A unique thing to do in Shinjuku: conveyor-belt wanko soba

Wanko soba is a traditional way of eating soba from Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan: tiny bowls, one mouthful each, eaten one after another. Here the meal itself is the activity.

At Kurukuru Wanko, the bowls circle the counter on a revolving lane. You take a bowl, slurp it, stack the empty one beside you and reach for the next. The stack in front of you is your score.

• A counter with 10 seats (about 25 seats including waiting seats), and one-mouthful bowls of soba passing in front of you.
• 40 minutes, all you can eat, with no limit on the number of bowls.
• Rewards for big counts: an original patch at 100 bowls, a gold patch at 200 bowls and a gold medal at 300 bowls.
• A bitter “penalty tea” for anyone who wants an extra challenge.
• The all-time record on display in the restaurant: 210 bowls, set by a male guest.

Time

40 minutes of eating

Price

¥3,800 per person, tax included

Hours

11:00–18:30 (last entry), open every day

Booking

No reservation needed. You can also reserve a place online with AirWAIT.

Kurukuru Wanko is indoors, on the 5th floor of the J-Gold Building in Kabukicho, a 1-minute walk from Seibu-Shinjuku Station and a 4-minute walk from Shinjuku Station. That makes it an easy plan for a rainy day in Shinjuku.

1. 1
   Start at the station

   Walk 4 minutes from Shinjuku Station, or 1 minute from Seibu-Shinjuku Station.

2. 2
   40 minutes of wanko soba

   Come up to the 5th floor of the J-Gold Building, 1-22-9 Kabukicho. Last entry is 18:30, so it works well as lunch or an afternoon stop.

3. 3
   Explore Kabukicho

   Afterwards, walk around Kabukicho and look up for the Godzilla Head on top of the Shinjuku Toho Building.

• English-speaking staff are here every day. We also have Chinese and Korean menus.
• We have halal-aware staff, and our ingredients have been checked.
• The broth uses fish stock, so it is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
• Buckwheat and wheat flour are used, so it is not suitable if you have a buckwheat allergy.
• Wheelchair accessible.
• Private hire: ¥38,000 per hour, up to 10 people. Please call +81-3-6265-9881.

Address

5F J-Gold Bldg, 1-22-9 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0021

Stations

1 min walk from Seibu-Shinjuku Station; 4 min walk from Shinjuku Station

Hours

11:00–18:30 (last entry), open every day

Price

40 minutes all you can eat, ¥3,800 (tax included)

Seating

10 counter seats (about 25 including waiting seats)

Phone

+81-3-6265-9881