Pop-up Theme Cafes in Japan, 2024
Here’s a list of temporary, pop-up theme cafes in Tokyo and around Japan in 2024. As well as permanent themed restaurants, there are lots of limited time, collaboration cafes with popular characters, movies and games. They’re usually announced near the time of opening, so check back to see what’s new.
Making a reservation is highly recommended, because they’re very popular!
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Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary Cafe
Tokyo: Box Cafe & Space, Shibuya 109
13th September – 27th October 2024
Osaka: Box Cafe & Space, Kitte Osaka 2nd store
13th September – 27th October 2024
Nagoya: Box Cafe & Space, Lachic 1st store
20th September – 27th October 2024
This year it’s Hello Kitty’s 50 anniversary! To celebrate, there’s an adorable pop-up theme cafe in 3 cities in Japan. The menu’s really cute, with Hello Kitty afternoon tea, a kitty-shaped sandwich, apple-shaped savoury cream rice, red pasta shaped like Hello Kitty’s bow (genius idea!) and cute desserts including birthday cake. There’s even a strawberry milk drink, commemorating how the very first Hello Kitty design featured a bottle of milk, and strawberries have always been linked with Sanrio.
Haikyu!! The Movie x Tower Records Cafe
Tower Records Cafe in Tokyo (Shibuya), Osaka (Umeda Nu Chayamachi), Nagoya (Sakae) and Fukuoka
24th October – 24th November 2024
A pop-up theme cafe celebrating the release of the movie: “Haikyu!! The Movie: Battle at the Dump”, at cafes in Tower Records stores.
Halloween Afternoon Tea: Lost in the Witch’s Forest
Tokyo: Prince Hotel, Shinjuku
Until 31st October 2024
A mysterious afternoon tea for Halloween, with the theme of a witch’s forest. This fun afternoon tea includes dishes such as an Alluring Poison Apple, Secret Rose Tart, Mushroom Gratin Monster and Cursed Forest Quiche. It’s served at the hotel’s top floor restaurant, which has fantastic views of Tokyo – a real treat!
Sumikko Gurashi Cafe
Tokyo: Box Cafe & Space, Solamachi (the mall at the SkyTree)
20th September – 4th November 2024
Sumikko Gurashi are the cutest! This pop-up cafe’s themed around Ebiten, a new character who was introduced this summer. They’re a shrimp tempura who dreams of becoming an idol. The title of the cafe is “Angelic Ebiten Idol”, but it features all the characters, with adorably themed dishes and special merch.
Haikyu!! × Sweets Paradise
Tokyo: Sweets Paradise, Ikebukuro
27th August – 30th September 2024
Nagoya: Sweets Paradise, Spiral Towers
27th August – 30th September 2024
Osaka: Sweets Paradise, Umeda
27th August – 30th September 2024
Tokyo: Sweets Paradise, Machida Modi
2nd – 30th September 2024
Yokohama: Sweets Paradise, Yokohama Vivre
2nd – 30th September 2024
Saitama: Sweets Paradise, Marui Omiya
2nd – 30th September 2024
Chiba: Sweets Paradise, LaLaport TOKTO-BAY *Closed on Thursday, September 5th
2nd – 30th September 2024
Kyoto: Sweets Paradise, Shijo Kawaramachi
2nd – 30th September 2024
Hiroshima: Sweets Paradise, Parco
2nd – 30th September 2024
Sendai: Sweets Paradise, Parco
17th – 30th September 2024
Fukuoka: Sweets Paradise, Parco
17th – 30th September 2024
Sweets Paradise is a chain of dessert buffet restaurants around Japan. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the anime Haikyu!!, there’s a special menu at 11 of their restaurants, with the theme of fruit picking.
Sumikko Gurashi Cafe
Tokyo: Magnet by Shibuya 109 7F
30th August – 14th October 2024
Osaka: Community Food Hall, Nihonbashi
30th August – 6th October 2024
Everything from Sumikko Gurashi is so kawaii! This pop-up theme cafe celebrates the newest member of the team: Ebiten’s Tail. It’s called “Angel Ebiten Cafe”.
Attack on Titan Cafe
Tokyo: GiGO Collaboration Cafe
31st August – 27th October 2024
A pop-up theme cafe in Ikebukuro, celebrating the final season of the Attack on Titan anime. There’s special artwork of the characters dresses in Chinese style outfits.
Ghosts Carnival Afternoon Tea
Tokyo: Prince Park Hotel, Lobby Lounge
Until 31st October 2024
A fun afternoon tea for Halloween, with a ghostly carnival theme, featuring spirits and monsters. The tea includes sweet and savoury treats, with unlimited drinks (teas and coffees).
