Pilgrimage Alert: Tokyo’s “Chibi Maruko-chan Café” – There’s Even Nagasawa’s Onion Soup

Text & Photos /viviyu

Chibi Maruko-chan is an irreplaceable childhood memory. To celebrate her 30th debut anniversary and the 25th anniversary of her anime film, Fuji TV in Japan has launched a Chibi Maruko-chan café on the first floor. Operating for a limited one-year period without any days off, visitors to DiverCity Tokyo can enjoy authentic Chibi Maruko-chan-themed food until March 21, 2016!!

Following tech enthusiasts to Fuji TV, we originally went for the One Piece Restaurant but unexpectedly stumbled upon the Chibi Maruko-chan Café. Of course, we couldn’t leave empty-handed, so we all headed in to relive some childhood memories together.

At the entrance, we browsed the menu. Right at the entrance stands Chibi Maruko-chan herself—so cute, right? And the dishes are all named after her friends.

Both savory and sweet options are available: Nagasawa’s Onion Soup, Piggy Tarou’s Curry Rice, Ono & Sugi-san’s Meat Sauce Pasta, and Maruko’s Latte Art Coffee. Which one would you choose?

Maybe not many people know about it, or else given the Japanese love for queuing, the place would probably be packed with Chibi Maruko-chan fans, like the time we visited the Kiki & Lala limited-time restaurant where the lines were insanely long. This time, no queue was needed, and there were plenty of seats available.

Sakura-chan is also doing her part, cheerfully greeting everyone at the entrance~

Of course, there’s also a souvenir corner for fans making the pilgrimage, where you can buy items like notepads and mugs to take home as keepsakes.

We quickly ordered our meals. The paper at the bottom says “25th Anniversary of Chibi Maruko-chan Broadcast,” though I can’t read Japanese. It’d be even better if the spoon and fork were Chibi Maruko-chan themed too... The bulletin board is filled with descriptions of the dishes on offer. Which one would you pick?

Chibi Maruko-chan Chocolate Sundae – 500¥

Chibi Maruko-chan
Exquisite Soft Serve Parfait
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Thanks to the 3C enthusiasts, each of us ordered one dish so everyone could see what they really look like. The chocolate sundae has cake in the middle, topped with thin pancakes and chocolate wafer rolls, and drizzled with chocolate sauce in the center.

Chibi Maruko-chan Coffee – 450¥

Café Special Fluffy Latte
Maruko (Strawberry)

Seeing the Chibi Maruko-chan coffee, you might wonder how the mouth became Angelina Jolie? According to those who actually drank it, it has a rich strawberry flavor—like a strawberry latte.

Chibi Maruko-chan Strawberry Sundae – 500¥

After seeing the adorable menu, we couldn’t help but each order a dish. Actually, we had just eaten not long ago, but having some afternoon tea is nice too.

There are two sund

Cheeky Little Ball Tofu Patty Rice ¥1000
Maruchan's
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Dad ordered the adorable Cheeky Little Ball set meal, featuring nori cut into the shape of Cheeky Little Ball’s face, with multigrain rice underneath, and the hamburger patty made from tofu — apparently, the taste was pretty good.

Nagase's Onion Soup ¥650
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Nagase’s onion head — I’m sure everyone has a strong impression of it. Of course, I didn’t hesitate to choose the onion one. I originally thought the onion face would be painted on, but it turned out to be a piece of paper — sigh, a bit disappointing. But the face paper is actually edible and has a slightly sweet taste. The onions underneath are sliced and stewed until very soft and are edible. There wasn’t much onion soup, but it tasted quite sweet, with some German sausages added for flavor. For the price, there’s not much to complain about.

If you're planning to visit Odaiba in Tokyo, don't miss this limited-time-only, one-year-only Cherry Blossom (Chibi Maruko-chan) Cafe, conveniently located on the first floor of Fuji TV.

If you're a big fan of Maruko-chan, then you definitely can't miss this pilgrimage opportunity—celebrating her 25th anniversary with special events that let you relive your childhood cartoon memories~

Chibi Maruko-chan Themed Café
Official Website:http://www.fujitv.co.jp/gotofujitv/maruko/
Address: 2-4-8 Odaiba, Minato (1F, Fuji TV Building)
Business Hours: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm

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