In Japan, where you can get family support benefits for your 2-D crush and send Valentine’s Day chocolates to your favorite illustrated character, the boundaries between the real world and the world of 2-D have been known to blur.
For those wanting to break through the barrier and dine in a 2-D environment, there’s a place in Japan where you can do that as well, and it’s called the 2D Cafe.
Located in Tokyo’s Shin-Okubo district, the unique cafe first opened its doors to the public in 2019. However, it recently came to everyone’s attention again when new photos of the space, taken by photographer @auki999, went viral in Japan, introducing a whole new generation of customers to the remarkable 2-D atmosphere.
The interior has been cleverly designed to look like a flat black-and-white manga illustration, but once you step inside, you can see that the furniture is all real, as are the lights and lampshades, which play a fantastic role in creating the optical illusion.
▼ From this angle, it looks like even the world outside the front entrance may not be real.
While the interior sticks to a black-and-white color scheme, the food and drinks served inside the cafe are brightly colored, adding vibrant pops of color to the space while you eat.
Auki’s photos of Tokyo’s 2D Cafe have received over 124,000 likes on Twitter.
People were amazed to discover that the cafe that looked like an illustration was actually a real space where people can sit and eat. Those yearning for a taste of the 2-D life outside of Tokyo will be pleased to know there’s a similar cafe in Osaka called Yona Cartoon, and one in Kyoto, called Ink Cafe.
▼ Ink Cafe opened in Kyoto in March 2021.
The photos above and below, taken by Twitter user Kuritaku (@kuritaku1219), show the Kyoto cafe is just as impressive as the one in Tokyo.
▼ Plus, it really boggles the mind when you see a person sitting inside the dining area.
So next time you’re looking for a place to escape the hardships of the 3-D world, you might want to head for the comforting haven of a 2-D cafe in Japan.
They’re great places to snap a photo for Instagram, and they’ll also make your manga fantasies come true.
Cafe information
2D Cafe / 2Dカフェ
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Hyakunin-cho 1-7-5
東京都新宿区百人町1‐7‐5
Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (last orders 8:30 p.m.)
Yona Cartoon / ヨナ カートゥーン
Address: Osaka-fu, Osaka-shi, Ikuno-ku, Momodani 2-9-12
大阪府大阪市生野区桃谷2-9-12
Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (last orders 6:30 p.m.) Closed Tuesdays
Ink Cafe / Inkカフェ
Address: Kyoto-fu, Kyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, Shirakabecho 442, FSS Building 2F
京都府京都市中京区白壁町 442 FSSビル 2F
Open 12 p.m.-7 p.m. (weekdays); 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (weekends) Last orders 6:30 p.m.
Source: Twitter/@auki999, Twitter/@kuritaku1219 via Net Lab
Insert images: Twitter/@auki999, Twitter/@kuritaku1219
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Tokyo’s amazing 2D Cafe looks like an illustration, but it’s an actual restaurant you can eat in!
-- New pop-up cafe in Tokyo offers drinks with hands-on animation, art and design on the side
-- Japanese company recognizes marriage with anime characters, provides family support benefits
- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2022/02/25/step-into-a-manga-at-japans-2-d-cafes-in-tokyo-osaka-and-kyoto/
2 Comments
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shallots
"...escape the hardships of the 3-D world." Ha ha.
Nobnaga
that's looks absolutely amazing and confusing lol