How to book Pokémon Cafe in Tokyo or Osaka

Pokémon Cafe is the official Pokémon restaurant, with dishes and drinks styled as Pokémon and a short show by a costumed Pikachu. There are two: one in Tokyo and one in Osaka. Both are next to large Pokémon Center stores and both are booked out quickly, so the trick is knowing exactly when reservations open.

The two cafes

The Tokyo cafe is near Nihombashi Station; the Osaka cafe is in the Daimaru department store in Shinsaibashi. For the stores next door and others around Japan, see every Pokémon Center store in Japan.

When reservations open

Reservations for a whole month open at once, at 18:00 Japan time on the 1st of the previous month.

Japan does not use daylight saving time, so convert 18:00 JST (UTC+9) to your home time carefully. Bookings for a given day close at 8:00 that morning.

How to book

1. Before release day, read the reservation page for the cafe you want, and decide your party size, a few possible dates and your seat type.
2. Be ready a few minutes before 18:00 JST on a fast connection. Release time is very busy and the best times go first.
3. Choose the cafe, the number of people, the date and a time slot. Party size must include every person, including babies.
4. Enter your details and confirm with your email address. Each email address can only hold one booking.
5. Check the confirmation email and keep it for the day; you show it at the entrance.

If your first-choice date is gone, try a weekday or the first or last slot of the day. People do cancel, so it is worth checking the booking site again in the days before your visit.

Party size and seat types

• Maximum 6 people per booking. Children of any age count, including babies.
• Seat types depend on group size. Tokyo: A seats for 2–4, B seats for 1–2, C seats for 1–6. Osaka: A and B seats for 2–6, C seats for 1–6.
• Bigger groups need separate bookings, each from a different email address.

Rules on the day

Food and drink prices are on the official menu page and change with seasonal menus, so check before you go.

If you cannot get a booking

• Same-day cancellations are the only walk-in seats. Ask at the entrance, but do not count on it.
• Cafe merchandise can be bought without a reservation, with a limit of three of each item.
• The Pokémon Center next door in each building needs no booking.
• Do not buy a reservation from a reseller. The cafe prohibits resale and proxy bookings.

Planning a Pokémon day

Example A Tokyo day for a family that got a midday slot.

1. Morning: Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo in Ikebukuro, one of the biggest stores.
2. Midday: Pokémon Cafe Tokyo, arriving 15 minutes early, then Pokémon Center Tokyo DX on the same floor.
3. Afternoon: Pokémon Center Shibuya in Shibuya Parco, or card shops in Akihabara. See buying Pokémon cards in Japan.

A Tokyo Subway Ticket covers the subway rides between these, since Nihombashi, Ikebukuro and Shibuya are all on Tokyo Metro lines. See is the Tokyo Subway Ticket worth it.

In Osaka, the cafe pairs well with Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori, both a short walk away.

Release night: 18:00 JST in your time zone

The December 2026 release is on Sunday 1 November 2026 at 18:00 Japan time. Europe has already moved to winter time, and the United States changes its clocks back that same morning, so double-check your conversion.

Set an alarm 15 minutes early, log on, and have your party size, preferred dates and a back-up date ready. If several adults in your group are trying, agree in advance who books which date, because each email address can only hold one booking and you do not want two bookings for the same day.

Tokyo or Osaka?

If your trip covers both cities, book whichever cafe fits your plans; the concept is the same. A few practical differences:

• Hours: Tokyo opens later and closes later (10:30–21:00, last booking 19:30). Osaka runs 10:00–20:00 with last admission at 18:00, so evening slots are fewer.
• Seats for groups: in Osaka, both A and B seats take 2 to 6 people. In Tokyo, B seats are for 1 or 2 people and A seats for 2 to 4, so a family of five or six needs C seats.
• Next door: both share a floor or building with a large Pokémon Center DX store, so you can shop before or after without another booking.
• Getting there: Tokyo is in Nihonbashi, close to Tokyo Station; Osaka is in Shinsaibashi, next to the Dotonbori area.

Booking for a family

Count every child, including babies in a carrier, when you choose the number of people. Children under 6 do not need to order, but everyone aged 6 and over must order at least one item. For a family of three, Tokyo A or C seats and Osaka A, B or C seats all work. The 90-minute seating is plenty of time to eat, watch the short Pikachu show and take photos, but last orders are 30 minutes before your time ends, so order dessert early.

Once you have a slot

• Keep the confirmation email on your phone; you show it at the entrance.
• Bring a card or other cashless payment. The cafe does not take cash.
• Plan your route so you arrive 15 minutes early in Tokyo or 10 minutes early in Osaka. Department store entrances and lifts can be busy at opening time.
• Check the menu on the official site before you go. Dishes and drinks change with seasonal menus.
• Need to cancel? Do it online by 22:00 the day before, so the seats go back on sale for someone else.

Common mistakes

• Waiting for “30 days ahead”. The whole month opens on the 1st of the month before, at 18:00 JST.
• Leaving out the baby. Every person counts toward the party size.
• Turning up at the slot time. Arrive early; late bookings are cancelled after 10 minutes.
• Bringing only cash. The cafe is cashless.
• Buying a resold booking. It breaks the cafe’s rules and can be refused.

FAQ