When I came to Japan in 1990 there was only one “Hard Rock Cafe” in this country at that time.
It was the “Hard Rock Cafe, Tokyo” in 六本木 (Roppongi, Tokyo) with the gorilla hanging on the window.
Back then, I went to the Hard Rock Cafe occasionally…mainly because it was a popular place around the world back then and, as Japan only had one HRC back then, it was almost certain that American and European rock musicians would stop by there after their shows on their Japan tours.
I talked to Van Halen, Blue Murder, and Bon Jovi in the Hard Rock Cafe, Tokyo.
But as time went by, Hard Rock Cafe set up more and more shops in Japan.
I don’t know why. I don’t think they’re very popular anymore. The food and drinks aren’t so good and they’re over-priced, in my opinion.
I don’t eat at the Hard Rock Cafe anymore. I haven’t been inside one in many years.
I do like the collection of guitars and gold records that they decorate their walls with…and the KISS memorabilia that seems to be at each of their restaurants, though.
But now in Japan, there are eight Hard Rock Cafe restaurants:
○ Hard Rock Cafe, Tokyo in 六本木 (Roppongi, Tokyo),
○ Hard Rock Cafe, Uyeno-eki in 上野駅 (Ueno Train Station, Tokyo),
○ Hard Rock Cafe, “Narita-Tokyo” in 千葉県成田市 (Narita, Chiba)…just like “Tokyo Disneyland” and “Narita Airport“, this HRC is in Chiba, Japan which is near Tokyo,
○ Hard Rock Cafe, Yokohama in 横浜 (Yokohama),
○ Hard Rock Cafe, Nagoya in 名古屋 (Nagoya),
○ Hard Rock Cafe, Fukuoka in 福岡 (Fukuoka),
○ Hard Rock Cafe, Osaka in 大阪 (Osaka), and
○ Hard Rock Cafe, Universal Studios Japan at the Universal Studios Japan in 大阪 (Osaka).
I passed by a Hard Rock Cafe yesterday and noticed that they’re having a “HRC meets Hello Kitty” campaign.
This doesn’t really interest me…as I wrote above, I don’t eat at Hard Rock Cafe and my wife and daughters aren’t into Hello Kitty (And I certainly don’t care about Kitty-chan either), but if you want to see the “HRC meets Hello Kitty” merchandise then click here.
Do they have many Hard Rock Cafe restaurants in your part of the world?
Have you visited many? Do you go there often? Have you been to any of them in Japan?
Do they sell “HRC meets Hello Kitty” merchandise in your city? Would you buy it?
Tokyo Five 
i love HRC Tokyo . i worked there 5 years from 1986 to 1991. i miss it all time.
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Did you work at the Hard Rock Cafe in Roppongi? So, you lived in Tokyo for five years?
Have you been back here since ’91? Tokyo’s changed a lot since then.
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I believe there is no sense about what I’m going to write but:
Visit http://demartinimusic.com
A Hard Rock band inspired in old 80’s bands.
You can download our last song ‘All Right’ for free.
Enjoy!
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Thanks. I’ll check out your song.
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Did you know there is a Florida connection? The Seminole Tribe of Florida owns all the Hard Rock hotels and casinos around the world.
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I don’t know about other countries…but there are no HRC hotels or casinos in Japan…only the cafes.
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All this Blue Murder talk inspired me. I bought the first album from iTunes last night. (I guess that’s one cassette I can lose now.)
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It’s too bad you couldn’t just copy it from cassette to your I-pod like you can with a CD.
As for me, I still have never bought anything at all online.
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My truck is about 10 years old. Even back then I had to specially order the stereo with the tape deck. What can I say? I had hundreds and hundreds of cassette tapes (several dozen which you can not get on CD) and I wanted to listen to them. Still do. I need a new vehicle and I’m afraid I can’t get a stereo with a cassette deck. *sigh*
Have you met Carmine Appice? I love the first Blue Murder album. (The second has some good stuff…but it’s not the original band unfortunately.) Also, for we as KISS fans, he played on Paul’s solo album for one song!
Do you design websites regularly or was that a fluke?
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>I had hundreds and hundreds of cassette tapes (several dozen which you can not get on CD) and I wanted to listen to them.
Actually, my home stereo has CD, radio, MD…and a cassette deck/
I wanted the tape player because of my tape collection.
>Have you met Carmine Appice?
Yes. Twice. Here in Tokyo.
And he’s emailed me many times.
>he played on Paul’s solo album for one song!
Yes, I know.
And he was the drummer for Ozzy Osbourne‘s band during the “Bark At The Moon” album.
His brother, Vinny Appice, was the drummer for Black Sabbath for awhile.
>Do you design websites regularly or was that a fluke?
No, I’m not a web designer. But my first website was about KISS.
I put alot of work into that site…but I didn’t back up the files and I lost it all when my computer crashed. 😦
But when I had that site, Carmine Appice emailed me and told me that he played on Paul Stanley‘s 1978 solo album…and would I add a link to his site.
I wrote him back and said that of course I’d link to his site (and of course I knew that he played on Paul’s album).
I also told him that I had met him at the Hard Rock Cafe in Tokyo a few years earlier, when he was in Blue Murder.
Then I met him again the next time he was in Tokyo and he asked me if I’d make his official Japanese website.
I made it for him…but I don’t have time to maintain it.
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Theres a Hard Rock Cafe here in Malaysia where I currently live, Ive only been there maybe three times throughout my time staying here as an expat’s wife. Its alright but as you said here, food is rather price-y. Im not missing anything from not going there either. Ive not even been into the HRC in Bali either let alone sleep there which room rates wise are ridiculously steep. Im a big fan of Hello Kitty tho 😀
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You like “Hello Kitty“?
You should get one of the “HRC x Hello Kitty” shirts.
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There’s a Hard Rock Hotel and a Hard Rock Cafe in Chicago. I’ve only been to the Cafe…much like you, when I was much younger. It was easy to figure out that it was a tourist trap with overpriced, underwhelming food. The memorabilia was pretty cool to my recollection.
Interesting that you mention Blue Murder. I have their first album (on cassette no less) in my truck right now! I love it. The follow up also had some great songs.
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You still have a cassette deck in your truck? Old school! 🙂
Do you like Blue Murder?
The drummer was Carmine Appice. His girlfriend is Japanese.
I made Carmine Appice’s Official Japanese website a few years ago.
Wanna see it? (It hasn’t been updated recently).
Click here to see it.
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Maybe his girlfriend WAS japanese. No more. He’s been with an american radio talk show host for years now. Her name is Leslie Gold, The Radiochick.
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>Maybe his girlfriend WAS japanese. No more…
I see. I last time I talked with him, he introduced his girlfriend (who was Japanese) to me.
But that was years ago.
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