

We sat down with Namie Osawa, owner and founder of the world famous Robot Restaurant and her team. Namie’s futuristic robot-inspired venue is as visually stimulating as it is entertaining and interactive. She walks us through her inspiration for what now has become a staple experience for locals and global travellers.

Interview: NAMIE OSAWA

I opened Robot Restaurant three years ago. Even though I was hesitant to show the first concept to foreigners and so forth, I decided to open the restaurant in Kabukicho with the Japanese Businessman in mind.

When thinking about what would be appealing to a businessman, I thought about Robots - which I longed for as a kid,..and Girls in sexy costumes. These were the things that initially came to mind.

Our rehearsals begin at 11 o’clock in the morning including Wadaiko, which is a Japanese drum dance. We practice for about an hour and thirty minutes, then we have a brief meeting before the show.

Rehearsals can be tough, but whatever we go over, ..it’s amazing and we have fun and I think it’s very good.

Still, I think that there is a part where not a lot of the content catches on with the audience. Even after repeated viewings, I would like to think that each show was better than the one before it. But on the name alone, people were intrigued and when it arrived, it was beyond the imagination because I wanted it to be a thoughtful experience.

Always keep going forward, it’s what we want out of this show. I want to make sure there’s more to it than just a name.