One of my goals for while I was staying in Tokyo was to visit as many themed restaurants as I could because they are so uniquely Japanese.

So after visiting Tokyo Skytree well into the night we made our way back towards our hotel in Shinjuku where we decided to eat our late dinner at the Christon Cafe. What constitutes a late dinner? We arrived at the Christon Cafe and after a small wait we began ordering our meal at 11:30 pm. The Christon Cafe is a Japanese Izakaya style restaurant and so it is open until 3:30 am!

Christon Cafe is close to Shinjuku Station. That's if you take the correct exit! Make sure to take the East Exit and it will be about a 5 minute walk to the restaurant. Shinjuku sees over 3 million people pass through daily and with more than 200 exits it's extremely easy to become lost. Accessible by the JR lines, Tokyo Metro, Keio Lines, Odakyu Line and Toei Subway.

The theme of Christon Cafe is based on the Gothic Lolita subculture that originated in Japan. And so it centres around religious imagery which creates a dark but charming vibe. The restaurant as a whole is absolutely breathtaking. I've purposely not included a picture showing you the two storey interior because it is a view that just needs to be experienced for yourself.

The room is filled with beautifully detailed decor that I just fell in love with! There are various styled seating arrangements from large, round wooden tables to intricate benches paired with velvet arm chairs for all the different sized parties that may turn up. Christon Cafe also has countless dimly lit chandeliers, candles and lights that contribute to the gothic atmosphere. Once again just like at LUXIS, or Harry Potter World I highly recommend checking out the restrooms. The hallways and the restrooms are just as incredibly detailed. It really does feel like you are dining in an ornate gothic church.

Christon Cafe is open from 5 pm - 3:30 am and is located on the 8th floor of the Oriental Wave Building. Because it is an izakaya style restaurant the best way to dine here is to share a few different plates and try out different dishes from the Japanese/ Western fushion menu. If you're interested they also serve unique cocktails and other drinks. Dinner at the Christon Cafe will cost around ¥5000 (about $50AUD).  There are 8 Christon Cafes across Japan so if you're visiting there may be one near you!

kirsten

Calico (猫カフェきゃりこ）is a cat café in Shinjuku. It takes about 5 minutes to walk from Shinjuku station. However make sure to take the East Exit! This is the easiest and quickest exit to take to get to the cat café. Shinjuku Station sees over 3 million people pass through daily and with more than 200 exits it is extremely easy to become lost. Accessible by the JR lines, Tokyo Metro, Keio Lines, Odakyu Line and Toei Subway. 

Shinjuku boasts the busiest train station in the world. But don't let this overwhelm you! With so many people passing through and working in Shinjuku daily there are many awesome things to see and do. The list of shops (from sweets to fashion) and restaurants is endless within the station. And the number multiplies when you manage to reach the streets of Shinjuku. The busy streets offer karaoke, izakayas and of course Calico Cat Café!

Cat cafés are extremely popular in Japan. Why? Because owning a pet is costly and often pets are not allowed in apartment buildings. Land is very expensive in Japan and so it is common for families to live in apartments.

Due to the success of cat cafés rabbit cafés have also become popular recently. Owl and goat cafés have been opened as well but unfortunately I haven't been able to experience these... yet!

There's plenty to do at the cat café. You are able to order drinks, eat a meal, read manga, play with the cats and their toys as well as feed them some chicken. I recommend buying the food - the cats become a lot more interested in you!

Calico Cat Café is home to so many different kinds of cats. They even have a booklet that features all the cats with photos and a little blurb with their names, genders, breed, birthdays and sometimes a fun fact! I was lucky enough to make friends with Gomako (the cutest little persian) who woke up and made her way across the room to cuddle in next to me. 

The cat café is located on the 5/6th floor. There's a billboard/ sign on the building advertising the café -猫カフェきゃりこ. In the past I have also seen workers standing out the front holding a sign to point you in the right direction! 

Calico can be very busy and so you are given an allocated time. I found arriving in the morning at 10 when the café opens is a good idea. If this doesn't suit you be prepared to have a waiting period before you are allowed to enter. 

The price is based on the allocated time you have chosen - 1 hour is ¥1000 on weekdays and ¥1200 on weekends (roughly $10AUD - $12AUD).

If you can't speak Japanese that is no problem the staff are extremely helpful and have guidelines and contracts printed in English.

Below is a video from my experience at Calico Cat Café. 

If you would like to find out more information or see a map of where the cat café is in location to Shinjuku Station make sure to check out their website. http://www.catcafe.jp/shop_shinjyuku.html HINT: Use a web browser such as Chrome to translate the page into English.

kirsten