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- Posted: 08/04/2025
A guide to visiting the Pokemon Cafe in Tokyo 2025
Jenna Carr
The Travel Mum
A guide to visiting the Pokemon Cafe in Tokyo
If you’re a Pokemon fan, you will absolutely love the Pokemon Cafe! This adorable, themed eatery is a dream dining experience for Pokemon fans (but fun even if you’re not!) and provides fun Pokemon-inspired dishes and exclusive merchandise that you won’t find anywhere else.
It’s located in Nihonbashi, inside the Takashimaya Department Store (there’s also one in Osaka which is slightly less busy), and it’s one of the most popular themed cafes in Japan.
Whether you’ve been a fan since the days of Red and Blue or just love Pikachu’s cute face, this cafe is a must-visit when visiting Tokyo. Getting tickets isn’t as easy as we had hoped!
How do you make a Pokemon Cafe reservation?
First things first, you can’t just walk into the Pokemon Cafe. Reservations are mandatory and you’ll need to book in advance as it gets booked up fast! We learnt this the hard way as we really are the least organised travellers. We like to turn up and travel spontaneously, something that isn’t always possible in Japan. If you don’t have a reservation, there is a queue for standby guests, essentially if someone doesn’t show up for their timed visit you are in. But this doesn’t guarantee entry, and is difficult to do when travelling with kids (I mean imagine trying to explain to an excited child that you can’t actually go in…)
How to book:
- Go to the official Pokémon Café website (it’s in Japanese, so use Google Translate)
- Reservations open 30 days in advance and fill up very fast, so set your alarm!
- Choose your date, time, and number of guests, it’s super easy to reserve if you are organised.
Best time to book:
As soon as slots open! If you’re planning a weekend visit, or have a larger group, then be extra quick.
Missed out? Keep checking for cancellations, as spots sometimes open up. Also check on Fiverr – someone on there was able to make us a reservation just a few days before! We paid around £7 per guest, which we didn’t mind to secure our spot as we were a big group of 6 adults and 3 kids. This is the person we used on there.
How to get to the Pokemon Cafe
Finding things in Japan can be a bit tricky, but luckily the Pokemon Cafe in Tokyo is conveniently located inside a major department store in Nihonbashi called ‘Takashimaya Department Store’ (full address: Pokémon Café, Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C., East Building 5F, Tokyo) which is relatively easy to find.
The nearest stations are Nihonbashi Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Tozai Line, Asakusa Line) which are a 3-minute walk and Tokyo Station, a 10-minute walk away. Google Maps works perfectly for finding the cafe, we arrived at Tokyo Station and used google maps to find the cafe from there.
What to expect at the Pokemon Cafe
Everything is run like clockwork here so we’d recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early so you’re not rushing. You’ll need your reservation confirmation to hand for swift entry and you’ll then have 90 minutes to enjoy your meal – this is strictly enforced.
Once we arrived we were led to our seats. We were sat in the ‘Yellow Pikachu area’, which I would say is probably the best place to be sat. I have attached a picture of the different seating areas. The Pikachu area is by the windows, when the big guy himself makes an appearance, you have a great view! The atmosphere is incredible with themed decorations and adorable Pokemon details everywhere.
Pokemon Cafe Menu
One of the best things about this place? The food! Granted, it’s not Michelin star quality, but the dishes are cute and nicely presented. You order your food from an iPad at your table which comes in a variety of different languages.
The Pokemon Cafe menu changes seasonally, but here are some fan favourite dishes:
- Pikachu Curry (£13) – Pikachu-shaped rice dish with a mild Japanese curry. Looks better than it tastes!
- Pokemon Cafe Kids Plate (£8.20) – A pikachu themed burger, a chicken nugget and some pasta. My picky eating 6 year old loved it.
- Snorlax Lunch Plate (£13) – Rice and Chicken with some salad.
- Pikachu Souffle Pancake (£11) – More like a sponge cake than a pancake. Our 6 year old loved it.
- Pokémon Lattes (£5) – choose your favourite Pokémon design as your latte art
- Gengar Smoothie (£5.50) – A weird sherbet tasting drink. This and the apple jelly soda we have pictured on here weren’t great drinks.
Some dishes come with limited-edition Pokemon plates you can take home (for an extra cost of course!).
In terms of prices, you can expect to spend around ¥1,500-2,500 per dish (roughly £7-£13). It’s a bit pricey, but we didn’t expect it to be cheap!
Pokemon Cafe merchandise
Right next to the café is Pokemon Center DX, a heaven for Pokemon lovers. This shop sells exclusive Pokemon Cafe merchandise that you won’t get anywhere else, including special cafe-themed Pokemon plushies as well as Pokemon plates, cups, and keychains.
Visiting with kids – What you need to know..
If you’re travelling with kids, here’s what to expect:
- There’s no age restrictions. All ages are welcome but young kids might need help with larger portions
- The kids plate is perfect for picky eaters, but only available for children aged 12 and below.
- High chairs are available upon request
- There is stroller parking at the entrance
- The bathroom is outside of the cafe, so get everyone to go for a wee before entering
- Allergy information is available – just ask the staff who will be happy to help
- Make sure you hang around for Pikachu to come out, we were ready to leave when he made his appearance!
Is the Pokemon Cafe worth it?
Absolutely! If you’re a Pokemon fan, the Pokemon Cafe in Tokyo is a one of a kind experience that you can only get in Japan. Just remember to book early, arrive on time and combine your visit with the Pokemon Center DX for the full experience!
Want help planning your Japan Travel Itinerary, check out our blog post that covered our route and what we spent!
Written by: Jenna Carr
The Travel Mum
Our little family is passionate about helping you save money. We are real people who understand the need to make your budget go further. With The Travel Mum we have created a vibrant community of over 650k budget savvy travellers who want to travel more while spending less. No problem is too big or small, together we will do everything in our power to make sure you are making the absolute most of your well earned budget!
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