Rilakkuma Sabo Tea House Cafe Arashiyama
Ever since Netflix released the Rilakkuma animated series, more and more people are aware of this cute chill bear (can compete with Sanrio Gudetama's laziness liao) and his friends. I first got to know about Rilakkuma from a friend about 5-6 years ago, back then i still wasn't very familiar with all of the fictional characters under San-X yet until i made my first trio down to Japan. That's when i discovered that Japan has so many characters and all of them are somewhat "relatable" to us humans lol, equipped with cute back stories and tons of collaborations their presence has sky rocketed through the roof in just a blink of an eye.
Right now you can't walk around Japan without spotting them either on a food packaging at the local konbini or in a form of keychain ready to be picked up by tourists at major train stations, seriously not kidding when i say that you can find them in almost every corner of Japan!
Like this cafe + souvenir shop in Arashiyama, Kyoto; it's a special collaboration cafe so the interior & food reflect Kyoto's traditional style while still maintaining its usual character cuteness.
Everyone who goes to Arashiyama would know that the only foods available around this area are just your average Japanese food, nothing fancy to post about (can't deny we are always on the hunt for Insta-worthy things to share about) so the concept of Rilakkuma Sabo has to offer is rather refreshing even for the locals! Not everyday a character cafe pops up in Kyoto (seriously rare), as most of them would rather establish in metropolitan city areas like Tokyo, though Arashiyama is slightly far away from the main city area (about 40 mins bus ride) but still beats heading up to Tokyo lol. The foods served in this cafe may not be the kind of food that Kaoru-san cooks for Rilakkuma in the Netflix series, but i can assure you that it's much better.
My Gemini Twin- Reiko, Thank you Jean for helping us take this photo!
We all know cute things sells, simple as that lol.
Regardless how expensive it is, we tell ourselves it's a "once in a lifetime experience" as an assurance to splurge haha. Well not sure if it's going to be around forever so might as well go now right?
Here at the Rilakkuma sabo, especially during peak periods like weekends & lunch time it may be abit hard to get seats, you can line up to get a number first and wait for your number to be called. During the waiting period you can explore their giftshop selling honey related goods, because what else does a bear fancies right? lol.
Everything here is packaged so nicely that you can't resist picking them up, this is Japan magic yo; makes you want to buy every single thing in sight. Gifts ranges from food products to bags, pouches, stationary, figurines, utensils and the list goes on but i have to warn you that usually official licensed goods don't come cheap so expect them to be priced minimal 500yen & above even for small items like a pen.
You should try their vanilla soft serve + honey, super yummy!
They also have kiosk called "Rilakkuma Honey Stand" at the front of the store that sells takeaway snacks like soft serve drizzle with honey, bite size cakes & drinks in case you are feeling peckish from all the waiting or looking to grab something on the go instead of dining there.
Can you believe they even have a Rilakkuma Jizo statue at the back of the store lol!
Little plushies included on each table as photo props
Nearly RM50 parfait lol
At the cafe above they serve full set meals priced from 1, 500 yen & dessert sets priced from 1,100yen while drinks are lesser than 1000yen. Sounds rather expensive right?
Wait till you see the amount of effort put into creating your meals, so much details and likeness to the character that you wonder how is it even possible with food alone (everything is edible).
It so satisfying to see such a well decorated meal, taste wise it's decent; not exactly the most delicious meal in the world but it isn't bad especially for their savory dishes. And as for their desserts, cakes and parfaits are things you can't go wrong with the taste as it's pretty standard sweet taste lol, just that they went the extra mile to make it look as if Rilakkuma is peacefully chilling in or on your food making you feel guilty AF for taking the first bite and destroying their paradise lol.
Ochazuke set
You can bring home the coaster served with your meal!
It so satisfying to see such a well decorated meal, taste wise it's decent; not exactly the most delicious meal in the world but it isn't bad especially for their savory dishes. And as for their desserts, cakes and parfaits are things you can't go wrong with the taste as it's pretty standard sweet taste lol, just that they went the extra mile to make it look as if Rilakkuma is peacefully chilling in or on your food making you feel guilty AF for taking the first bite and destroying their paradise lol.
Still puzzles me looking at this fella, are you a chick or a duckling??
Anniversary set (no longer available)
During their anniversary there are limited edition sets available, each of us ordered different sets just so we could take pictures of it lol! Can't wait to see this year's version!
This character cafe is something people of all ages would enjoy, so let's close an eye on the price tag and indulge in Rilakkuma's cuteness for the day and best to come with some friends so you guys can order and try different stuff from the menu.
This store does accept both cash & card payment, but one thing i learn about Japan especially Kyoto is it is safer to spend in cash as most establishments here are still quite "old fashioned" and there are also risks of system being down for the day.
My advise to enjoy Arashiyama and this cafe without the crowd, plan your trips on weekdays chances are better compared to weekends and watch your timing. Especially if your goal is to visit the famous bamboo forest and enjoy its peaceful atmosphere, go as early as 7am and then after you are done exploring around it would be just in time to head over for brunch/ lunch at Rilakkuma Sabo!
Yours Truly,
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