Japan’s Kawaii capital, Tokyo has many cute and kitsch Kawaii things to do, from cosplay cafes and Manga malls, to Tokyo Character Street and Doraemon Future Department Store.
A kingdom of Kawaii, Tokyo has nice neighbourhoods that are famous for their Kawaii shops such as Takeshita Street, Akihabara, Shinjuku and Harajuku.
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From Kawaii street karting dressed as your favourite cartoon character to gachapons and Studio Ghibli stores, it is easy to embrace geek chic and your inner ‘otaku’ in Tokyo. Kawaii is cool!
Featuring fun foods to the best Kawaii Tokyo shopping malls, here is ultimate guide to to Tokyo Kawaii things to do in 2024 with photos.
Love cute and ‘kawaii’ stores in Japan?
Check out our shopping guides!
• Tokyo Character Street stores
• Studio Ghibli stores
• Don Quijote stores
• Doraemon Future Department store
• B-Side Label stores
• Mandarake stores
• Best Gachapon Capsule toys
• Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo
Plus our guide to the best kawaii things to do in Tokyo >
What is Kawaii in Japan?
Kawaii in Japanese (かわいい) means ‘cute’, pretty and lovely’ and is an overarching term used to describe Japan’s pop-culture, cosplay and overall cuteness.
It said the direct translation of Kawaii in Japanese means ‘acceptable for love’ and it is now used worldwide as a shorthand for Japan’s cuteness overload.
There are also lots of subcultures like ‘kimo kawaii’ (weirdly cute) and ‘ero kawaii’ (naughty cute).
You might like – Our top Tokyo immersive experiences and events >
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1. Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory – Tokyo’s Totoro Cream Puffs
Heard about the official Studio Ghibli bakery in Tokyo? Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory in Shimokitazawa is a must visit for any true My Neighbour Totoro fan, chock full of cute choux pastries and super cool cookies all themed like Totoro.
This totally unique Tokyo cafe is allowed to produce Totoro themed cream puffs and Cat Bus shaped cookies as it was founded in 2007 by the sister in law of Studio Ghibli’s visionary founder, Hayao Miyazaki. It can get very busy though so be prepared to queue or go early.
Prices are reasonable given this is such a unique treat – Shirohige’s Cream Puff’s start from 600 Yen (around £3 / $3.80 USD) in 2024 for the standard custard cream puff or chocolate cream puff. Seasonal / special flavors all cost 640 Yen.
Check out our guide to visiting Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory here >
Japan checklist
We love using booking.com and agoda.com for researching and booking all our hotels, and Hostelworld for booking hostels.
For booking tours, transfers and SIM cards we recommend Get Your Guide, Viator or Klook.
2. Akihabara
Akihabara (also known as ‘Electric Town’ or ‘Akiba) is one of Tokyo’s top Kawaii neighborhoods to explore by day or night.
From the highest concentration of maid cafes to manga game stores, Akihabara is the ultimate place to get your geek on. The Akihabara anime scene is epic and it is a 24/7 district (not to mention the spiritual home of AKB48 J-pop idols).
Tokyo’s Electric Town is certainly a sight to behold, full of bright lights and late nights. Check out our ultimate guide to Tokyo’s coolest neighbourhood, Akihabara Electric Town >
You might like these Tokyo neighbourhood guides:
Akihabara
Asakusa
Ginza
Harajuku
Ikebukuro
Nakano
Odaiba
Ryogoku
Shibuya
Shimokitazawa
Shinjuku
Also check out our
Where to stay in Tokyo guide
3. Takeshita street
Takeshita time! Hararjuku’s most famous shopping street, Tokyo’s Takeshita Street (Takeshita-dori) is full of ‘character’ – literally, there are dozens of kawaii shops, cosplay clothing stores plus animal cafes aplenty.
Popular with Tokyo’s trendy teens and cool kids (plus tourists), Takeshita Street gets crazy busy at the weekends, but it is such a perfect place to shop ‘til you drop, indulge in retail therapy, or just eat yourself silly (be sure to arrive on an empty stomach).
Tokyo’s super subculture shopping district, Takeshita Street has gachapons galore, dozens of dog cafes (and an otter cafe!) plus plenty of Puri-kura photo booth machines.
Here is our ultimate guide to Tokyo’s Takeshita Street in Harajuku, Japan >
Try this – Half-day Kawaii Tour in Harajuku >
4. Tokyo Character Street
Tokyo Character Street (AKA First Avenue) at Tokyo Station is a colorful, cartoon world packed full of anime stores and awesome animated characters.
