Suehirotei

Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo


This is one of the very few remaining yose (vaudeville) theatres in Tokyo. Shows feature over a dozen acts, many of which are rakugo (comedic monologue). You’ll need pretty good Japanese to follow along, though there’s something to be gained from just soaking up the atmosphere. On Saturday evenings (9.30pm to 11pm) there's a short rakugo program for just ¥1000.

The theatre itself is pretty cool, with an old-style wooden marquee framed with lanterns, and with the names of the performers handwritten.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo attractions

1. Hanazono-jinja

0.16 MILES

Merchants from nearby Kabukichō come to this Shintō shrine to pray for the solvency of their business ventures. Founded in the 17th century, the shrine is…

2. Golden Gai

0.2 MILES

Golden Gai – a Shinjuku institution for over half a century – is a collection of tiny bars, often literally no bigger than a closet and seating maybe a…

3. Godzilla Head

0.34 MILES

Godzilla, a portmanteau of the Japanese words for gorilla (gorira) and whale (kujira), is king of the kaijū (strange beasts) that ruled Japanese popular…

4. Shinjuku-gyoen

0.42 MILES

Shinjuku-gyoen was designed as an imperial retreat (completed 1906); since opening to the public in 1951, it has become a favourite destination for…

5. Place M

0.46 MILES

Run by four veteran artists (including pioneering street photographer Daido Moriyama), this gallery serves as a hub for the city's photography scene…

6. Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower

0.51 MILES

This Nishi-Shinjuku landmark building (completed in 2008) is a 50-storey webbed tower designed by Tange Associates. Easily identifiable among the blockier…

7. Shinjuku I-Land

0.73 MILES

This otherwise ordinary office complex is home to more than a dozen public artworks, including one of Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculptures (on the southeast…

8. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

0.82 MILES

Tokyo's city hall – a landmark building designed by Tange Kenzō – has observatories (202m) atop both the south and north towers of Building 1 (the views…