Tiki Tiki Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan (bar)

Name:Tiki Tiki Shinjuku
Type:bar
Street:Rainbow Bridge Bldg, 4F
City:Shinjuku, Tokyo
State:
Zip:
country:Japan
Phone:3226-0996
Status:operational

Description:
I have been to this Tiki Tiki location also (after buying my wedding kimono we stopped in for a well deserved drink). It is more of a bar than the Yokohama location, and not quite as elaborate, but they still have hula dancers, tiki mugs, an extensive menu, various different rooms, and all that good stuff. Like Trader Vic's Tokyo, it is also in a tall building with big windows so is probably best experienced at night for best ambiance. I will post my own pics later but for now here is their website...

http://hawaii-tikitiki.sgn.ne.jp/shop/shinjuku.html

[edited by Hanford to add the type to the subject]

[ Edited by: hanford_lemoore on 2003-07-27 18:04 ]

Oh, but when I say 'not as elaborate' don't get me wrong: it still beats the pants off of 95% of tiki bars in North America.

In Japan the do it 'all out' or they don't do it at all.

Here is the video \ commercial. I'm sorry, but broadband is required to see it.
http://gnavi.co.jp/movie/asx/g068224b.asx

Here is the webpage:
http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g068224/

Wow!
I like the commercial!
I like those high-back rattan chairs!
I like the robotic tiki!
I like the hula dancers!
I like those mugs!

TikiFish, did you get any of the mugs?

AquaRJ, can Lovely Naomi translate the commercial for us?

Seeing this post reminds me that I'm long derelict in posting some more pics from Tiki Tiki. I first heard about it before going to Japan because the OA guys told us they provided decor for this one and the Yokohama one. One of the cool things about this one is that it has its own floor in the building. So the elevator opens up and you're literally inside the restaurant already. Sort of like entering a Star Trek holo-deck or something. And the shows are free and the food's not too pricey, so you can go with a big yen for food without bringing a lotta yen.

Here's a rough translation from the video as Naomi said it to me. The direct translation sounds a little Japanese-y, so I left it that way without "Americanizing" it, to capture the tone of the narrator guy....

Alo-ha!
If you are exhausted from your work or private life or even suffering pain or trouble, we will take you to the true oasis in the city! That's here at Tiki Tiki!

Here at Tiki Tiki you'll think, "Wow, am I in Hawaii!??" Not only the interior but also the people who work here, and the wide variety of cocktails and foods give you this impression as well. All are Hawaiian paradise!

This is our chef's recommended tandoori chicken with BIG Skewer ("Okushi-yaki") and Hawaiian style caesar salad! All make you smile both from the looks and taste!

Of course, all our drinks have 100% polynesian mood! Mmmmm right! We bet you will have a great time with your lovers or friends!

Another perfect way to use TIKI TIKI is for wedding party! Not only bride and groom but also all guests will be satisfied!

(The host talks in English) blah blah blah

One thing you have to remember is the Hula dance show! Their dance, just like native hawaiian girls, is...OH, WONDERFUL!

Look, (drunken people?) you will see these customers are getting excited with the moody melodies and fascinating dance!

Oh, it's a birthday party, isn't it? We bet you will never forget this party because it's a fat chance to have a party like this! Tiki Tiki, there is no other places to have such fun like this!!

(Animatronic tiki says) "Spend a wonderful night with me!" -Boku to issho ni tanoshii toki o sugosoyo

Let's Aloha! Have a nice time at Tiki Tiki!

-Randy

I have 2 of the mugds to the right of the skull one. I never saw the skull one, they just had the one I poined out, and the ones that look like disney polynesian village mugs, but opaque black glass.

Same mugs in both locations, both Shinjuku and Yokohama.

It's about time I put these up! Here goes - pics from the Tiki Tiki shinjuku from a year and a half ago!

