by Patrick Rial
Last month I took a trip with three of my friends from America into the heart of Tokyo. After a long day of exploring various sex shops in Shinjuku and drunken hanami at Ueno Park, we retired to a restaurant aptly named "Ninja."
Upon entering the restaurant we were greeted by a young woman dressed in full ninja gear. She had the black gi and requisite hood on. Not only that, but she spoke excellent English as well. She informed us that she would summon another ninja to escort us through the premises to our table. One clap of her hands caused another ninja woman to burst through a secret passage in the wall with a flourish. This ninja showed us another secret door that would lead us to our room for the night.
I won't give away all the secrets of the ninja, because it's a lot like magicians and it will ruin it for you for the rest of your life, but needless to say, the journey into the heart of the ninja dojo is one of the most exciting parts of the experience.
We were shown to our private room and handed menus written on black scrolls. The fare is fairly expensive (hahaha!), but overall it is delicious. We sampled the Kobe beef, some fresh tofu, the most unique croquettes I have ever seen, and a few other dishes. Everything was delicious and exquisitely presented, though the portions were small, so it was not the most filling meal I have ever had.
Towards the end of the meal we were visited by an Australian ninja-musician who performed some card tricks for us. He kept a big wad of folded up 1000 yen bills sticking out of his fanny pack, but fortunately we were not duped into encouraging his disgusting habit by tipping him. It's not the Japanese way after all. In the end he performed a disapperaing trick that was a real crowd pleaser.
After I forgot to wear slippers to the bathroom and all of the ninjas had a hearty laugh at my expense we were whisked out of the restaurant and into the streets as quick as can be. The ninjas were kind enough to pose for some pictures and demonstrate the famous Crane Kick that served Ralph Macchio so well in "The Karate Kid."
All things told the bill was about 5000 yen apiece, but well worth it for the truly unique experience. "Ninja" can be found at Akasakamituke subway station near Akasaka in downtown Tokyo. Reservations are not necessary.