Otaku heaven and a cute Kawaii thing to do in Tokyo, Character Street (“東京キャラクターストリート”) is located in the First Avenue section of Tokyo Station. All the most joyful Japanese animated characters are here from Studio Ghibli to Sumikko Gurashi.
Featuring the finest First Avenue Tokyo toy shops like Tomica to Snoopy Town, TV character stores like NHK to TV Asahi, here is our ultimate guide to visiting Tokyo Character Street at Tokyo Station >
Check out these Kawaii tours on GetYourGuide >
5. Akihabara maid cafes in Tokyo
Maid in Japan! Ask anyone about what first comes to mind when mentioning Akihabara and it is likely they’ll say maid cafes.
At the time of writing (summer 2024), there are at least a dozen maid cafes in Akihabara and most of them have huge banners and billboards (professional, not home-maid…sorry not sorry) on the sides of tall buildings looking down over the streets.
Each maid cafe / cosplay cafe is different (most don’t allow photographs inside) and popular Akihabara maid cafes include HoneyHoney Akihabara, Maid Made and Cure Maid Cafe. The most popular maid cafe chain in Akihabara (and in Japan generally) is Maid-Dreamin.
Expect to pay higher than normal prices for the food and drink inside maid cafes plus some wonderfully wacky service.
Have you heard about Tokyo’s Butler Cafes? We’ll be finishing off this Kawaii Tokyo things to do list with the Swallowtail Butler Cafe.
You might like this Akihabara, Anime, Manga, Games and Maid Cafe tour or a Maid Cafe tour with a former Maid Cafe Manager.
6. Head Out to Harajuku
Harajuku is Tokyo’s hip shopping neighbourhood, home to many Kawaii malls (like Harajuku Kiddyland and Harajuku Alta – more on these later) plus cool as a ‘Cat Street’ and Takeshita Street.
Chock full of cute kawaii stores, thrift shops and assorted animal cafes, Harajuku is also a great place to arrive hungry. Colourful cotton candy, choice crepes and cheap traditional eateries are all part of the mix.
It also has many animal cafes, plus fashion stores selling Jirai Kei and gyaru fashions.
You might like our Harajuku neighbourhood guide >
Try this – Harajuku kawaii fashion & pop-culture tour >
7. B-Side Label
B-Side Label is a Japanese sticker and stationery company with nationwide stores, selling sublime high quality stickers with thousands of different designs (they in fact have over 5,000 different stickers to choose from).
B-Side Label has shops in various Tokyo neighborhoods like Shimokitazawa and Harajuku.
Working with established and up and coming Japanese designers and artists, the B-Side Label range is huge. They license hugely popular anime and comic characters like Pokémon or One Piece.
Staff will give you a little basket to shop with (which soon fills up) and there are numerous B-Side Labels stores all over Tokyo and Japan.
From merchandise to locations, here is our ultimate guide to B-Side Label Japan with photos >
Try this – Tokyo Mario Style Go Kart tour with Klook or Viator
8. Mega Pokémon Center Ikebukuro
Nintend-oh! Mega Pokémon Center Ikebukuro is one of Japan’s biggest Pokémon stores but there are several Pokémon Centers dotted across Tokyo – because you’ve gotta catch ‘em all!
The Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo is packed full of all your favorite Pokémon characters including exclusive Pokémon Japan merchandise, trading card games, Pokémon Go Lab and even a Pikachu Sweets Cafe – talk about Pika Mix!
From all the cute merchandise to the awesome Pokémon arcade machines, here is our ultimate guide to visiting the Pokémon Center Mega Ikebukuro with more photos >
Try this – Kawaii food tour of Harajuku Tokyo >
9. Village Vanguard Tokyo
We first discovered the cool Kawaii vibes of Village Vanguard in Tokyo’s hipster Shimokitazawa neighborhood – a kind of a cross between Mandarake meets Don Quijote.
A vast shop selling everything from cutesy character merchandise through to the most random of stationery, Village Vanguard Shimokitazawa really is a cavern of collectibles and cool stuff.
From Funko Pop to Mofusand, Hangyodon to Ultraman, Village Vanguard has got you covered.They even have gachapon machines galore outside.
At the time of writing, there are 15 Village Vanguard Japan stores in Tokyo and many more across the country.
