Often the coolest Japanese bars and restaurants are in the most obscure locations. Such is the case with the groovily-named Virgin Sunset, a loosely Hawaiian-themed joint down an obscure side-street in Yamato City, Kanagawa. You can find it by looking out for the flaming torches outside.
It’s one of those uniquely Japanese places that mixes up various international elements and puts them through the old Japanese filter. Here you can sit among fish tanks and palm trees, and eat Italian pizza and Jamaican jerk chicken, whilst watching surfing videos and listening to 70s disco and funk hits being spun by a DJ in the corner, and drinking pina coladas served by waitresses in pretty Hawaiian dresses. A charmingly mental mish-mash of madness. Also, for some ungodly reason, the door-handles in the toilet are shaped like penises, but I try not to think too much about that.
I once stumbled into Virgin Sunset on Halloween night, and the additional Mexican Wrestlers and Wonder Woman costumes were enough to make my head spin.
If all this character wasn’t great enough, Virgin Sunset has a half price beer and pizzas every day from five to seven, including weekends. Try finding a deal like that in Tokyo!
After taking advantage of the happy hour, I tend to head to a cheap and cheerful games center a few doors up from the Virgin Sunset, called “The Big Bang”, which has darts, pool, batting cages and go-kart racing. An ideal place to continue the shenanigans (although the staff are reluctant to let you try the go-kart racing while totally shit-faced.)
Virgin Sunset Restaurant and Bar
TEL: 046-264-3766
June 11, 2008 at 12:33 am |
Italian Pizza AND Jamaican Jerk Chicken? What a mix. Hey, no pictures of the waitresses in the pretty hawaiian dresses?
June 11, 2008 at 9:55 am |
Sadly I forget to get any snaps of the waitresses. There might be some on their website!
June 12, 2008 at 3:20 am |
No shit-faced racing, eh? Must not get a lot of cops for customers.
June 21, 2008 at 12:13 pm |
Bahaha, i love how they mispelled “meet” on the menu. What is with this ” Sliced raw chicken breast ” I’ve never heard of chicken sushi before, must be a first!!!
Cute japanese girls in hawaiian outfits must be mouth watering!
July 23, 2008 at 10:08 pm |
Huh… i was *shocked* to see Virgin Sunset on your blog! I know the owner. She works with me on the Naval Base. (We go there for all our “farewell” parties.) Seriously cool that you mention it. I’ll let her know.
I left my email if you want to hit me up (or her). 
July 24, 2008 at 12:39 am |
Thanks Erica!
Yeah, I love Virgin Sunset. The pizza is great!
So why does the owner lady need 2 jobs?
July 29, 2008 at 6:17 pm |
Didn’t I go there with you before I left? I don’t remember the dick toilets tho… Or any costumes…
July 29, 2008 at 9:36 pm |
The dick-door-handles have always been there- you were probably too drunk to notice! The costumes were just for Halloween (unfortunately.)
September 17, 2008 at 12:58 pm |
Ahh… the fun and good times at Virgin Sunset and Big Bang..
Only place i have ever broken someones nose while playing table tennis
January 1, 2010 at 12:20 am |
Nice site – Here’s wishing you and yours a very happy and prosperous new year !
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