Named after two of the world’s most debauched districts, Shinjuku Pigalle owes its chaos to owner Emi Takeuchi, a former actress who appeared in Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void. The neon SEX MONEY POWER sign above the zinc bar is a prop from the film - a gift from Noé himself. She didn’t remodel the old bistro when she moved in, just covered the walls and ceiling with what she loves most: ’70s New Wave and arthouse Japanese movie posters. Noé’s an avid poster collector too.
The bathrooms are plastered floor to ceiling in erotica; people come out smug or a little disturbed. Everyone finishes their cube of sake when it’s poured, or they’re stared down until they do. Sometimes there’s a performance, sometimes just a drunk table singing