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Saizeriya >
10. Puri-kura a plenty – Japanese photo booths
Looking to take a cute Kawaii selfie or pop into a Japanese photo booth? There are plenty of ‘puri-kara’ photo booth stores in Harajuku especially along Takeshita Street.
Purikura Noa is one of the most popular Puri-kara / photo booth stalls here.
You can choose character backgrounds or cosplay outfits, plus there are even make-up stations and tables full of props and plushies – so get snap happy!
You might like – Our guide to the Ninja Sake Bar in Asakusa >
11. Sanrio Gift Gate
You may well have already seen Asakusa’s famous Sanrio Gift Gate shop already as there are so many TikTok and Instagram videos about it – it is easy to spot as there is a huge Hello Kitty welcoming you outside.
With several floors of Sanrio souvenirs, here you’ll find all your favourite cute and Kawaii characters from Kuromi to Keroppi, Pompompurin to Pocaccho. It is also one of the best places in Tokyo for Gudetama gifts – eggs-cellent stuff!
Other Sanrio store branches are located in Shibuya, Ginza and Shinjuku.
12. Doraemon Future Department Store / Doraemon Time Square
The ultimate destination for Doraemon devotees, the Doraemon Future Department Store in Odaiba’s Divercity Tokyo Plaza is one of the cutest kawaii stores you’ll ever visit.
It is the very first official Doraemon shop in the world and is one of Odaiba’s most popular shops. It is also one of our top Tokyo Kawaii things to do!
A Doraemon department store packed with thousands of Doraemon gifts from Dorami drapes to Nobi Nobita notepads, be sure to bring a big bag to take home all these dreamy Doraemon delights (or just buy a Doraemon bag whilst you are there!)
Other facilities at the Doraemon Future Department Store include gift engraving, plus the interactive Secret Gadget Lab which has four different games (one of which is free – the Dorayaki throwing game looked the most fun!)
Be sure to also check out the Doraemon Time Square clock outside the DiverCity mall which plays the Doraemon theme tune every hour from 10am to 11pm.
Read more in our guide to the Doraemon Future Department Store >
13. Harajuku Alta Mall
Harajuku’s best kawaii shopping mall has to be Alta Harajuku, which has several floors of stores, kiosks and the occasional pop-up cafe.
This is Kawaii central where you can marvel at all your Manga favorites or choose cute as cartoon character merchandise. Check out their Pop Mart Robo Shop vending machine as well.
The great thing about Alta Harajuku is that it always has new pop-ups or stock every time you visit so you never know what to expect. There is no better Alta-ternative!
Harajuku Alta is open from 10.30am to 8pm daily.
You might like – Plan My Japan’s guide to going to a Tokyo baseball game and how to buy tickets >
14. Mandarake Second Hand Stores
Mandarake stores in Japan are otaku heaven – from second hand games to retro Kawaii toys and trading cards, Mandarake is one of Japan’s most famous used goods shops.
You can literally buy everything here, Mandarake has you covered for all kinds of cute and kitsch kawaii.
Mandarake is one of the biggest second-hand retailers in Japan with six Mandarake shops in Tokyo.
Each one is very different, like Ikebukuro Mandarake is dedicated to female manga magazines and ‘Doujinshi’ self printed comics and titles, whilst the Nakano branch has a dedicated cosplay floor.
Mandarake Complex Akihabara is one of the biggest Mandarakes in Japan with 8 floors of fun.
You’ll find anime toys and cosplay on level 2, vintage on floor 3, male and female doujinshi across levels 4 and 5, plus collectible toys on the top floor.
Read our guide to Mandarake stores in Japan or Super Potato retro gaming stores in Japan.
15. Donguri Republic
Donguri Republic is Japan’s official Studio Ghibli store chain, comprising around 40 stores plus mountains of Princess Mononoke merchandise, shedloads of Spirited Away souvenirs and tonnes of Totoro gifts.
There is something to suit all tastes and budgets from glorious Studio Ghibli gachapon to huge plushies. Some stores even have huge recreations of the My Neighbour Totoro bus stop and cat bus which you can pose with.
The larger Donguri Republic stores (where they have a bigger selection of Ghibli gifts and character scenes) are referred to as Acorn Republic stores, including the Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi store.
