The legendary Kawaii Monster Café, which sadly closed in 2021 during the global pandemic, is making its big return to Harajuku by the end of the year – and it promises to be even wilder than before. This time it’s not just a café, but a full-blown indoor amusement park bursting with neo-chromatic colour, candy-shaped rides, over-the-top food and live performances by the iconic Monster Girls.
According to the press release, the new space is inspired by a tale that speaks of ‘a giant amusement park’ that long ago existed beneath Harajuku. That hidden wonderland has now been dug up and reimagined as a kaleidoscopic utopia.
Convoluted lore aside, the Kawaii Monster Land will be opening on Takeshita-dori – where else? – and is a collaboration between Genda GiGO Entertainment, the company behind Tokyo’s ubiquitous GiGO arcades, and Sebastian Masuda, the creative mastermind of the original café. The result looks to be a sensory explosion of photo-ready corners and candy-coloured spectacle.
In preparation for the big reveal later in the year, the Kawaii Monster crew will hold an anniversary party called Kawaii Monster Party 2025 on August 28 at Aisotope Lounge in Shinjuku Nichome. The occasion in question is the 10th anniversary of the opening of the park’s predecessor, the Kawaii Monster Cafe. On the day, you can experience the world of Kawaii Monster Land early, with exclusive drinks and special shows by monster girls. Consider it a colourful prelude to the chaos still to come.
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