Kawaii Monster Land
Harajuku is a hot spot for trends and youth culture in Tokyo, so it's not surprising that new cutesy cafes pop up every now and then to capture what has become a candy-loving crowd.
But it's a little more rare to find something new that isn't a cafe... or at least, not quite.
On February 13, it was Kawaii Monster Land that opened to take that role, and it's certainly an experience.
What to expect
I booked my ticket online a few days ahead, but it turns out you can get tickets at the door if there's space. I was greeted at the stairs where I was given a small goodie bag because I'd booked the "Kawaii Experience Pack." Then I went down into the cave of kawaii (which means "cute" by the way), where I entered a dark room with a door.
The staff kept us in anticipation for a moment, before finally opening the door onto a room with giant teacups in the middle, crazy colors, and decor that felt like a bag of rainbow candies had exploded and melted in a monster's lair.
This is the time where you can buy food and play games, but only for around 15 minutes. After that, the monster girls come out for their performance. There's a countdown to the performance, too, with a gong that goes off every 5 minutes.
Then, the teacup ride in the center becomes the stage for the monster girls. Each of them are dressed in crazy outfits, with things like cotton candy hair and bright, bubbly outfits. They ramp the energy in the previously quiet room up to 100 as a monstrous voice talks to them and a musical story plays out in Japanese.
At the end, the monster girls come back out for photos and interactions, and then it's time to leave. You have to leave within 60 minutes of entering, or I was told you, too, become a monster, which is not allowed!
Final thoughts and ticket info
Before Kawaii Monster Land, there was a themed cafe called Kawaii Monster Cafe, which I visited as a university student and I enjoyed the novelty. But with Kawaii Monster Land, while there are some aspects which might appeal to adults, including alcoholic options on the menu, I would say this experience is more suited to kids (though very young children would probably find it scary).
Also note that once the monster girls come out, they do interact with the audience quite a bit. So do keep that in mind if you don't like having to participate in singing and dancing.
As for tickets, it costs from 2800 yen for a simple entry pass as outlined on their website. I think that works the best, as you can enter and decide whether you want to buy any food or play the various games. However, there are other ticket options too, like the "Kawaii Experience Pack" from 4800 yen which includes two coins for the game machines, two souvenir items, and a souvenir food item. All tickets have a 60-minute time limit, and none include food or drinks from the main menu, which are sold separately at the venue.