There are five permanent Donguri Republic Tokyo stores as of May 2024 including:
- One at the base of Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi
- Donguri Republic (Ghibli Store) DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in Odaiba
- Donguri Kyowakoku (Ghibli Store) in Tokyo Ikebukuro
- Donguri Republic Tokyo Station Character Street
- Ghibli Acorn Republic LaLaport Tachikawa Tachihi
From plushies to photos, locations to original characters, here is our ultimate guide to visiting Japan’s Donguri Republic Studio Ghibli stores >
18. Grab some gachapons at the world’s largest gashapon store
Ikebukuro in Tokyo is home to Japan’s largest gachapon store! Gashapon Department Main Store is an official Bandai Namco store and has between 3,000 and 4,000 gashapon capsule toy machines at any one time (although some are repeats).
Gachapons are toy capsule vending machines, serving up everything from cute characters like Studio Ghibli or Doraemon through to more anime based fare like DragonBall or Slam Dunk.
One of the best Kawaii Tokyo things to do, you’ll find also find cute and kitsch gashapons like weird utensils, small flashing signs, and even miniature restaurant motifs like small Kura Sushi or minute Mister Donuts.
Most of the Gashapon Department Main Store toy capsules cost between 300 to 400 yen a time (as of summer 2024)
Akihabara Gachapon Hall / Kaikan is an alternative giant gachapon store in Tokyo east. Be sure to bring lots of 100 Yen coins. Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan is a short, easy walk from the Akihabara Station Electric Town exit.
Finally, two of the biggest gachapon stores along Takeshita Street are Capsule Lab and C-pla Harajuku Takeshita Street Capsule Toy Shop. There is also a huge floor of gachapon machines inside Alta Harajuku mall.
You might like our guide to the coolest gachapon capsule toys to buy >
19. PEANUTS Cafe SUNNY SIDE kitchen Harajuku
Peanuts fans, rejoice! There is a super Snoopy themed cafe in Harajuku, 20 seconds walk away from Takeshita street.
At PEANUTS Cafe SUNNY SIDE kitchen, you can buy themed food and drink (the 3D latte art is ace) plus there is loads of Snoopy merch (alas it doesn’t cost ‘peanuts’ to buy).
You might like – Plan My Japan’s guide to the Dragon Quest themed Lawson convenience store >
20. Daiba Itchome Shotengai
One of the cutest and best things to do in Odaiba, take a step back in time and walk along the retro Daiba Itchome Shotengai street in the Decks Tokyo Beach shopping centre.
A treasure trove of classic arcades, vintage shops selling stickers and 1960’s style, this a recreation of an old Japanese style street whereby you can buy old school sweets, traditional threads and nice nostalgic novelty items including old movie merchandise.
We played some of the retro arcade games at Daiba yuugijou games center which had lots of classic consoles plus loads of vintage props like Godzilla toys.
From caricatures to old trading cards, Daiba Itchome Shotengai is a one stop shop for sublime souvenirs or just to have some old fashioned fun.
Try this – Shibuya and Harajuku: hidden gems & highlights private tour >
21. Kiddyland Harajuku
A top Tokyo toy shop and Kawaii, Harajuku Kiddyland has four floors of fun and is a carnival of cute kawaii goods and comic book characters like Doraemon, Studio Ghibli and Sanrio.
With a dedicated Snoopy Town in the basement and fourth floor Hello Kitty shop and Rilakkuma, this toy shop really is a ‘Marvel’ (plus LEGO, Tomica and more).
Try this – Top 10 shopping tours in Tokyo with Viator >
22. Tokyo Kawaii gifts at Mega Don Quijote Shibuya
Don Quijote Japan discount department stores are home to thousands of items generally at low prices, from Hello Kitty to Japanese Kit Kats (plus more interesting ‘adult sections’ selling TENGA).
The best Kawaii Don Quijote store in Tokyo has to Mega Don Quijote Shibuya – it has eight floors of purchasing pleasure plus you can even try the legendary 10 Yen cheese pancake!
Head to floor 7 of Shibuya Mega Don Quijote for one of Tokyo’s largest character selections (including Kirby and Hello Kitty) plus travel goods.
Don Quijote Akihabara is also one of the best Don Quijotes in Tokyo and is open 24 hours a day, so it is somewhere to shop day and night in Akihabara.
You might like – Plan My Japan’s guide to Don Quijote stores or Japan’s only Don Quijote ferris wheel.
23. Kawaii Go-Karting in Tokyo’s street
You’ve played the video games but now you can actually whizz through the streets of Tokyo on go-karts dressed as gaming characters (but not officially as Mario, Luigi or Princess Daisy as Nintendo’s lawyers have put paid to that).
