The past two years have been difficult for many businesses in Tokyo and Japan due to the pandemic and Japan’s intermittent states of emergency. While we still mourn the institutions we have lost in 2020, there have been a few other closings announced over the past year.
However, all is not lost. While many places have closed, we have also seen some exciting new additions to the city, including Reload Shimokitazawa, the Haruki Murakami Library on the Waseda University campus, and even the luxurious Gucci Osteria Restaurant by Massimo Bottura.
As a souvenir, here are the monuments of Tokyo that closed permanently in 2021.
Kawaii monster coffee
An unlucky victim of Covid-19, Harajuku bade farewell to her iconic Kawaii Monster Café in early 2021. The cafe was known for its OTT dinner theaters and brightly colored food, which made it one of the most popular places to visit. most popular for incoming tourists. the city. Fortunately, the cafe has recently found a new lease of life with a pop-up restaurant in Ossaka i.e. until October 2022.
Tokyu hands Ikebukuro
The popular one-stop-shop closed its Ikebukuro site after 37 years in operation in October. The eight-story shopping mecca was located in the massive Sunshine City shopping complex and was also home to the Nekobukuro cat’s “petting zoo”. Shoppers can breathe a sigh of relief as there are still many other Tokyu Hands stores in Tokyo and Japan. For the full list of locations, visit website.
Oedo Onsen Monogatari
The super on the Edo theme sento closed for good in september after 18 years of swimming in premium hot springs. The onsen housed 13 different types of baths as well as relaxation areas with matsuristylish game stalls and restaurants.
Tait Shinjuku Station
Unfortunately, many arcade buildings have closed in part due to a lack of players during the pandemic. The famous landmark of Taito Station in Nishi-Shinjuku closed in March, but luckily there is no shortage of claw games and purikura photo booths – Shinjuku alone is home to three more arcades at Taito station.
Akihabara loves building 2
Akihabara’s recognizable red arcade closed in June, after the Adores 1 building closed in 2020. Adores housed two floors of arcade games as well as eight floors of karaoke rooms. Covid-19 was not specifically named in the shutdown announcement, but the pandemic has certainly had an effect on many businesses in the Tokyo Electricity City.
Sega Ikebukuro Gigo
After 28 years in business, the huge Sega games room in Ikebukuro closed its doors for good in September. Easily one of Ikebukuro’s main landmarks, the arcade has closed due to the expiration of the venue’s lease. But that story had a happy ending: in October, the arcade reopened in a new space right across from the old location.
Next year…
Sadly, there are still a few closings coming up in 2022, including the huge Tokyo nightclub. Ageha, which is scheduled to close in January, teamLab without borders in August and all of Japan Gundam cafes.
More from Time Out Tokyo
8 things we’re looking forward to in Japan in 2022
17 best new openings in Tokyo in 2021
“Drive My Car” to Represent Japan at Golden Globes and Oscars – Here’s What It’s About
This luxury glamping site near Mt Fuji features a private hot tub and fire pits
New Japanese movies and series coming to Netflix in January 2022
Want to be the first to find out what’s cool in Tokyo? Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan.
Comments are closed.