Just when you thought Tokyo couldn’t top the #WTF quotient at its renowned Robot Restaurant, Harajuku trendsetter Sebastian Masuda goes and opens Kawaii Monster Cafe, right in the neon-streaked heart of Harajuku. Much like his influential clothing shop 6% Doki Doki, the place looks like a cranked-up, cracked-out Japanese cartoon—suuuuuuper cute!
There are four themed rooms to choose from, but the Mushroom Disco and the Milk Stand are the wackiest with their Alice in Wonderland-on-acid rabbits, giant unicorns, upside-down baby bottles, and trippy, slow-mo, cake-shaped merry-go-round. Dolled-up hosts, a.k.a. “monster girls,” are happy to pose for photos. And you’ll be pleased to know that the menu’s rainbow-colored pastas and mile-high “poison parfaits” aren’t quite as vile as they sound—which is more than we can say about the frightful bento boxes at Robot Restaurant.
Note: By day, the cafe is totally G-rated, packed with teen girls and the love-stricken boyfriends who indulge them. On certain nights, however, the space turns decidedly adult with sexy cabaret performances featuring rubber S&M costumes. It’s an abrupt change in atmosphere, but hey—this is Tokyo. If it’s not weird, what’s the point?
Tokyo YM Square Building, 4-31-10 Jingumae, 4F, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan; +81-3-5413-6142.

Additional photos by Cartogramme