Entertainment and Leisure in Japan
Japan gives the tourists wide opportunity of entertainment and leisure: such as museums and gardens, classic and modern theatres, night clubs, shops, mountainous skiing resorts, tea-ceremonies, children attraction parks, unusual restaurants, music concerts, fireworks and many other things.
Classic and scenic art
Noh Japanese theatre is high artistic and dramatic art. It has already existed for about 700 years. The deep, symbolic art of Noh theatre goes to the roots to the ancient rituals of Shinto religion. The performance is going on the stage with the decoration typical to Shinto temples. The artists wear masks, whose actions are very skillful and gentle, and the clothing is vivid with its brilliance and splendor. This type of classic art is performed in Tokyo National Noh theatre as well as in Hose Nogakudo theatres: Kandze Nogakudo and Kida Nogakudo. In Kansai region Noh performances are held in Kandze Kaikan theatre of Kyoto and in Nogaku Kaikan theatre of Osaka. However, it is supposed, that the performances of Noh theatre are well perceived in open-air, for instance, in temples with the bright and colorful lighting of lamps.
Kabuki theatre is a Japanese classic drama with impressive clothing, decoration and bright make-up. The plot, as a rule, is dramatic and includes a dance of sword battle and many other actions. Kabuki-za theatre of Ginza is considered to be the best place of Kabuki scenic performances. Here the performances take place all year round. Kabuki performances of Ginza are held also in Simbasi Embujo theatre, at that time, in Japanese National theatre, close to emperor villa, shows the performances of Kabuki theatre tour.
Bunraku is very difficult type of puppet theatre. Each wooden and porcelain doll, having ¾ size of a human being, is played by three persons-marionettes. The history is told accompanied by Japanese traditional lute. Bunraku performances are held in Bunraku National theatre of Osaka as well as in Tokyo National theatre.
Night life
In Japanese cities there are a lot of entertainment and leisure places. Accordingly, the tourists need to take a night tour. There are also special night tours with a visit to sightseeing and restaurant supper where traditional dishes of Japanese cuisine are served. In Tokyo the best places of feast, food, drinks and entertainment are the followings.
• Roppongi region full of international atmosphere
• Modern, stylish and elegant region Ginza surrounded mainly with neon lights
• Akasaka, very conservative region, as well as young and noisy region Shibuya
• Kabuki-to square in Shinjuku region
The discos and night clubs are situated in big cities and these places are full of young people. There are a lot of elite places in Tokyo and in Roppongi mainly for elders as well as Shibuya dancing Mecca place.
Restaurants
Japan is a city of cooking art. It is also proved by famous guide Michael. However, delicious dish is not everything that the restaurants can suggest the tourists. People preferring exotic, severe sense and just want to have new and delightful impressions need to have some information on Japanese unusual restaurants. In these restaurants the tourists can have not only delicious dishes but they can enjoy the unusual shows around.
«Ninja Akasakva» restaurant is situated in Akasaka region of Tokyo. They say that this restaurant is not ignored even by famous people like director Steven Spielberg and singer Lady Gaga.
The ceremony of the restaurant is the following, ninja entertains the visitors. The whole restaurant interior is also typical to the secret labyrinth of Japanese legendary fighters. Behind the modest door the visitors appear in a huge labyrinth leading to Ninja lurking place. Restaurant menu includes traditional dishes of different cuisines of the World as well as Japanese, French and Chinese ones. Dish serving is also unusual interior, for example, the famous foie-gras is served with crackers in shuriken view.
Big robots, motorcycles, wonderful dancers with different clothing, shining floor, colorful illumination, mirrors, Japanese drums, magic show-all these above mentioned things the visitors can see in «Robot Restaurant». This restaurant is situated in Shinjuku region of Tokyo. Together with the eating the visitors can also enjoy delightful show lasting nearly 1/5 hour. During the decoration change they can also have free photos with robots. Restaurant activity is like Rio carnival; however, here everything is very modern and futuristic.
Tourists in Japan can also visit to «Lockup» restaurant decorated as a jail. Here the visitors are «arrested» right on the doorstep. They are just brought to the tables. The tables, in turn, are surrounded with metal bars. «Vampire Cafe» is situated in Japanese Ginza region. This café is decorated with the motives of Dracula legend. There is always red color everywhere there, blood, crosses, tombs and other aesthetic elements of dark vampire. People preferring less sever and more exotic senses can go to restaurant of «Alice in wonderland» style.
These are only some examples among various restaurants. Only the interested tourists can find these places. They need previously reserve a table in restaurants in order to be convinced that the restaurant is not removed to another place or it is not in restoration. However, it needs to try to find more here as Japan is not full of ancient temples and luxurious museums but it is a country of feast and adventure, too.
Bars
Any tourist in Japan easily can find a place to have some drink. In addition to the western style bars there are also the following traditional places where people can have fun.
• «Izakaya» is a Japanese style pub where people can have beer, Japanese sake, cocktails, other alcoholic beverages and appetizers. The advantage of such places is that they are opened till late night. Here the prices are available enough.
• «Karaoke» is the most famous place of night entertainment in Japan. Usually such places consist of many rooms full of karaoke equipments. The visitors group can hire a room with an adequate price in order to enjoy singing, drinks and appetizers. Many karaoke bars give the visitors an opportunity of choosing English songs.
the material is taken from http://visitjapan.ru/japan/razvlechenija/
translated from Armenian into English by Tatev Harutyunyan
