Kawaii Monster Land invites visitors into a technicolor fantasy where themed sets and theatrical performers create a world that feels both playful and slightly uncanny — a hallmark of Harajuku’s kimo-kawaii (“creepy-cute”) aesthetic. While smaller than I expected and somewhat kids-oriented, it does let you experience something very characteristic of Japanese pop culture.
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What to Expect
The theme park is located in the basement of a building halfway along the bustling Takeshita Street in Harajuku. Entries are timed and visitors are asked to line up along the stairs until their timeslot. (You should arrive 15 mins early).
I hesitate to call it a “theme park” because it is actually just one open-floor plan of zones, and there is not much to do except take photos. After entering the “Magical Spiral Gate” you are greeted by a dimly-lit room of vibrantly coloured sets. In the centre is Choppy’s Mel-Tea Cup Ride, a carousel of teacups that is the symbol of the park.
From the right of the entrance, moving in an anti-clockwise direction, you have:
Kawaii Monster Carnival
A small cluster of mini crane games and carnival style games. Given that Kawaii Monster Land is operated by GENDA GiGO Entertainment, which operates GiGO chain of crane game arcades across Japan, it is not surprising to find claw machines here. The prizes are all novelty goods exclusive to the theme park, or little kids toys.
You can only play using special “KAWAII coins” issued by the venue. You get one coin as part of the novelty showbag that comes with your ticket, but if you want more you can buy them in sets of 10 for 1000 yen. Just ask staff.
We managed to get this cute unicorn ring just using the two coins in our showbags. Tip: use the stop function to grip the prize.
Kawaii DECO House
A section designed to look like a room overflowing with kawaii plushies and outfits.
Bar Pink Mirage
A bar wall lined with real drinks, where you can pose and pretend to be a bartender. It seems unlikely the drinks are actually for order, given it is a kid-friendly attraction.
Colorful Snack Street
Seats arranged in a dressing room style, where you can rest or eat food ordered from the Monster Kitchen behind. The food, which includes sliders and “walking tacos,” and drinks are all colourfully themed.
Harajuku Gift Bazaar
The gift shop area where you can buy souvenirs and other Kawaii Monster Land goods exclusive to the park.
Live Performances
After being given around 20 minutes to freely look around and take photos, visitors are told to gather loosely in front of the teacup carousel. Three Monster Girls run into the room and perform a hyper energetic dance on and around the carousel. The audience is asked to join in the dance at some parts after being taught the moves for a “Happy Lucky Sticky” song.
After the performance, you are given time to freely roam around again, and can even take photos with the Monster Girls and mascot.
Making a booking
Bookings can be made via Asoview or Rakuten, which are the official ticket sellers of Kawaii Monster Land linked from its homepage.
Admission tickets range from 2,800 yen to 3,500 yen for adults, depend on the day of week and season. Children (ages 4-12) are half price, while those under 3 are free. The ticket allows you to stay in the park for 60 minutes, and you also get a mini showbag that includes one KAWAII coin and one random novelty item. I got a unicorn pin badge and was pretty happy with that.
You can alternatively get the KAWAII Experience Package starting from 4,800 yen, which includes admission, two KAWAII coins for the carnival/crane games, one food item, and one random novelty item.
An optional ride on Choppy’s Mel-Tea Cup Ride costs 2,000 yen per cup, which seats up to four people.
Entry is by booking only, but you can also book on the day if there a free slots. A staff hovers around the entrance holding a board indicating the open slots.
Getting to Kawaii Monster Land
Kawaii Monster Land is around a 5-minute walk from JR Harajuku Station, or an 8-minute walk from Meiji-Jingumae Station on the Tokyo Metro Line.
Address: 東京都渋谷区神宮前一丁目16番4号 B1F
B1F 1-16-4 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
It is open from 10am to 9:40pm everyday.
For another fantasy-themed experience, I recommend Tír na nÓg in Ginza. If you’re looking for other interesting theme cafes, particularly in Tokyo, check out the full list of my reviews.