Exploring Tokyo’s Pokémon Café Experience

Intro

Day 18 of my Round The World Trip 2025-2026 had me exploring Tokyo DisneySea, but now it was time to get back to the hotel and the room they assigned me while I was at the park.

This time I chose to stay at Tokyo Bay Maihama Hotel First Resort, part of the Disney Resort and close to the Bayside Station. I came back, grabbed my key to the room and the suitcase I had left, and went into my room. The next day I would be leaving Tokyo and returning to America, so this was my last night in a foreign country during this trip.

Day 18: Tokyo Bay Maihama Hotel First Resort

It was going to be my last international sleep during the RTW, and being at a Disney resort made it more magical, but as soon as I walked in the room, I was like, what is all of this? lol

It seemed the hotel had a nautical theme, which I had not noticed at all while I walked around the lobby. It was giving Disney Cruise Line, and to be honest, I was not mad. The rooms were a little bit dated, like needing some renovation asap. But the view of the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel was phenomenal.

Day 19: Checking out

It was Day 19 of 21, and now I had all day to explore Tokyo before my flight later tonight. When I came out in the morning, I felt a little bit lost. For a second felt like I was somewhere I should not be. The immersion and theming can go too real sometimes, and for me, I felt like I was at some mechanical rooms on the Back of the House of a cruise or ship.

Proceeded to check out, and then explored the hotel. There were stores like Disney Fantasy for all things Disney, and last minute souvenirs.

Took the shuttle to the Bayside Station and from here I started to move into the city. Remember that this Monorail is not free, you have to pay each time, but there are day passes as well.

Tokyo Station

Went to visit a friend around Komagome, at the north side of the city, and it was so difficult to navigate the metro, especially at the connections, but was able to make it, and it felt great to walk around neighborhoods that are not too touristy to see how regular people live their lives around.

After that I went to Tokyo Station, a very big and confusing station, where I was trying to look for a souvenir for a friend in New York that likes Anime. I ended up finding some of the stores, and spent some time at the Dragon Ball Store Tokyo for example. I was obsessed with this anime growing up, but not so much right now. I did not see the latest iterations, but I saw all of the seasons from the 2000s and 2010s.

And then quickly stopped at the Pokemon Store, but I did not but anything, since I had a reservation to finally get in the Pokemon Cafe, not too far from here, and it was coming up, so I started walking there.

Pokemon Cafe / Pokemon Center

The Pokémon Café is a full-service, immersive themed restaurant. There is only one in Tokyo, located in Nihonbashi (inside the Takashimaya department store).

• The Food: Every dish is intricately themed, such as Pikachu-shaped curry, Snorlax meat platters, and Gengar grape smoothies.
• The Atmosphere: It features a clean, wood-toned interior. During your 90-minute seating, there is usually a live appearance by “Chef Pikachu” who performs a dance and interacts with guests.
• The Catch: Reservations are mandatory and notoriously difficult to get. They open exactly 31 days in advance at 6:00 PM (JST) and often sell out within minutes.
• Merchandise: The cafe sells exclusive items you cannot get at the regular Centers, like “Chef” and “Waitress” Pikachu plushies.

Since my last experience in Tokyo, I was able to snatch a reservation this time around, and I made, I could not believe I was going to be able to dine here.

Pokemon has also been a big part of my life, not only watching the anime growing up, but also playing the games, and even the PokemonGo game that got everyone obsessed a decade ago. Lately, it is confirmed that it would be included in all or many of the Universal Theme Parks across the globe, and I can’t wait for a land in Epic Universe or Islands of Adventures.

There are a lot of kitchen related items in this Pokemon Cafe.

The table I was given. You have to order using the ipad on the table.

The cafe is being renovated now, but this is how it looked when I visited back in January, 2026.

I order the Pikachu and Charmander curry, and a Latte with a Lapras printed on it. They also gave me a Gengar coaster.

I also got the sundae. All of the food was really good. Not only instagrammable, but also delicious. Very worthy regardless of the price, and the reservation system that basically works against you.

Right next to the cafe is the Pokemon Center, which is a huge store of all thinks Pokemon. I was able to get some more souvenirs for friends back in New York.

Shibuya

The time was running out since I had to go to the airport, and I realized that my flight was from Narita, which is the farthest airport in Tokyo. I had to make a decision, and soon, so I chose to go to Shibuya station, take a couple of pictures and then leave to the airport. Was not able to walk the famous crossing, Up to 3000 people can cross it at the same time. It is just mesmerizing.

The Narita Express

Google Maps was telling me to take the Narita Express from the Shibuya Station, but this is another very confusing station with not too much signage, and there was a lot of construction as well. After a long trying to get to the spot where to enter to the Narita Express, I was able to make it in, and this train was not cheap though.

This is when it hit me that the train would take an hour to get to the airport. Wow. Tokyo really is big. The flight was at 7:00 PM, and I was coming to the airport at 5:30 PM. I still had to do emigration, and go through security. If this train got delayed I would miss my flight, the big jump in the Pacific.

I made it to the airport, and made it to the gate just in time, and as you see my next stop will be Honolulu, Hawaii. I had not gone there since around the Pandemic, and this was the perfect excuse to do a quick stop, and see what’s new around the island. It was also going to be my first time entering the US though Hawaii, so I was wondering how that would be. Do not miss the next post, being the EPIC conclusion to the Round The World Trip 2025-2026.