Remember 2015? Snapchat’s dog filter had us in a chokehold, Harambe was still alive and Harajuku unveiled the fever dream known as Kawaii Monster Cafe. Produced by art director Sebastian Masuda, the neon restaurant became the Instagram background of choice for anyone who wanted to dip their toes in Harajuku pastel maximalism.
Then 2021 hit. The cafe closed, mourned by influencers and tourists alike. But the monster wasn’t dead — just hibernating. Now, in 2025, it’s coming back, somehow bigger and more ominous, in amusement park form, with a shiny new name: Kawaii Monster Land.
Oh God. What Even Is Kawaii Monster Land?
Genda GiGO Entertainment has partnered with Masuda to launch Kawaii Monster Land, a sprawling underground amusement park opening on Harajuku’s iconic Takeshita Street. Set in a vast basement space, the park is built around the whimsical tale that “long ago, a massive amusement park lay hidden beneath Harajuku.” What visitors will experience at Kawaii Monster Land are the “unearthed and recreated” remnants of that fantastical world.
Expect rides shaped like desserts, “Monster Girl” live shows, aggressively photogenic food and more pink than your retinas can process. It’s the same kawaii sensory overload of the OG cafe with just as many photo op spots, now also with monster-themed rides.
Kawaii Monsters: A Recession Indicator?
Back in its heyday, the cafe brought in 150,000 customers annually, and gave Tokyo one of its most surreal cultural exports. It had a massive spinning cake-shaped centerpiece, milk bottle chandeliers, big rabbit-head ornaments hanging from the ceiling, a trippy mushroom forest — need I say more?
The Kawaii Monster Cafe aesthetic was part of a certain micro-era, one that’s been swept away by the sands of time (approximately five years). Like the return of so many mid-2010s phenomena — the return of low-rise jeans, everyone getting really into DJing again, etc. — it feels like a certain recession indicator.
The world is in a state of chaos, and we’re being transported back to 2016. Economists, take note; neon monsters resurrecting from the depths of Harajuku is surely an ominous sign. If you start seeing rainbow churros on your TikTok feed, it’s time to start looking into buying canned goods and gold bars.
Still, unlike many of the things commonly cited in the “recession indicators” meme, Kawaii Monster Land promises to be lots of fun — and let’s be honest, I’ll be one of the first ones lining up. It’ll be painfully photogenic: a technicolor fantasy fever dream perfect for escaping reality.
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AloJapan.com