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Cafe Talisman, Osaka’s Sailor Moon theme cafe

Preston Phro Oct 8, 2014
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As we’ve previously discussed, Japan is chock full of cool little cafes. Obviously, not every single cafe in the country is going to be spectacular, but we have to say that we have found no end of fun places to sit down and order a coffee. But if you’re a Sailor Moon fan, we may have found the ultimate place to enjoy a latte: Cafe Talisman.

On one hand, we suppose it really shouldn’t be surprising that there’s a Sailor Moon cafe. After all, we’ve been to cafes that literally have owls sitting around waiting to be admired. On the other hand, themed cafes about famous anime usually have all the fanfare of…well, themed cafes based on famous anime!

Nevertheless, Cafe Talisman, a Sailor Moon cafe, isn’t quite the most famous place in the world–though it probably should be. The establishment is located in Osaka about 2 kilometers north of Osaka Station. Sadly, we haven’t had time to hop on the Shinkansen and head down to Osaka from Tokyo to check out the cafe ourselves yet, so instead we took a photo tour using Tabeblog, a Japanese website similar to Yelp…but without the controversy.

First, it looks like actually getting to Cafe Talisman is a bit of an adventure–apparently people get so lost so often the owner wrote a lengthy blog post detailing all the steps to get from the nearest train station (Hankyu Nakatu Station) to the cafe. That said, not everyone gets lost heading to the cafe–but it looks like you’ll want to enable your GPS and follow Google Maps just in case.

But once you actually get to Cafe Talisman, well, you’ll believe the miracle romance!

First, the interior is essentially a shrine to two decades of Sailor Moon history–but not overwhelmingly so. If you’re a fan, you’ll find something to leave you grinning in every corner, but even non-fans can enjoy the relaxing atmosphere, though they might be a little confused as to who all the characters are.

In addition to the illustrations, prints, and figures adorning the walls and counters, the cafe is also filled constantly with Sailor Moon music. But rather than play the theme song over and over–something that would drive even the most devoted fan insane, we reckon–the owners have apparently found CDs of Sailor Moon music done in a jazz style. We’re honestly not exactly sure what that means, but it might sound something like this.

Surprisingly, the cafe only has a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars on Tabeblog, though that might be a matter of Japanese reviewers being stingier about giving out stars than anything. Most blogs or Twitters users who have been to the cafe have heaped praise on it. One peculiarity we noticed was that the cafe apparently does not allow only men (solo or in groups) to enter, but they can come if accompanied by a woman–as the owner explained, this is in order to prevent customers from being hit on. The homepage also explains that since the establishment is quite small, they don’t allow groups of five or more people either.

It’s also worth noting that the cafe is open from noon to 8 pm, but there are no set holidays. Instead, the website encourages you to call before you decide to head down. (The phone number is 06-6225-7710.) The more we learn about Cafe Talisman, the stranger it seems–and that just makes us want to visit even more!

The cafe is also hiring–and they’re looking for people who can speak English! If you’re a Sailor Moon fan who happens to live in the Osaka area and have proficient Japanese skills, this might be the best part-time job of your life. They’re looking for someone between 18 and 28 years old who is at least 160 cm tall (5’3″). Also, you shouldn’t be grossed out by bugs (we have no idea why).

▼Pooping will never be as magical as it is at Cafe Talisman.

Okay, enough of the interior, let’s look at some food! First, you should know that everything on the menu is apparently named after something related to Sailor Moon. Well, you probably guessed that all on your own anyway, but we’re just confirming it for you!

▼The food also features a ton of stars…as well it should!

And, of course, the lattes all feature Sailor Moon art. It may not be the absolute best latte art we’ve ever seen, but we give it an A+ for style!

▼And there are desserts as far as the eye can see, too!

▼Holy crap, just…give us all of it now.

▼And now we know where we want to have our next birthday party. In groups of four!

Of course, visitors have praised the food not only for its presentation, but also for being delicious. And we believe them, since it’s hard to mess up dessert–just add more sugar! But as one blogger wrote: “This cafe isn’t just good at making the food look pretty, it’s actually far tastier than I had expected it to be. I definitely want to come back next time I’m in Osaka! ☆”

Or, as another blogger wrote: “I want to come back here at least 10 more times before I die! Or maybe even move in next door! Then I could come here all the time!”

If you get a chance to stop by Cafe Talisman, be sure to let us know how it is! We’ll just be sitting here and daydreaming about star-shaped desserts.

CAFE TALISMAN

Location: 3-12-11 Honjonishi, Kita-ku, Osaka
Phone number: 06-6225-7710
Email: talisman@wine.ocn.ne.jp
Hours: 12:00 – 20:00 (Call in advance as holidays are unscheduled.)
Website

Sources: Cafe Talisman, Tabeblog, Naver Matome, EXT STAFF BLOG
Images: Tabeblog, EXT STAFF BLOG