Here's two home-made maps to the place:

Site with MapQuest style map (in Japanese) - note the coupon on top

Same site ran through AltaVista's translator

Site with pictures

Send me an e-mail if you have any questions.

(Editted due to lack of skills in embedding pics)

[ Edited by: BaronV on 2004-09-09 20:03 ]

Return to the Tiki Tiki - Japan - October 2004! So, here are the pics from my second trip to the Tiki TIki Shinjuku - this time with my mom, brother, sister-in law, and of course, Mr. Tikifish! Watch out for 'Pere Goddess of Volcano' on the drink menu... and the cool shot out the window. And dig that crazy hula dancer! Go go go!

[ Edited by: tikifish on 2004-11-25 14:04 ]

[ Edited by: tikifish on 2004-11-25 14:06 ]

Tikifish, thanks a lot, I LOVE YOUR PICS. Makes me really want to go.
Your sister in law is really cute by the way.

My wife is going to be in Tokyo sometime next year. What were the costs on the mugs, or is she going to have to pilfer?
TG

I leave on Thursday for Tokyo and Yokohama. I can't wait!!!!

I just returned from Tokyo. I visited the Yokohama and Shinjuku locations. Very hip places. I'll post my pics once I get the developed. Also, I was able to get all 5 mugs from the Shinjuku location and an ashtray!!!!!

I visited Tiki Tiki in Shinjuku in early June - amazing place!!
Here are a couple of pictures from my visit.....of the food & drinks.
Yes, this one does come with a sparkler!

& this one was made with Guava juice, Pineapple juice & Lychee Liquor. I brought home a couple bottles of the liquor, but I am running low & none of the liquor stores I have checked with in Chicago can get it - I'll just have to get back to Tokyo soon!

Unfortunately most of the mugs are no longer for sale - I talked them out of 2 of them - the coconut & the skull. They said mayby they would offer the mug selling promotion again in the fall.

On 2005-07-16 21:47, croe67 wrote:
... & this one was made with Guava juice, Pineapple juice & Lychee Liquor. I brought home a couple bottles of the liquor, but I am running low & none of the liquor stores I have checked with in Chicago can get it - I'll just have to get back to Tokyo soon!

I found a place in Chicago that says it sells Lychee Liquor!

Kamehachi of Tokyo
Sharon Perazzoli
240 East Ontario Street
Chicago, Illinois
312-587-0600

Kamehachi of Tokyo,the first sushi bar in Chicago. The doors first opened in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood back in 1967. The word Kamehachi means " eight turtles" in Japanese and appropriately symbolizes long life and good luck.

On 2005-07-16 21:47, croe67 wrote:

Say, that red swizzly thing next to the straw. The one with the googly eyes...is that a moai kavakava swizzle? Or am I just seeing things (again). I kind of feel stupid for asking, it's probably a cartoonish cuttlefish or something but those "ears" got me curious.

Thanks Freddiefreelance! I'm heading to Chicago this weekend & will stop by Kamehachi for some Lychee Liquor!! Very Cool!

Kono - here's a picture of the entire swizzle for ya:

Anyone know if the Tiki Tiki is still open? I'm going to be in Tokyo the first week of December.

I was there last week. Great place. I got able to take the new and very nice menu, buy 3 mugs. they don't have the skull mug anymore.

They were still open as of three days ago.

• SV

Tiki Central is too cool! Where else can you ask about such an obscure place and find two people who have been there so recently!

On 2007-11-18 04:57, bigbrotiki wrote:
Tiki Central is too cool! Where else can you ask about such an obscure place and find two people who have been there so recently!

Haha! Seriously! This forum is great!

Thanks for the updates virani and serious voodoo, I'm excited about checking this place out.

Well here I am in Tokyo, and I just got back into my hotel from a visit to the Tiki Tiki. Since I got a nice buzz from the cocktails going, I thought this would be the right time to post my thoughts on the place. I'm staying near the Tokyo tower, so it took a slightly adventurous subway ride to get over to the Shinjuku area where the place is. If you're going to go there, it's hard to see from the street. Look for the Saisan Plaza (across the street from the Isetan building). It takes up the entire fourth floor of the building.

