The encyclopedia · Strategy & Leadership · Strategic decision · 2015–2021
Kawaii Monster Cafe bet on Tokyo's Olympic tourists — then the pandemic closed it
Sebastian Masuda's kawaii café drew 700,000 visitors in five years, then closed January 31, 2021 when the pandemic killed the tourist trade it was built on.
Kawaii Monster Cafe · 2021-01-31
What happened
Kawaii Monster Cafe opened in August 2015 in Harajuku, Tokyo, produced by artist Sebastian Masuda, the 'king of kawaii'. A neon, candy-coloured hall of giant monsters, pastel and kitsch, it became a landmark experience for tourists and tourists' feeds, drawing more than 700,000 visitors over roughly five years.
Its model was inbound tourism. The cafe had hoped to capitalise on strong demand during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but the pandemic pushed the games back and closed Japan's borders. With overseas customers gone and even domestic visitors staying home, the venue cut its hours after a months-long closure in spring 2020.
With travel's future uncertain, the operators decided to let the lease expire and shut the doors. The 'Monster Girls' staff performed their final show on January 31, 2021. The concept was later revived by ASOBISYSTEM and GENDA GiGO as 'KAWAII MONSTER LAND'.
Why it happened
- Single-demand exposure: the venue was engineered for tourists, and when the borders closed it had no local base to fall back on.
- A bet on the Olympics that slid a year: the cafe waited out 2020 for tourist demand that never arrived.
- Fixed costs with no revenue: a themed hall with a large cast cannot shrink to survive a months-long closure.
- The operators chose to let the lease expire rather than fund a loss-making venue indefinitely.
The lesson
A venue built around passport queues is a bet on one variable. If your audience is defined by who can travel, you have no floor when borders close — and a temporary pause becomes permanent.
Aftermath
After closing on January 31, 2021, the concept was revived by ASOBISYSTEM and GENDA GiGO as 'KAWAII MONSTER LAND', reopening in Harajuku. Sebastian Masuda's cafe had been a flagship of the city's kawaii culture and one of the most-photographed venues in Tokyo.
Sources
- Time Out Tokyo, 5 February 2021 — Harajuku's Kawaii Monster Cafe has closed (the kawaii-themed cafe, produced by Sebastian Masuda, closed permanently; a beloved spot for tourists and celebrities; the pandemic and the closed borders ended the inbound trade it relied on)
- ASOBISYSTEM — KAWAII MONSTER CAFE brand page (official producer of the cafe; created by artist Sebastian Masuda; the venue drew 700,000+ visitors over about five years and closed on January 31, 2021)
spotted an error? The club wants to know.
More like this
Oedo Onsen drew a million visitors a year — its lease had an expiry date
Tokyo One Piece Tower gave the Straw Hats a theme park — it lasted five years
Toshimaen ran for 94 years — Seibu closed Tokyo's playground for Harry Potter
Somewhere, someone solved the problem this company failed at. 2nd Opinion →
Comments · 0
Sign in to join the comments.