Meet the Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku

We have already seen maid cafés, neko cafés, and cosplay cafés, but did you know that there was also a Monster Café? That's right, in the Harajuku district of Tokyo, Kawaii Monster Café was a themed restaurant quite unlike the others. For those who know the Harajuku neighborhood, it is famous for its unique, colorful, and crazy fashion. But anyone who walked into Kawaii Monster Café could be even more surprised.

Upon entering Kawaii Monster Café through the mouth of a giant monster, you were faced with a colorful, eye-catching, bright, and unique space. Like most themed cafés, you were served by a kawaii girl, who this time was dressed as a monster but was still kawaii. The food and drinks were completely colorful and crazy, resembling a work of art. The best part was that you could take photos of the Monster Girls without paying the extra fees common in maid cafés. Absolutely everything was different and colorful: the ceiling, the bathroom, the tables, and even the menu.

How did the Kawaii Monster Café come about?

The Kawaii Monster Café was conceived by Sebastian Masuda, the person responsible for the crazy clips of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. He is also the owner of a famous kawaii store in Harajuku called 6%DOKIDOKI. This restaurant, which also ran as a night entertainment venue, opened on August 1, 2015.

During the day, shows and music were performed by the Monster Girls, while the night program was usually more intense. You had to prepare your wallet, because, just like the maid cafés, this Monster Café was expensive; the food was expensive, everything was expensive. But the experience of witnessing this totally new world that resembled Alice in Wonderland, in addition to eating colorful and crazy foods, was definitely worth it. Here were the areas of the Kawaii Monster Café:

• Mushroom Disco: a forest with a ceiling covered in poisonous mushrooms and colorful space plants;
• Sweets-Go-Round: a giant cake carousel at the center of the café, a popular spot for taking photos;
• Milk Stand: the ceiling with massive heads of rabbits, sheep, and unicorns and a bunch of baby bottles;
• Bar Experiment: a counter surrounded by glowing and mysterious jellyfish along with other sea monsters;
• Mel-Tea Room: a pastel tea-party zone with giant sweets and cherry-red lips;

The Monster Girls were named Baby, Dolly, Candy, Nasty, and Crazy:

To reach this psychedelic restaurant, visitors took the subway to Meiji-jingumae Station or the JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku Station. The original address was 4-31-10 Jingumae, 4F YM Square Bldg, Shibuya 150-0001, Tokyo.

Where did the monsters go?

Kawaii Monster Café closed on January 31, 2021. Overseas guests had disappeared during the pandemic, and with the Tokyo Olympics delayed and the outlook still uncertain, the lease was allowed to expire.

On February 13, 2026, Sebastian Masuda brought the world back as KAWAII MONSTER LAND, under Takeshita Street at B1F Takeshita Street Square, 1-16-4 Jingumae. The new venue is a ticketed attraction with Monster Girl shows, games, snacks, and a teacup ride around the mascot Choppy. Hours, ticket types, and prices change, so check the official KAWAII MONSTER LAND site before you go.