Seriously, this place was off the hook. Easily one of my favorite tiki bars I've ever been too. As soon as you exit the elevator, you're greated by the animatronic tiki that talks in Japanese with moving eyes and mouth.

The bartender (who was from Iran) told me the place had been in business in the same place for 26 years!! It doesn't look that old at all, it's been kept up very well. The only clue to it's age is the slight deterioriating OA looking shell lamps. The decor was fantastic overall. It would be busting the gauges on the TiPSY meter. The music was a nice mix of hawaiian tunes. They have a few TVs spread out throughout the place which was playing Lilo & Stitch over and over again.

Food was great! I had the Spicy Pork Laulau and Pineapple fried rice. I had a generous share of cocktails too. The mascot "Tiki Tiki" was a blended drink with barely any booze in it at all. The mug rules, but the drink was a dissapointing. The Mai Tai was decent - and it was super strong. Also had a fantastic drink called the Hana Uma Bay, with a fresh lychee on top. It had midori in the bottom of the drink and what I assume was some blue caracao on the top along with what tasted like some mountain dew. It was really tasty.

I was also able to see the Hula Dancers! Yay!

They are still out of the "Tropical Daquiri" skull mug, but I was able to get the ashtray that matches the TikiTiki mug, so I was more then pleased with my scores. Both are marked with the Tiki Tiki logo on the bottom in white silkscreen. No manufacturer mark.

This is definately a must see for any Tiki Centralite that is going to be in Japan. I did take a few pics, and I'll post them when I get back to home in San Diego.

As promised...

I just posted this over in another thread to help TikiMonkeySpirtos find the TikiTiki, and I figured the map would be helpful in this thread as well. This is from the back of the flyer at the restaurant.

To get there, make your way to the Shinjuku station via any of the trains. I used the JR Yamanote line. Head to the East Exit of the train station, and then follow the map. It's on the fourth floor of the building, and you'll see the TikiTiki logo in the window (there's a pic of it in my post above).

Thanks for the map, Diego!

[EDIT]
Just found their new English site with an even better map right no the splash page:
http://www.englishok.jp/shops/restaurants/hawaiian/shinjuku_tikitiki/
[/edit]

I am off to Tokyo next month, and plan a full and updated documentation of Tiki-yo for my autumn 2008 Tiki magazine "Tiki Town" article.

Any CHEAP Tokyo lodging tips, Centralites (btw, I don't fit in a "capsule"!)?

• James T.

http://www.tydirium.net
Big Stone Head / Tiki Road Trip / Left Orbit Temple

Also drink with us at: http://www.cocktailsnob.com

[ Edited by: tikibars 2008-04-08 22:18 ]

Oh James, please bring me one of those "Surf God (ess)" mugs home, to match my P.M.P. statue! :)

Based on their website, looks like they've added locations in Sapporo and Sendai.

I can't post the street addresses since Japanese characters don't display right on Tiki Central, but this is cool news.
Hmm. A trip to Japan sounds good...too bad it's hurricane season.

• SV

A Tiki Tiki update!
I recently returned to Japan where I had the joy of going to Tiki Tiki Shinjuku not once, but twice. Why twice, you ask? Well, for one thing, it was the only place I felt comftorable in Shinjuku at night, and for the other, I was starting and ending my trip in Tokyo and didn't want to carry around their signature mug for three weeks.

So here is my Tiki Tiki report:
Disclaimer: I'm relatively new to tiki bars, so my opinions might not be as seasoned as some of you would like. As in, I don't have many bars (besides bay area ones) to compare to. Keep it in mind.

