Visiting The Gudetama Cafe in Japan

Let’s get back to our Japan trip last year and a visit to the Gudetama Cafe in Osaka.

We love Osaka and always try to include a few days there when we visit Japan. It’s a more relaxed city than Tokyo but still with loads to do. Last time I was there, I ate at the adorable Pompompurin Cafe so this time we tried the nearby Gudetama Cafe.

We’re not huge Gudetama fans but there was a limited time collaboration with Badtz-Maru, who was an early favourite of ours. There were some special dishes on the menu featuring both characters, as well as the usual Gudetama menu.

I went for the mini burger set with potato wedges and salad. The character buns were very cute but the burgers had a weird texture and didn’t taste of much.

This cafe had been Nicolette’s choice but there was nothing remotely vegetarian in the main meals! We should really have planned better and come for dessert instead. She had to make do with the rice and omelette from a meat curry dish (and some of my sides).

We didn’t regret the visit though as it was all worth it for the drinks! Most character cafes don’t require you to order a drink, which is good as they’re often as expensive as a dessert. These are just fruit drinks but designed to look like a real lightbulb with Gudetama face. It’s actually made of a thick plastic and ours even had flashing lights. You get a free coaster too and can take the lightbulb home with you. I was impressed that it survived the flight home.

While we didn’t really enjoy the food, the cafe is very cute so if you’re a big Gudetama fan it’s still worth a visit for the experience and decor. If you just want cute food, the nearby Pompompurin Cafe is definitely better.

As you can see, it was very quiet when we visited so you can take photos of everything and there’s loads of big Gudetama plushies to hang out with.

There’s also a small shop with cafe merchandise and souvenirs, though weirdly nothing with Badtz-Maru. There’s a huge branch of Kiddyland nearby though where you’ll find a much wider range of Gudetama and Sanrio products.

Information

The Gudetama Cafe is a permanent cafe and no reservations are required. You can find it inside the HEP FIVE shopping mall near Umeda station, a big transport hub. The whole area is a bit of a maze so check out the route beforehand. It’s on the 7th floor with other cafes and a ferris wheel (we went on it afterwards, and it was very high up but with great views of Osaka).

It’s the only permanent Gudetama Cafe in Japan but there have been quite a few pop-ups in Tokyo so check sites like Dango News, Moshi Moshi Nippon, Street Girls Snap and SoraNews24 if you’re planning a trip and won’t make it to Osaka.

Have you visited the Gudetama Cafe? Did you have a better experience than us?