Tour Tokyo’s highlights and street landmarks in an iconic and immersive way dressed as comic characters and awesome anime favourites, seeing sights like the Skytree, Asakusa and Akihabara.
Tokyo street go-karting prices vary depending on the experience but most Tokyo go-kart experiences cost between 15,000 Yen to 20,000 Yen per person as of summer 2024.
Please note an international drivers license is required to go street karting in Tokyo.
Book your official Street Go-Kart in Shibuya with Viator or the Shibuya Crossing, Harajuku, Tokyo Tower Go Kart Tour with GetYourGuide.
24. Ghibli clock / Ni-Tele Really Big Clock
A little bit of steampunk and Studio Ghibli in Ginza, make sure to make ‘time’ to see this colossal and cool clock!
Created by Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki and built by Kunio Shachimaru, the Ghibli clock (AKA Ni-Tele Really Big Clock) has to be seen to be believed and is located at the Shiodome Media Tower.
Recently named as one of Tokyo’s best public art sculptures, the Ghibli clock and surrounding artwork is around 18 metres long and twelve meters high and comes to life several times a day in a three minute show that runs like ‘clockwork’ (sorry not sorry).
Said to be inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle, the clock springs into life four times a day on weekdays at noon, 3pm, 6pm and 8pm, and 10am on weekends.
Unlike say the Ghibli Museum, the Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki clock is also free to visit. Read more in our guide to the Ghibli clock >
Check out our guide to the best Studio Ghibli things to do in Tokyo >
25. AKB48 Theater live music venue
‘Give Me Five’! One of J-Pop’s most iconic girl groups (with a mainly male fan-base), AKB48 is named after the Akihabara area and regularly perform in the AKB48 Theater, which is (weirdly) above the Don Quijote Akihabara store.
Formed in 2005, the AKB48 girl group has had many different members over the years (and various versions including trainees) and is one of the biggest selling Japanese female acts of all time.
The AKB48 Theater in Akihabara is a way to see the girl group (or a version of it) up close (and well attended by sweaty men with glow sticks).
Such is the AKB48 phenomen, they even have international AKB48 theatres and groups overseas in countries such as Taiwan and China.
AKB48 Theater tickets are not easy to come by – the theatre only has a capacity of 250 people (so you can get up close) and AKB48 tickets are usually allocated by lottery. You can increase your chances of getting AKB48 tickets by becoming a paying member of their fan-club.
You might like – Our guide to Tokyo’s top sumo wrestling experiences >
26. ANAKUMA CAFE AKA Bear Paw Cafe
If you are on social media, you’ll have likely seen videos about the viral Harajuku hole and hand-in the wall cafe.
Harajuku’s ANAKUMA CAFE is famous for its mysterious bear paw that serves you drinks from its bear cave.
Place your order on a tablet and a few minutes later, a bear paw pops through the hole in the wall to hand you your drink – be sure to order the special bear bottle.
The ultimate Kawaii coffee, ANAKUMA CAFE is a short walk from Takeshita Street and hard to miss as it has a bright green interior (plus there is a frigging great bear inside!)
Get your ANAKUMA CAFE coupons (drinks, food sets, etc.) in Tokyo here >
27. Kotobukiya Akihabara toy store
Tokyo’s flagship Kotobukiya toy shop, Akihabara’s branch abounds with anime awesomeness, magnificent manga merchandise, geek gifts and gachapon galore (try saying that after a few craft beers).
There are three floors of fun and this is often one of the busiest shops in the Akihabara area, no matter what time of day.
The first and second floor has figures and models from the likes of Studio Ghibli or Dragon Quest whilst the top floor is more about VTuber merchandise plus anime collectibles.
Try this – Akihabara: anime & gaming adventure tour with GetYourGuide >
28. Pompompurin Cafe
Pop along to Pompompurin Cafe for cute cartoon capers and Kawaii style meals, located in Cute Cube Harajuku – if you don’t go with your travel partner, you’ll likely be in the ‘dog house’ for days.
One of the cutest Kawaii Harajuku hang-outs, this is the original Pompompurin Cafe in Tokyo, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024 (although less than one ‘dog year’ if you think about it).
Enter the cafe through a huge Pompompurin door, and choose from lots of cute dishes like dreamy souffle omurice, Pompompurin shaped donuts (beat that, Mister Donut) or a full blown Pompompurin afternoon tea – the hamburger set is also served with dog shaped rice.