Location: Shinjuku is at the heart of downtown Tokyo. It is wild, crazy, and goes all night. Try to go with a local, or someone who speaks Japanese if you can. Someone earlier posted a map showing where Tiki Tiki is. If you can, get off at the Shinjuku Sanchrome (sometimes called 3-chrome) subway if you can. You'll see that there are about twenty different exits on the subway station map, but one of them will literally drop you off inside the building that Tiki Tiki is located in. From Shinjuku station (a different one) it's about a five minute walk once you orient yourself correctly.

Ambiance: Amazing. Look at some of the pictures that were posted. The place is prime Tiki kitsch stocked, including the famous motion sensor activated tiki head. This place is more restaurant than bar to me, depending on where you sit. The first time we got a table in the main room, which is good if you have a group of friends and are ordering food. The true bar experience is had, well, sitting at the bar! The bartenders are extremely friendly and speak relatively good-perfect English depending on who's there. They graciously make requests (see below)

Service: Great! Despite the language barrier, you get the real sense that they enjoy working there (as should be the case at all tiki bars). As with all Japanese restaurants, food and drinks get out to you relatively fast. Sit at the bar for the speedier drinks.

The drinks: They are...different. I have a bone to pick with Japanese mixed-drink culture- there seems to be a dominance of really weak drinks. But after I toured Japan, I realized this was the case everywhere! You can expect to pay about 900 yen for a drink that has only one shot of actual alcohol in it. That being said, the drinks were prepared with much flourish and show. Lots of decoration and garnish. AND I give points for the openminded bar staff. I introduced them to the concept of the Zombie with a classic recipe. After realizing that they only had three types of rum (...yeah...I know), they seemed to be honestly considering upping their game on the alcohol department. That being said, they made me a fine mai tai when I gave them the recipe :D
My sister got some oreo concoction thing.

Free stuff!: Alright, so you can purchase the tiki mug. But did you know that they also have a tiki ash-tray that you can win? Yeah. I did. This place really seems to enjoy having magicians or cute dudes in tiki gear that you play games with to win free stuff. I got to see both of these things. And now I have an ash tray. Woo!

All in all, Tiki Tiki is a pretty cool place to go if you want to witness the Japanese take on Tiki culture. japan is obsessed with Hawaiian stuff (Lilo and Stitch is a ridiculously popular film, for instance), so you can chalk this up to experiencing the culture. Sit at the bar, chat with the staff, and have a good time. Don't go in with expectations for an American tiki bar experience- you won't really get that on the more serious levels (like rum selection or classical drinks), but you will get something uniquely Japanese in its own way.

Some pictures:

Weitz,

Thanks for the photo update. I remembered that I had picked up a souvenir menu from Tiki Tiki a while back.

Diamondhead graphics on the cover.

The drinks.

The one mug with the flower reminds me of the old Vagabond's House matchbook!

Photos from the restaurant.

There is another TikiTiki in Yokohama.

The menu has floor plans for party planning.

I grabbed these images of the mug and ashtray from ebay.

Are these the same as the ones you got?

DC

Based on the photos posted by Weitz it appears that the coconut mug has changed? Anyone know if it's a generic (e.g. Dynasty) mug?
I have the one with the palm tree on it. (Actually, I have all of them even the ugly black one that looks like a giant Disney Polynesian Village rip-off)

• fm

I have these two images that I got from Bob at Oceanic Arts.
Not sure if it is the Shinjuku location or if there was another location nearby in Shibuya I believe Tiki Tiki had several locations and in "Locating Tiki" I only see mention of two. I think this is a different location but I am going to post it here for now until someone posts the Shibuya location?
This location was opened March 21, 1981 (bucking an international trend of closing down Tiki bars)
This is a scan of a photocopy. Bob has more color photos of this location but they are just snapshots so not much better than these images

a current website (as of Oct 2015) can be found here
http://www.eok.jp/restaurants-bars/casual-dining/hawaiian/tiki-tiki-shinjuku

http://www.tikiaosis.com

[ Edited by: Otto 2015-10-13 21:10 ]