Famous ‘kawaii’ cafe in Tokyo closes down due to the pandemic

Employees of Kawaii Monster Cafe bowing to guests and patrons on the last day of business, as the shop’s roller shutter slowly goes down.

An iconic cafe and show venue that symbolises Japan’s “kawaii” pop culture, and is beloved by tourists and celebrities, has shut its doors in Tokyo, the capital, after business dried up following the Covid-19 pandemic.

A funky aesthetic of outlandish colours and designs made Kawaii Monster Cafe in the capital’s youth culture hotspot of Harajuku a hit, drawing overseas A-listers, such as American reality TV star Kim Kardashian, British singer Dua Lipa and Jenny of K-pop’s Blackpink.