Operated by bus company Willer Express, the Restaurant Bus’s latest sightseeing tour will take you all the way to Kawasaki in Tokyo’s neighbouring Kanagawa prefecture. Your evening starts at Tokyo Station, where you hop on an open-top bus, enjoy a French dinner on board, and take in views of the Tokyo skyline before arriving at Kawasaki’s cyberpunk-like industrial zone.
The journey from Tokyo Station to Rainbow Bridge
You’ll board the Restaurant Bus in front of the Marunouchi Building right across from Tokyo Station. The double-decker bus features a kitchen and a toilet on the first floor, while the second floor is outfitted with comfy chairs and dining tables. The bus has an open top but there’s a transparent cover in case of rain.
Shortly after departure, you’ll reach Tokyo Tower. The bus stops for about ten minutes in front of Zojoji temple, where you can take photos of both the tower and temple at sunset.
The bus will then cruise past other popular Tokyo attractions such as Odaiba’s large Ferris wheel, the Fuji TV Headquarters and the Rainbow Bridge.
Dinner and drinks are served throughout the tour (English menu available). You can choose from soft drinks, wine, champagne and more.
The French dinner, on the other hand, offers various appetisers such as bite-sized hors d'oeuvres, salad and soup, before you move on to a main course of roast beef tenderloin, and then dessert. For safety reasons, meal service will be suspended when the bus is on the highway.
Enjoy the four best factory night-views in Kawasaki
As soon as the bus enters Kawasaki along the coast of Tokyo Bay, you’ll begin to see the area’s famous industrial zone, all lit up at night looking like a scene from a dystopian sci-fi movie.
The tour takes you to four of the best vantage points to see the city’s illuminated factory structures: Ogimachi, Mizuecho, Chidoricho and Tamagawa Sky Bridge. There will be explanations along the way – though in Japanese only – with information on the attractions, industrial sites and factories you encounter along the way.
There’s a ten-minute stop in Chidoricho and Mizuecho. At the latter, you can get off the bus and take photos of the surrounding factories. However, the disembarkation points may change or be cancelled altogether depending on weather and operating conditions.
When the bus reaches Kawasaki, you’ll be able to order the special Factory Night-View Beer Floating in The Dark, made by local brewery Tokaido Beer Kawasaki Juku-Kojo. This stout, available only in limited quantities per day, boasts flavours of coffee and mango.
Mesmerising views from the Metropolitan Expressway Kawasaki Line
On the return leg of the tour, the bus travels on the Metropolitan Expressway Kanagawa Route No 6 Kawasaki Line and crosses the Tamagawa Sky Bridge, which connects Haneda Airport with King Skyfront innovation hub. Here you’ll be greeted by stunning views of the lit-up industrial structures and a glowing Tokyo Tower in the distance.
The three-and-a-half-hour dinner bus tour ends at Kawasaki Station, which is only three stops away from Tokyo Station on the JR Ueno Tokyo line.
The details
The dinner tour costs ¥12,800 for adults and ¥9,800 for primary school students and younger children. While tours in June and July are fully booked, you can still make reservations for August and September. Check vacancy and book online or by phone (0570 200 770).
For more information, see the tour website.
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