If you are too full to finish, be sure to ask for a ‘doggy-bag’ afterwards (sorry not sorry).
You might like – Our guide to the 20 best things to buy in Daiso Japan >
29. Akihabara Radio Kaikan mall
Akihabara’s anime array and awesomeness continues at the Akihabara Radio Kaikan Mall, a 10 storey shopping center full of sublime subculture souvenirs and retro gifts.
The whole Radio Kaikan building has dozens of small shops and booths selling everything from character merchandise to cosplay outfits, dolls to gachapon.
In fact, there is so much choice, you’ll be going Radio Ga Ga. Allow a couple of hours to explore the labyrinth of stalls across all 10 levels.
You might like – Tokyo Cat Cafe Mocha guide with photos >
30. Design your own kawaii Tokyo t-shirt / bag at UT Uniqlo
UNIQLO Tokyo Ginza is 12 floors of fashion and also the largest Uniqlo in the world!
There are some incredible Uniqlo Tokyo stores but the Ginza Uniqlo takes it to another level – well, 12 levels actually including a Uniqlo coffee shop, Uniqlo customisable lab (UTme!), UNIQLO Flower stall plus views looking out over Ginza.
On level 5 of Ginza Tokyo, you can find ‘My Uniqlo’ & ‘UT Me’, where you can create your own UNIQLO customisable T-shirts and bags. Designed on tablets, there are lots of Kawaii characters you can include on your designs like Doraemon, Dragon Ball and more.
If you can’t make it to the flagship Uniqlo store in Ginza, try Uniqlo Tokyo Asakusa for quicker customisable times and shorter queues.
Check out our guide to all 12 storeys of Tokyo Uniqlo Ginza here >
31. Akiba Cultures Zone shop
Yet more anime action in Akihabara, Akiba Cultures Zone shop has five floors of new and used figures, models and all manner of Manga merchandise including DVDs, CDs and posters.
A warren of wonderful finds, make sure you keep back some room in your backpack or suitcase for all your purchases (you’re welcome).
You’ll also find a maid cafe on the top floor for more cosplay cuteness and overpriced food fare.
32. Taiko no Tatsujin drumming arcade game
If you are heading to Tokyo’s gaming arcades, perhaps the most Kawaii video game has to be the Japanese drumming machines.
‘Drum and Fun’ all day long, ‘Taiko no Tatsujin – The Drum Master’ is a joyous Japanese drumming game and arcade activity developed by Bandai Namco that is popular in Tokyo’s gaming arcades (along with claw / UFO machines and Puri-kura photo booths).
A Japanese video game with real rhythm and cute Kawaii drum characters (with names and their own anime series and gachapon range), no trip to a Tokyo video game arcade is complete with picking up the bashi drumsticks and playing a round of ‘Taiko no Tatsujin’.
Check out our guide to the cult of Taiko no Tatsujin >
33. Ghibli Museum
We at ‘Plan My Japan’ are big Studio Ghibli fans, although we were disappointed with Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse at Ghibli Park in Nagoya (read our review here).
So if you are a Studio Ghibli fan, be sure to immerse yourself and be ‘Spirited Away’ at Tokyo’s Ghibli Museum.
It allows guests from around the world to get up close to the magical world of Ghibli through interactive exhibits, behind the scenes displays and animation plus gorgeous gardens and themed rooms.
Whilst on the lower end of what we’d class a truly immersive experience, this is great for any die-hard Ghibli fans. Please note no photos are allowed inside the exhibition spaces.
Tickets to the Ghibli Museum in 2024 cost 1,000 Yen per adult and must be booked in advance (they often sell out in minutes).
Online sales for Ghibli Museum are through LAWSON TICKET and go on sale at 10am (JST) on the 10th of each month for the following month.
You might like – Cute character Tokyo bento box experience >
Kawaii Tokyo – our final thing to do
34. Swallowtail Butler Cafe
You’ve heard of maid cafes, so why not try a Tokyo butler cafe in Ikebukuro?
Swallowtail is a Butler cafe staffed by men in traditional black and white waiting outfits, whose main training is to watch ‘Downton Abbey’ on repeat (probably).
Once sat in the Swallowtail lounge, choose from an extensive afternoon tea menu or pamper yourself with some prosecco or champagne – cheers!
Each table has a traditional bell you can ring, beckoning your butler to bring you more – alas photos are not allowed inside so make sure you take ‘mental pictures’.
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