Kawaii culture is huge in Japan! If you’ve been following our blogs, then you probably know that kawaii superstars like Cinnamoroll and Hello Kitty don’t just get special merch - sometimes they get their own trains, hotel rooms, and even their very own cafes. These character cafes not only have the cutest decor but they also a kawaii menu inspired by the characters. It's the perfect place for kawaii fans to chill and relax!
Let's jump right in!
As lovers of all things kawaii, we’ve been to almost every character cafe in Japan. All of them are pretty cute, but some are better than others. Put on your cutest outfit because today we’re going on a cafe-hopping adventure. Here’s our list of the top 5 character cafes in Japan and the pros and cons of each one!
Chiikawa Cafe
Kawaii Cafe Rating: 💖💖💖💖🤍
Reservation Difficulty: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Opening Hours: 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Price Range: JPY 1,100～JPY 1,980 / $7 - $13
Location: Ikebukuro Parco Main Building 7F, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Wildly popular among kawaii fans, the Chiikawa Cafe is a permanent character cafe hosted by THE GUEST CAFE & Diner. Following the concept of a “family restaurant,” the Chiikawa Cafe features characters from the Nanka Chiisakute Kawaii Yatsu manga of Nagano (including Chiikawa, of course) all dressed up as diner employees.
It’s a really cute cafe with original Chiikawa Restaurant illustrations! There’s a lot to order on the menu with yummy treats like the “Hachiware Fried Egg Hamburger Set,” and the “Second-Generation Head Chef’s Whimsical Dessert Plate.” It even has cafe-exclusive Chiikawa goodies for you to collect. The Chiikawa Cafe is definitely a must-visit for any kawaii fan!
PROS
- The cafe ambience is top tier with original illustrations and television displays of Chiikawa manga panels
- The cafe doesn’t skimp out on the kawaii levels of its food with ultra-cute designs
CONS
- Reserving a spot at the Chiikawa Cafe is 10/10 difficult. Fans have to apply for a lottery just to get a CHANCE to nab a reservation, and when you win the lottery you have to jump through all sorts of hoops just to get a table.
Cinnamoroll Cafe
Kawaii Cafe Rating: 💖💖💖💖🤍
Reservation Difficulty: 🖤🖤🤍🤍🤍
Opening Hours: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Price Range: JPY 600～JPY 1,870 / $4 - $12
Location: 1 Chome-5-14 Namba, Chuo Ward, Osaka, Japan
Cinnamoroll is one of the most popular Sanrio characters ever with his floppy ears and his cute cinnamon roll-shaped tail! Because he’s so loved in the kawaii community, Cinnamoroll doesn’t just have one cafe in Japan - he has two. One is in Shinjuku, Tokyo and the other one is in Osaka.
Without a doubt, the best one is in Osaka! It has three floors of major Cinnamoroll cuteness and it serves super kawaii Cinnamoroll-themed food, drinks, and desserts. While the Tokyo branch might be the most accessible one, a trip to the Osaka branch of the Cinnamoroll Cafe is definitely worth it.
PROS
- The Cinnamoroll Cafe in Osaka has three floors of absolute cuteness
- The third floor has the “Special Room” with 3D designs popping out of its walls and a special photo op area for fans to take pictures
- The staff in the Osaka cafe are all super relaxed and friendly
- The dishes at the Cinnamoroll Cafe are all tasty and super cute. Each treat is made to look just like Sanrio's flying little pup!
- The cafe also sells exclusive Cinnamoroll merch for fans to collect!
CONS
- The only downside to the CInnamoroll cafe is it’s limited menu. There aren’t that many treats to choose from.
Pokemon Cafe
Kawaii Cafe Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖
Reservation Difficulty: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🤍
Opening Hours: 10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Price Range: JPY 715～JPY 3,795 / $5 - $25
Location: Nihombashi Takashimaya S.C. East Building, Tokyo, Chuo City, Japan
There are two Pokemon Cafes in Japan, one in Osaka and one in Tokyo. Both of the Pokemon Cafe branches have the cutest Pokemon decors ranging from illustrations, statues, giant Pokemon plushies. All of the dishes in the cafes are Pokemon-themed and they look downright adorable!
Because of its design, menu, and its super cute atmosphere, the Pokemon Cafe has become one of the most popular character cafes in Japan. From the meals to the drinks and to the desserts to cute Pokemon merch - you just want to have them all!
PROS
- The Pokemon Cafe’s kawaii atmosphere is next level! Not only does the cafe have giant Pikachu plushies, but they have impressive Pokemon statues littered around the place too.
- The cafe also hosts cute Pikachu mascot performance. Imagine sipping on a Snorlax latte while watching Pikachu do a kawaii little dance for you!
- The cafe has an extensive menu with a whole lot of super cute dishes to choose from.
- From time to time there are limited-edition Pokemon items that change depending on the season
CONS
- Though it isn’t as hard as the Chiikawa Cafe, getting a table at the Pokemon Cafe can be tricky with people booking the place instantly when the website reservations come up.
- The price point is a little bit steep at the Pokemon Cafe. Meals tend to go for more than 200 yen or $12.
