Harajuku (especially Takeshita Dori) is known for unique and freaky fashion styles, so it’s not a surprise that you’ll also find some freaky themed cafes there. I went to one of them this month, the so-called “Kawaii Monster Cafe” and want to introduce it briefly today.
I went together with Anji from “Salz Tokyo” – it was her suggestion and I’m really glad we went. It was an interesting experience.
Without her I wouldn’t have known about the Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku.
What exactly is the Kawaii Monster Cafe?
The Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku is one of Japan’s many weird themed cafes.
Once you enter, you’ll be in a colorful fantasy world with giant lips, mushrooms and whatnot. Even the food is colorful!
There are different themed areas and you can choose where you want to sit, but some areas are more expensive than others especially when you’re in a group of less than 4 people.
We went during the week in the evening and behind us people started lining up, though it never got crowded inside the cafe.
If you’re worried you can make a reservation except for weekends and holidays.
Note that they’re open in the afternoon for lunch (11:30 – 16:30) and in the evening for dinner (18:00 – 22:30), but closed in between.
After entering you’re supposed to be in the stomach of a (kawaii) monster. The first thing you’ll see is this cute carousel which is actually turning around the whole time. :)
Unfortunately the differently themed areas are all in the same room which felt a bit “overloaded”.
But depending on how big your group is and how much you’re willing to pay you can choose where you want to sit.
I really liked that area with the baby bottles hanging from the ceiling.
As you can see there are various options, some look more comfortable than others.
We were sitting in the “giant lip” section. There’s also a bar, but at least when we were visiting, nobody was sitting there.
There was also a kitschy, pastel-colored corner with giant macaroons on the wall.
Check this out – even the toilet is photo-worthy in the Kawaii Monster Cafe.
I’ve never seen such a colorful toilet before. Make sure to take photos in there as well. ;)
I don’t know if the men toilet looked similar. Maybe one of you guys knows?
The waitresses have a cute uniform, but there are also dressed-up people who will walk around, take photos with you or even ride on the carousel.
Unfortunately when we visited there was only one running around – Bunny – and it was a different person than in the video. Actually it was in a guy! *g*
As you could see in the video, they have a very interesting menu with lots of weird and colorful food, also parfaits.
We got the colorful noodles among other things. It was yummy, but far too expensive if you consider that you also have to pay an entrance fee.
Is the Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku worth checking out?
It was definitely an interesting experience, although I found it too expensive. It’s also a bit difficult to take good photos inside as it’s rather dark (no good lighting). Furthermore, if you go, it’s probably better to go there in a bigger group as it’s a bit cheaper then.
After watching videos of some popular Youtubers who went there only a few days after me, I noticed that they got a different menu and that the food seemed cheaper! We couldn’t figure out why. It might have to do with the day and time you go there or the area you sit in. Maybe one of you can enlighten us on that as neither kimdao nor me could figure it out.
We were also told that there’s a time limit of 2 hours, but nobody kicked us out after 2 hours. I guess that was because it wasn’t crowded at all when we visited.
I don’t regret going, but I’m sure I wouldn’t do it a second time. ;)
Have you been there? How did you like it?
Share in the comments below.
