With its red leather booths and yoshoku (Japanese take on Western cuisine) dishes, this retro basement venue in the heart of Ginza perfectly encapsulates the quintessential Japanese show pub. With quirky headpieces and wide, multi-ruffled dresses, the costumes here are elaborate to say the least, but there’s substance to go with the style: rather than presenting multiple unrelated short numbers, Konparu aims to tell stories through its hour-long show.
The stage cleverly expands on the limited space by featuring split levels, and the ensemble expertly navigate the tight area as they incorporate dance, drama, humour and live vocals into their roles. There’s a cover charge of ¥4,000 to watch the show and audience members are asked to order at least one food and drink item each. Party animals are better opting for the ¥6,800 package deal which includes the show charge, a meal plus all you can drink for the duration of the performance.