Twisted Wonderland Halloween Cafe
Tokyo: Oh My Cafe
6th September – 4th November 2024
Osaka: Collabo_Index, Shinsaibashi
12th September – 20th October 2024
Nagoya: Kawara Cafe & Kitchen, Parco department store
3rd October – 24th November 2024
Twisted Wonderland is a Japanese RPG mobile game from Disney. Oh My Cafe always hosts Disney theme cafes. This villainous game is perfect for a Halloween cafe. The dishes are pretty detailed, includign a magic 8 ball steamed bun, and there’s lots of special merch.
Autumn Sweets Buffet at Hilton Tokyo
Tokyo: Hilton Hotel Tokyo, Shinjuku
23rd August – 14th November 2024
A decadent dessert buffet for autumn, with the theme: “Marie Antoinette – The Queen’s Masquerade”. It’s served in the marble lounge, a perfect venue for the theme, with chandeliers. It’s a high quality buffet with exquisite desserts and a few savoury dishes including roast beef.
Pokemon x Crafts Exhibition & Cafe
Tokyo: Azabudai Hills Gallery Cafe
1st November 2024 – 2nd February 2025
Alongside the Pokemon x Crafts exhibition at Azabudai Hills Gallery, there’s a special Pokemon-themed menu at the cafe. The exhibition features traditional Japanese crafts with a Pokemon twist, with many beautiful, high quality objects, designs and patterns.
Azabudai Hills is also home to TeamLab Borderless, so why not visit both in the same day?
Black Butler Cafe
Tokyo: and GALLERY Ikebukuro
Osaka: and GALLERY Dotonbori
Nagoya: and GALLERY
Fukuoka: and GALLERY
Sendai: and GALLERY
Until 14th October 2024
A pop-up theme cafe featuring the boarding school arc of the anime Black Butler. There’s also a Black Butler pop-up at Animate Cafe in Tokyo and Osaka.
Peter Rabbit Afternoon Tea
Tokyo: Hotel Intercontinental Tokyo Bay (New York Lounge, 1F)
1st September – 31st October 2024
An afternoon tea with the theme: “Naughty Peter Rabbit’s Halloween Afternoon Tea”. The story goes that Peter Rabbit invites his friends to an afternoon tea party, where they’re transformed into sweet and savoury dishes. At the end, Peter himself is turned into the main dish: a chestnut Mont Blanc dessert with rabbit ears.
Shizuku-chan Cafe
Tokyo: Tree Village
Now finished
Osaka: Tree Village
20th September – 14th October 2024
Fukuoka: Tree Village
20th September – 14th October 2024
A cute theme cafe featuring animation “Pururun! Shizuku-chan”, with a really colourful and cheerful menu!
Dayan the Cat Cafe
Osaka: #702 CAFE&DINER, Namba Parks shopping mall
11th – 27th October 2024
Dayan the Cat is from a Japanese picture book about a cat who travels the world. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, there’s an art exhibition in Osaka, together with a theme cafe.
Hatsune Miku Symphony Cafe
Yokohama: Cafe Fan Base
4th October – 10th November 2024
This theme cafe coincides with “Hatsune Miku Symphony”, a concert where Vocaloid songs are performed by a full orchestra. The cafe features Hatsune Miku, Megurine Luka, Kagamine Rin, Kagamine Luka and friends with a music theme, as an after party for the concert. The dishes are very detailed, and there are colourful drinks for the characters.
Minions Cafe
Tokyo: Tokyo Parade Goods & Cafe, in Parco department store in Shibuya (6F)
Now finished
Osaka: The Guest Cafe & Diner, in Parco department store, Shinsaibashi (6F)
Now finished
Nagoya: The Guest Cafe & Diner, in Parco department store, West Building 8F
22nd August – 30th September 2024
There’s a Minions theme cafe in three cities, to celebrate the release of the new Despicable Me movie in Japan. It’s called “Always Poppin’ Sugar Villains”, and the theme is: Poppy and the Minions’ Great Sweet Adventure.
Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch Cafe
Tokyo: BOX cafe&space, Lumine Est Department store, Shinjuku
Until 4th November 2024
A fun pop-up cafe starring the anime/manga Kirarin☆Revolution, to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The menu’s very kawaii and colourful, especially a banana split featuring cute characters, curry with star-shaped rice, a taiyaki plate and “Kirari’s failed tiramisu”.
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Cafe
Tokyo 1 (venue TBA)
29th August – 27th October 2024
Tokyo 2 (venue TBA)
29th August – 27th October 2024
Osaka (venue TBA)
29th August – 27th October 2024
Nagoya (venue TBA)
29th August – 27th October 2024
A theme cafe for Jujutsu Kaisen 0, the anime’s prequel movie, featuring the characters dressed as cafe staff.
