TOKYO ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT GUIDE
All-you-can-eat lunch in Tokyo: how to choose
All-you-can-eat (tabehodai) in Tokyo comes in many types: yakiniku and shabu-shabu where you cook at the table, sushi, hotel lunch buffets, dessert buffets, and wanko soba. Most have a time limit, and drinks are often charged separately, so check the time, what is included and whether you need to book.
If you want something short and unusual, Kurukuru Wanko in Shinjuku is Japan's first rotating wanko soba: 40 minutes all-you-can-eat for ¥3,800 per person (tax included, walk-in), open every day 11:00–18:30 (last entry).
This guide is written by Kurukuru Wanko, one of the places listed.
Updated: Published: Kurukuru Wanko
Types of all-you-can-eat in Tokyo
| How it works | Good to know | |
|---|---|---|
| Yakiniku / shabu-shabu | Order meat and vegetables and cook them at your table | Price usually depends on the course you choose |
| Sushi | Order from a menu or tablet, as much as you like | Check which items are included |
| Hotel lunch buffet | A buffet of Japanese and Western dishes | Booking may be needed |
| Dessert buffet | Cakes and sweets, sometimes with savory dishes | Contents vary by restaurant |
| Wanko soba | One-mouthful bowls of soba, bowl after bowl. Japan's first rotating version at Kurukuru Wanko, Shinjuku | 40 minutes, ¥3,800 walk-in; standing counter |
What to check before you go
- Time limit: how long you can eat, and when the last order is.
- What is included: drinks are often extra.
- Booking: some places are walk-in, some are booking only.
- Allergies and diet: ask about ingredients and broth.
- Prices and rules change. Check the official website of each restaurant.
A 40-minute option in Shinjuku: rotating wanko soba
- What
- Japan's first rotating wanko soba: Iwate's one-mouthful soba bowls on a revolving lane, 40 minutes all-you-can-eat for ¥3,800 (tax included, walk-in). 1 min from Seibu-Shinjuku Station
- Included
- Unlimited soba, broth and condiments, aprons provided. Drinks are extra
- Counter
- Standing counter, 12 spots (no seats). Solo diners welcome
- Hours
- 11:00–18:30 (last entry), open every day — good for lunch
- Age
- No age restriction (children not yet in elementary school eat free when sharing a seat with a parent or guardian, one child per adult; additional children or a separate seat are charged for one seat; elementary school children and older pay the adult price)
- Rewards
- 100 bowls: original patch / 200: gold patch / 300: gold medal. All-time record 925 bowls. Monthly champions (top man and top woman) receive ¥10,000 each
- Booking
- No phone or in-person reservations (walk-ins in order of arrival, ¥3,800 at the door). You can book online on Asoview, Activity Japan or Klook (timed entry, ¥4,700).
Access
- Address
- 5F J-Gold Bldg, 1-22-9 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0021
- Stations
- 1 min walk from Seibu-Shinjuku Station (main exit); 4 min walk from JR Shinjuku Station (east exit)
- Hours
- 11:00–18:30 (last entry), closes 19:30, open every day
- Phone
- +81-3-6265-9881
- Landmark
- 1 min walk from the Godzilla Head (Shinjuku Toho Building)
Online booking sites
Book a time on one of these online booking sites (¥4,700).
FAQ
- Is there a short all-you-can-eat lunch in Tokyo?
- Kurukuru Wanko in Shinjuku is 40 minutes of all-you-can-eat wanko soba for ¥3,800 (walk-in), Japan's first rotating wanko soba, open from 11:00 every day.
- Are drinks included in all-you-can-eat in Japan?
- Often not; it depends on the restaurant. At Kurukuru Wanko, drinks are extra.
- Do I need to book an all-you-can-eat lunch?
- It depends. Kurukuru Wanko doesn't take reservations by phone or in person (walk-ins are served in order of arrival), and you can book online via Asoview, Activity Japan or Klook (¥4,700).
- Can I go alone?
- Yes. Kurukuru Wanko is a standing counter and solo diners are welcome.
- Is it suitable for vegetarians and vegans?
- Yes. Our regular broth uses bonito (fish) stock; a vegetarian and vegan broth is also available. Just ask our staff.
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More guides
- Unique things to do in ShinjukuFor a uniquely Japanese experience in Shinjuku, try wanko soba, the endless-bowl soba tradition from Iwate, at Kurukuru Wanko in Kabukicho, where one-mouthful bowls of soba come to you on a revolving lane.
- What is wanko soba?Wanko soba is a way of eating soba from Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan: small bowls, each holding a single mouthful of noodles, are served one after another, and you eat as many as you can.
- Halal-friendly food experience in ShinjukuKurukuru Wanko, a conveyor-belt wanko soba restaurant in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, is halal-friendly: halal-aware staff are on site at all times, and our ingredients have been checked.
- Unique food experience in Shinjuku & KabukichoFor a unique, traditional Japanese food experience in Shinjuku, try wanko soba at Kurukuru Wanko in Kabukicho — Japan's first rotating (kaiten) wanko soba restaurant.
- Things to do in Shinjuku on a rainy dayOn a rainy day in Shinjuku, Kurukuru Wanko in Kabukicho is an easy indoor plan: it is on the 5th floor of a building a 1-minute walk from Seibu-Shinjuku Station (4 minutes from the east exit of JR Shinjuku Station).
- All-you-can-eat in Tokyo for ¥3,800Kurukuru Wanko in Shinjuku, Tokyo, is a 40-minute all-you-can-eat for ¥3,800 per person (tax included, walk-in): Japan's first rotating wanko soba, where one-mouthful bowls of soba come to you on a revolving lane.
- Unique food experiences in TokyoFor a unique food experience in Tokyo, pick by what you want to do: cook monjayaki yourself on a griddle in Tsukishima, walk the stalls of Tsukiji Outer Market, make a replica food sample in Kappabashi, eat yakitori in the post-war alleys of Omoide Yokocho, or try a game-like regional dish such as wanko soba.
- Traditional Japanese food in Shinjuku & KabukichoIn Shinjuku you can try traditional Japanese food in several styles: yakitori and grilled offal in the post-war alleys of Omoide Yokocho, quick standing soba counters, department-store food halls (depachika), the Kabuki Yokocho food hall in Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, and wanko soba, a regional soba tradition from Iwate.
- Food experiences in Tokyo for families with kidsFamilies with children in Tokyo often enjoy food experiences where kids can do something themselves: cooking monjayaki on a griddle in Tsukishima, making a replica food sample at a workshop in Kappabashi, picking plates at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, or taking bowls from a revolving lane at a wanko soba restaurant.
- Wanko soba historyWanko soba is a traditional way of eating soba from Iwate Prefecture: one mouthful of noodles in a small bowl, eaten one bowl after another. Hanamaki is known as its birthplace, and it is said to have begun about 400 years ago, in the early Edo period.
- Japanese food culture experiences in TokyoWashoku, the traditional food culture of Japan, was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013. In Tokyo you can experience it through sushi making, tea ceremony and wagashi, markets, kaiseki and regional dishes.
- How many bowls of wanko soba?Across 5,019 recorded 40-minute challenges at Kurukuru Wanko (May to October 2026), the average was 125 bowls and the median was 117.
- Kurukuru Wanko home