Sensory overload reaches new heights.
The KAWAII MONSTER CAFE HARAJUKU just opened on August 1, but it’s already topping many Tokyo must-see lists.
The cafe is located in the hub of Tokyo’s Harajuku district and was created by artist Sebastian Masuda, who is most well known for his cuteness-fashion store 6% DokiDoki, the landmark shop that helped define the Harajuku district when it opened almost 20 years ago.
Masuda has done it again with the design of the candy-colored KAWAII MONSTER CAFE HARAJUKU. For a 500 yen entrance fee (that’s about $4 U.S.) visitors can spend 90 minutes inside ogling the overwhelmingly adorable design. Think oversized macarons as wall decorations, a bubble tea large enough to bathe in, a birthday cake merry-go-round, and unicorns, bunnies, and kitty cats everywhere you look. The shop is staffed by five so-called “Monster Girls”—Baby, Dolly, Candy, Nasty, and Crazy, whose names are hopefully not indicative of their customer service skills.
Though gawkers are allowed, the space is also a fully functioning restaurant managed by Diamond Dining, who also run one of Tokyo’s many Alice in Wonderland–themed eateries. The café is divided into four equally precious-sounding seating areas: the toadstool-themed Mushroom Disco; the Milk Stand where baby bottles dangle from the ceiling; Bar Experiment, which features a black light–lit jellyfish; and the Mel-Tea Room featuring giant melting ice cream cones.
The food is as adamantly cutesy as the décor. The menu includes options like pastel-colored pasta, a “candy salad,” something called a “party party monster with monster dip,” and an over-the-top ice cream sundae with the slightly daunting name of “Colorful Poison Parfait Extreme.”
More good reads from T+L:
• 14 Dessert Tasting Menus for Sweet Freaks
• The 23 Carry-On Must-Haves This Editor Always Takes With Him. Every Time. No Matter Where.
• How to Shop in Tokyo