PRO TIP
- If you’re having a hard time getting a reservation at the Pokemon Cafe, you can find people online who’ll sell their reservations to you. They can sell the bookings at a pretty hefty price though, so we suggest that you try to get a reservation yourself first! Buying reservations from other people should be the last option.
Kirby Cafe
Kawaii Cafe Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖
Reservation Difficulty: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🤍
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Price Range: JPY 748～JPY 3,278 / $5 - $21
Location: Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi, 1-1-2 Oshiage, Tokyo.
Located in Tokyo Solomachi, the home of Japan’s famous Tokyo Skytree, the Kirby Cafe is one of the top permanent character cafes to visit! Like the Pokemon Cafe, this super cute character cafe has an amazing atmosphere with stunning decorations.
The cafe revolves entirely around Kirby, the loveable defender of Dreamland! Knowing how the videogame star loves sucking in food, the dishes at the cafe are all made to be cute, creative, and downright delicious. Like Kirby you could just suck everything into your mouth with one single breath.
PROS
- The cafe has a relaxed, kawaii atmosphere.
- The entire place is super duper cute with giant plushies, interactive decors for photo ops, big Kirby statues, and kawaii accents like Kirby picture frames.
- Since the cafe is located in the Skytree area of Tokyo, it’s super accessible to everyone
- The Kirby Cafe is also known to change its theme depending on the season so you’re always in for a kawaii surprise!
- The menu at the cafe is super cute and creative with interactive treats like Dr. Kirby’s Secret Research Kit
- Everything is served using special Kirby cutlery with Kirby-shaped plates, mugs, spoons, and forks
CONS
- Like the Pokemon Cafe Like the Pokemon Cafe, reserving a spot in the Kirby Cafe Tokyo can take a lot of work. You have to go online a month in advance on the 10th and be ready to reserve your spot.
- The cafe has a few strange little rules. You can modify items in the menu like requesting pizza without cheese but you’re not allowed to post pictures of them on social media.
- Some items are limited to one order per table like the Henkai! Car-Filled Cake.
PRO TIP
- You can actually buy the cutlery at the gift shop in the cafe! Some of the standout Kirby merchandise are the Cottage Cheese dish which looks like an actual slice of cheese, the Suction Salad bowl which looks just like Kirby getting ready to suck in tons of food, and the Car-Filled plate which looks like Kirby transformed into a car.
Pompompurin Cafe
Kawaii Cafe Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖
Reservation Difficulty: 🖤🤍🤍🤍🤍
Opening Hours: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Price Range: JPY 770～JPY 3,400 / $5 - $22
Location: 1-7-1 Jingumae 3F Cute Cube Harajuku, Shibuya, Japan
We’re finally at the number one character cafe in all of Japan, and it’s tantatadan, the Pompompurin Cafe. Pompompurin is one of the most popular puppies from Sanrio next to Cinnamoroll, and he has hands-down the cutest permanent cafe in all of Japan. According to Sanrio, Pompompurin designed the cafe himself so that his friends could enjoy spending time with him!
Located in Cute Cube Harakuju in Takeshita-dori in Tokyo, the Pompompurin Cafe is decked with major cuteness not just inside but outside as well. The cafe is super accessible, there are a lot of delicious items on the menu, and making reservations is easy-peasy! It’s definitely the top character cafe to go to in Japan!
PROS
- Since it’s located in Harajuku, the Pompompurin Cafe is super accessible
- The entire space is super duper cute with giant statues of Pompompurin and his friends, 3D Pompompurin decors, Pompompurin butthole chairs, and even cute Pompompurin lamps
- The cafe has nearly a hundred Pompompurin plushies to play with!
- The atmosphere in the cafe is top-tier with the staff dressed in Pompompurin-style outfits
- Everyone in the cafe is super relaxed and friendly
- The cafe plays Pompompurin music to add to the kawaii ambiance of the place!
- There’s a lot of delicious options to choose from in the cafe menu
- Everything in the menu is super cute and delicious! It’s like having at a 5-star kawaii cafe dining experience.
- There’s really no need to make a reservation at the Pompompurin Cafe! If you really do need to make one in advance, it’s super easy to do.
- You can find exlcusive Pompompurin merch at the cafe!
CONS
- We might be nitpicking here, but the cafe doesn’t really have any pudding in its menu except for the tiny little pudding decor sitting on the donuts! Pudding is Pompompurin’s favorite food in the whole world. It seems like a big mistake not to have pudding in the menu at the Pompompurin cafe!
Alright, there you have it! Those are the top 5 best character cafes in all of Japan. We started off with the Chiikawa Cafe and its funny manga panels and then ended with the Pompompurin Cafe in Harajuku with its perfect ambiance, decor, and menu. Though each cafe has its pros and cons, they're all worth visiting as a fan of all things kawaii!
Did you enjoy cafe-hopping with us today? Which cafe would you like to visit the most? Is it the Pokemon cafe with its dancing Pikachu? Or maybe it's the Cinnamoroll Cafe in Osaka with its three floors of cafe cuteness? Don't be shy and chat with us in the comment section below.