‘Stranger Things’ cafe opens in Tokyo

The store, a partnership with local restaurant chain Pronto Corp, recently expanded its range in Tokyo’s fashionable Shibuya district with overwhelming demand. “Stranger Things” has remained one of the streamer’s top 10 shows in Japan since its fourth season’s release in May.

The interior features replicas of shops and sets from the show, set in the fictional American town of Hawkins, Indiana, along with the dark specular underworld that the preteen protagonists call the “Upside Down.”

Like the kids of Hawkins, you can ride a bike.

pronto

Patrons can snap photos next to the drama’s signature Demogorgon monster, while songs from the show, such as Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” play in the background.

Diners can enjoy food inspired by the show, such as squid ink pasta arranged as the head of the monster or the waffles that the psychically powered star character Eleven craves.

To reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, which is now plaguing Japan in record numbers, the cafe requires visitors to make reservations and only allows about 20 people in per hour.

“Every day at midnight I try to book a table on my phone,” said 29-year-old mother Kimiko Nakae. “Finally there is an opening today because someone canceled the reservation.”

Spot the famous alphabet string lights from the show in the corner.

pronto

Tokyo has a long tradition of themed restaurants and cafes, featuring everything from ninja waiters and exotic animals to vampire-inspired dishes.

But like many tourism-oriented businesses, the sector has been hit hard by the pandemic. The Lockup, a chain of haunted prison restaurants, ended a 23-year run when the latter location closed last month, joining the fate of the famed Robot Restaurant, a garish music and dance spectacle in Kabukicho’s red light district that in March 2020.