Of all the things we did in Japan by far the hardest to book was the Pokemon Cafe in Tokyo! We had no idea how popular this cafe was when we promised the boys lunch there, and making sure we could book it was a huge source of stress.
Was it worth it? So worth it, mostly for the kids (who are die-hard Pokemon fans), for the themed food, and for the chance to meet Pikachu.
We also loved exploring the Pokemon centre which the cafe is attached to, and there is so much unique merchandise you can’t get anywhere else.
Want to make that elusive booking? Here’s what you need to know:
How To Get That Elusive Booking
– There are 2 Pokemon Cafes in Japan- one in Tokyo and one in Osaka. Someone in front of us in the queue was at the wrong one, so worth being careful when you make your booking!
– You can make your reservation 31 days in advance of your trip. Booking can only be made via the official website. I’ve linked it here.
– Reservations open at 6pm Japanese time which is 9am UK time and they go in seconds, so be ready!
– Have your laptop, phone, and as many other devices as you can open and ready to go. The site is so popular it crashes, often midway through a reservation. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket! Mike and I worked together to get our reservation with 5 different screens on the go.
– If you’re not successful straight away then checking back. People will put a slot in their basket but not complete checkout which means that there may be no reservations left at 9am but a few will be available again at 915.
– Have a couple of dates in mind that you can go in case you aren’t successful first time. We went on our 3rd preferred date after 2 failed booking attempts!
– During your booking it will ask if you want to purchase some souvenirs. These are exclusive and can only be bought at the time of reservation- we didn’t add them as we assumed we could buy them when we got there but we couldn’t. Don’t make that mistake if you want to get as much exclusive merch as possible. Having said that, there was plenty of other things you could order on the day.
– Have the Gengar grape smoothie! I promise you won’t regret it!
Our Pokemon Cafe Experience
Our Pokemon cafe experience was a good one! We were greeted and seated quickly, and each place setting had a cute Pokemon place mat that you could either use or take home.
We ordered via a tablet, and this was available in both English and Japanese which made the ordering experience smooth and easy for us. We all ordered Pokemon plates for our main course: these were beautifully presented themed plates that included a poke-ball shaped pot of macaroni cheese, a burger, a tempura prawn, a little salad, and an omlette shaped like Pickachu’s tail.
For drinks and dessert we all ordered different things ranging from personalised coffees to make your own milkshakes or that delicious glowing Gengar grape smoothie. I ordered a chocolate sundae which was fantastic and Mike ordered strawberry mochi in a poke-ball.
Halfway through our meal Pikachu came out to dance and the children were encouraged to dance, count, and clap with him. This was all presented in simple Japanese but we understood enough to know what was happening and what to do.
The whole experience lasted around 90 minutes in total and we were one of the last tables in our time slot to leave because we were having so much fun and just taking it all in. It was such a great experience which we followed with time to explore the Pokemon centre. Definitely a great experience for Pokemon fans in the city!
Have you been to the Pokemon cafe? How was your experience? Or do you have any questions about our trip? I’d love to hear from you!
That Mum Travel Life 