Quintessential Quintuplets Cafe
Tokyo: NATSLIVE Cafe, Omotesando
4th – 20th October 2024
Osaka: NATSLIVE Cafe, Shinsaibashi
4th – 27th October 2024
A Halloween theme cafe with the anime Quintessential Quintuplets, celebrating its 5th anniversary. The menu is spooky-cute, with bats, witch hats and monsters!
Spongebob Squarepants Cafe
Tokyo: Rayard Miyashita Park, Shibuya
13th June- 4th November 2024
Cafe Secret Recipe” is a pop-up theme cafe starring Spongebob Squarepants and their friends, in Shibuya. The theming of the food is excellent, with Spongebob Squarepants sandwiches, shaped taco rice and a fantastic roll cake dessert that looks just like Gary the Snail.
Wonderful PreCure Cafe
Tokyo: Tower Records Cafe
7th September – 1st October 2024
Nagoya: Tower Records Cafe
7th September – 5th October 2024
Osaka: Tower Records Cafe
3rd – 20th October 2024
Fukuoka: Tower Records Cafe
3rd – 12th October 2024
A theme cafe celebrating the release of the latest Pre-Cure movie: “Wonderful PreCure! The Movie! A Thrilling Adventure in the Game World!”. Details are to be released, but at each location, it’s divided into a first and second phase, so the menu or merch available may change over the course of thecafe.
Sanrio Lovers Party at Galaxy Harajuku
Tokyo: Galaxy Store, Harajuku
Until 30th September 2024
Ok, so this isn’t a theme cafe, but I thought you’d like it anyway! At the Galaxy store in Harajuku, there’s a Sanrio Lovers Party, with kawaii photo-spots like a Sanrio themed classroom with colourful lockers.
The Galaxy Store has several floors of completely free experiences, including a TeamLab floor where you can catch virtual sea creatures (using a Galaxy phone of course), and there’s also a One Piece floor at the moment.
No need to book or get tickets; just turn up (tickets are only required for the Sanrio characters meet and greet on 31st August).
PreCure Cafe
Tokyo: Tower Records Cafe, Omotesando
7th September – 1st October 2024
Osaka: Tower Records Cafe, Osaka Station City
7th September – 5th October 2024
Fukuoka: Tower Records Cafe
3rd – 20th October 2024
Nagoya: Tower Records Cafe, Sakae Skyle
3rd – 20th October 2024
A cute and colourful pop-up cafe celebrating the latest PreCure film: Wonderful Precure! The Movie! A Thrilling adventure in the world of games, at four Tower Records cafes around Japan.
Chikawa Ramen Buta
Tokyo: inside Parco department store
23rd August 2024 – 6th May 2025
Nagoya: The Guest Cafe & Diner, inside Parco department store
Until 30th September 2024
Chiikawa is a kawaii character originally from an online manga, now made into an anime. And now they have a ramen restaurant! There are several ramen dishes with cute fish cake decorations, and drinks in themed bottles. Perhaps more excitingly, you can buy the bowls, which have a special Chiikawa design, and other goods including a Chiikawa chef’s apron.
Hatsune Miku x Animate Cafe Traveling Edition at Magical Mirai 2024
Fukuoka: Fukuoka Sunpalace, Fukuoka International Congress Center
Now finished
Tokyo: Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Center
Now finished
Osaka: Intex Osaka
12th – 14th October 2024
At Hatsune Miku’s Magical Mirai concert, there’ll be a pop-up cafe presented by Animate’s mobile take-out cafe. It’s a sweets pattisserie, with cakes and coloured drinks in bags, plus special merchandise.
Black Butler Cafe
Tokyo: Animate Cafe Ikebukuro
Osaka: Animate Cafe, Nihonbashi
3rd October – 4th November 2024
A dark, fantasy theme cafe for the anime Black Butler, focussing on the boarding school arc.
Chiikawa Drink Stand
Kumamoto: inside Sakura Machi shopping mall
20th September – 29th October 2024
A pop-up drinks stand themed around kawaii character Chiikawa. The range of drinks includes cute sea otter coffee, non-alcoholic sangria, jelly drinks and onsen-style yoghurt drinks (pictured below), as well as the characters tucked up in a cosy tortilla roll.
Tokyo Revengers Diner Cafe
Tokyo: Princess Cafe, Ikebukuro
7th September – 3rd October 2024
Osaka: Community Food Hall, Nihonbashi
7th September – 3rd October 2024
Join the characters from the anime Tokyo Revengers for a theme cafe with an american diner theme.
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All images are from the official cafe websites.
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