From Hello Kitty to Halloween! Check Out the Special Events at Harajuku's Kawaii Monster Cafe
Kawaii Monster Cafe is a must-visit destination in Harajuku for anyone into Japan’s kawaii culture! Produced by iconic art director Sebastian Masuda, known for his work with singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, this mind-blowing space is a family-friendly theme cafe by day and a unique dinner theater venue at night. From an exclusive Hello Kitty collaboration to Halloween done Harajuku style, the Kawaii Monster Cafe is a great place that you should visit this autumn, so read on to find out everything you need to know!
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What is Kawaii Monster Cafe?
Harajuku is known as the birthplace of many Japanese fashion and pop cultural trends, and is famous worldwide for its unique street fashion. Designed to embody Harajuku’s bold and playful aesthetic, Kawaii Monster Cafe is an immersive, one of a kind dining and entertainment venue.
The monster theme of the cafe represents Harajuku itself. It evokes the image of a monster eating up everything in its path, the same way that Harajuku draws from all kinds of influences to create wild new art and fashion.
Kawaii Monster Cafe features eight magical spaces, such as the Carnivorous Plant Forest, Mushroom Disco, and a glowing Jellyfish Bar, plus a creative, Instagram-worthy menu and the famous Monster Girl staff who come to work dressed head to toe in Harajuku fashion. Let the cafe's mascot, Mr. Choppy, take you down the rabbit hole into an only-in-Tokyo experience that feels straight out of a cartoon!
Kawaii Monster Cafe and Hello Kitty Collaboration
In Summer and Autumn 2019, Kawaii Monster Cafe teamed up with Hello Kitty to produce a uniquely Harajuku style experience. Featuring Hello Kitty reimagined as a Harajuku girl, the collaboration includes a Hello Kitty redesign of the cafe's Mel-Tea Room, and an exclusive menu of food and sweets so cute you'll have to see it to believe it!
The exclusive Hello Kitty menu available includes nine brand new dishes, including Hello Kitty’s Harajuku Rainbow Curry (1,580 yen) and Hello Kitty with Sweets-Go-Round Cake (1,480 yen), both pictured above.
Hello Kitty fans will be happy to hear there are exclusive goods featuring Harajuku Hello Kitty that you can pick up to take home as well! Guests can also take home an exclusive coaster featuring Hello Kitty and Mr. Choppy after their meal, too.
The Hello Kitty menu and bonus coaster are available until September 30, 2019, but you'll still be able to buy these special items from Kawaii Monster Cafe even after the Hello Kitty event ends.
Harajuku Style Halloween at Kawaii Monster Cafe
Tokyo's dress up events for Halloween are legendary, so if you're in Tokyo in October, don't miss your chance to experience Halloween Tokyo style! For an only-in-Harajuku Halloween experience, check out Kawaii Monster Cafe's special Halloween event.
Kawaii Monster Cafe's 2019 Halloween menu features classic monsters like vampires, werewolves, and Frankenstein's monster as Harajuku-style treats that are sure to thrill kids and adults alike.
On the menu is a Frankenstein Colorful Pop Burger (1,580 yen), which reimagines Mr. Choppy as Frankenstein's monster with a juicy beef patty and a colorful, two-toned bun. The Count Choppy Dark Curry (1,400 yen) is designed with a vampire theme, and is made with startling purple and orange toned ingredients. Its spooky appearance and spicy curry flavor are both sure to surprise!
Sweets include Bark At The Moon (980 yen), an adorable dessert made with a crispy donut and black sesame mousse that has been designed as a werewolf appearing on the night of a full moon. The Midnight Pumpkin Chiffon Cake contains fluffy chiffon cake topped with black sesame ice cream and a generous serving of pumpkin flavored cream. For a final spooky touch, this dessert is finished off with a blood-red drizzle of chocolate sauce.
Night Entertainment at Kawaii Monster Cafe
In the evenings, Kawaii Monster Cafe transforms into a dinner theater style entertainment venue.
A range of special shows are held weekly, including the Japanese Oiran Night show on Tuesday nights, the TOKYO POP CULTURE show on Wednesday nights, or the adults-only Burlesque Nights on Thursday nights. On Fridays, an interactive Harajuku-style drag show called TOKYO Under Land is held. You can come dressed up yourself, or just enjoy the show and dance along with the drag queens!
If you're celebrating a special occasion in Tokyo, you can book exclusive birthday courses that include the cafe's famous rainbow cake, or even hire out spaces exclusively for your party! For more information, check out the details on their English official page.
How to Get a Reservation at Kawaii Monster Cafe
You probably won’t be surprised to hear that it can be a little competitive to get a reservation for Kawaii Monster Cafe. If you’re interested in checking it out during your visit to Tokyo, an easy way to ensure you get a booking is to book through Voyagin. They’ll handle all the logistics for you, from securing a reservation to clearly laying out the different options to fit your budget. You can find more details about this service on the Kawaii Monster Cafe official partner page at Voyagin.
If you want to secure a seat at the dinner theater shows, you can also book a table at the Japanese Oiran Night show on Tuesday nights, the TOKYO POP CULTURE show on Wednesday nights, or the adults-only Burlesque Nights on Thursdays through Voyagin, too.
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The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
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