Plushies are the VIP guests at this cafe, complete with tiny menus and mini desserts.

Scrolling through your social media feed, you might stumble across an image of a beautiful vista that has a stuffed animal thrust into the frame. Searching further you might discover that the person who took that photo is sure to include their stuffed animal in every single shot from their vacation.

This is just one example of the hobby nuikatsu, taken from nuigurumi (stuffed toy) and katsu (activity). The hobby isn’t limited to travel photos at famous sightseeing spots, though. It’s also about snapshots of partner plushies living their everyday lives to the fullest. A common activity is to go out for a simple meal together, showing off their plushie pals alongside delicious food and drink. For those who want to enjoy this aspect of the hobby to the fullest, there’s wandering pop-up restaurant Little Lou’s Cafe that has been making rounds in Tokyo; a dedicated nuikatsu cafe where you can enjoy tea and sweets with your little friend without needing to feel self-conscious about the gazes of non-nuikatsu fans.

While we’d usually send one of our crack reporters to cover this intriguing location, we felt it deserved a more special treatment, given its targeted clientele, so please welcome our temporary reporter: Luu-chan.

Luu-chan is a cat that has kept our Japanese-language reporter Mariko Ohanabatake company ever since she was 9 years old. Even to this day, they still share the same bed, so you know that the bond between them is both a strong and deep one, despite Mariko getting married and the family of stuffed animals increasing.

▼ Luu-chan has a great relationship with her friends.

Dressing up in her favorite outfit, Luu-chan set out to explore this amazing cafe for plushies and their guardians.

Arriving at the time of her reservation, she immediately noticed that the entrance had a photo spot opportunity, and couldn’t resist striking a pose.

Walking through the door, she was greeted by the fox manager and pastry chef, Lou-san.

▼ Luu-chan “I’ve been looking forward to my first cafe visit!”

Upon giving her name, she was directed to her seat, which had her own name written there.

▼ Luu-chan “My name is here. Such amazing hospitality!”

The cafe even provided a plushie-sized menu, while including an enlarged version for their guardians to peruse at the same time.

It’s such a warm and considerate establishment, where the guardians can feel like their plushies are truly valued. After all, they are important friends and family members.

Looking through the menu, Luu-chan opted for the two sweets and one drink set for 2,300 yen (US$15.67), plus an extra 200 yen to upgrade to an ice cream float.

Thinking about her beloved partner, Luu-chan selected Mariko’s personal favorites of pudding, banana cake, and a melon soda float.

When the plate arrived, Luu-chan was impressed once again. Not only did they include a guardian-sized portion for Mariko, but they were sure to add in a plushie-sized portion for herself, both of which were entirely edible.

Sitting next to the melon soda float, Luu-chan looked down at her light green tutu and cherry-patterned bib, and remarked that she looked like a melon soda float fairy.

Luu-chan was having a great time at the cafe, and was thrilled to be spending some valuable time with her guardian.

Photos taken care of, she turned her attention to the food. She already rated them highly just based on the appearance, but the taste? Well, they were absolutely delicious.

The firm pudding was especially amazing. The scent of egg and the gentle sweetness made them both reminisce on their time together as children.

Fully immersed in a world full of kindness, cuteness, and deliciousness, the two of them couldn’t wipe the smiles off of their faces.

Being in such an atmosphere, it made striking up conversation with other patrons very easy. Another visitor was a rabbit named Nana-chan, who came all the way to Tokyo from the island of Shikoku with her guardian. Luu-chan could tell that they too had built a relationship full of love.

They decided to take a commemorative photo together, to mark their meeting, creating a very special memory.

Within the cafe, there also happened to be a little shop selling stuffed animal clothes and accessories, from tiny sizes to large.

They even had a mirror just for the plushies, so they could check out how they looked.

Luu-chan couldn’t resist herself and tried on straw hats, sailor hats, and little purses.

Everything was just too cute, but she eventually whittled the selection down to her favorite items and made her purchases.

▼ She chose a mint-colored sailor hat and a little pouch.

She even decided to pick up some souvenirs for her friends waiting back at home.

There was also an event where the guardians could write a message to their plush pals, which when folded form a bouquet.

▼ “To Luu-chan, thank you for always being with me. From Mariko.”

Finally, Luu-chan managed to squeeze in an interview with Lou-san, the fox patissier and creator of this wonderful cafe.

Luu-chan: This cafe is so lovely. When did you start it?

Lou: We started the stuffed animal cafe in 2022. Since it operates as a pop-up, it’s only open a few days at a time, but recently we’ve been running it about two to three days a month. However, we can sometimes get so many reservations that we often have to use a lottery system to determine who can visit.

Luu-chan: Wow, it’s so popular! What’s the hardest part about running a cafe for plushies?

Lou: Due to the sweets being different sizes for the guests and their guardians, the molds and baking times are different, so that is probably the trickiest part.

Luu-chan: How did you decide on the menu?

Lou: The first thing I consider is whether I can make a version for plushies. As it is always their satisfaction that comes first, I always try to consider it from the perspective of other plushies when designing the menu.

Luu-chan: That’s the hallmark of a true plush patissier. Everything tasted amazing, and we were both completely satisfied. I’ll definitely bring my friends along next time, too.

As Luu-chan made her way back home, she couldn’t help, but reflect on her life. When she and Mariko were younger, they would always go out together, but after Mariko left her behind once, the traumatic memory caused her to become a stay-at-home friend. So, for Luu-chan, this outing was very special for her, becoming an irreplaceable memory. In every photo, she’s looking straight at the camera, posing perfectly, and radiating happiness.

Luu-chan hopes that she and Mariko will continue to share beautiful memories together for many years to come.

She also didn’t forget to brag about her trip out to her friends when she got home.

▼ “I went to a cafe!”

Little Lou’s Cafe is a pop-up store that opens irregularly, so if you and your beloved plushies want to visit, you will need to check out the next event dates on their social media accounts. However, it is reservation only, so unfortunately you can’t walk in if you happen to pass by. The store will next open on August 12, 13 and 17 at Una Camera Livera in Tokyo.

Even if you don’t get a chance to visit the cafe, it shouldn’t stop you from creating wonderful memories with your own childhood friends. Sure it might feel a little awkward at first, but remember that even the Japanese ambassador to the UK is getting in on the nuikatsu action, so you should relax and treasure the time you have with someone you have spent so many years loving deeply.

Shop information
Little Lou’s Cafe
Address and opening times are non-fixed. Refer to the shop’s social media pages:
Instagram; Twitter
Reservations are open for a 24-hour period that will be announced on the Instagram page. Reservations for August are finished.
Website

Photos ©SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]