Nekohanten and Ranma 1/2 Pop-Up Shop: All you need to know
Ranma 1/2 is back, and with the first season just concluding on Netflix, pop-up events like a character café and more were inevitable.
Both a character café and a pop-up shop were announced for Tokyo, but there are events in other Japanese cities as well. These events are based on the new remake anime which is in turn based on Rumiko Takahashi’s manga. The first anime aired from 1989 to 1992. It took almost ten years to come to Germany – that’s when I watched it.
Short Synopsis
The story centers on teenage boy Ranma Saotome, who acquired a gender-swapping curse while on a training trip to China. Once he returns to Japan, he learns that his father Genma and Genma’s friend Soun Tendo made a promise to unite their fighting branches by marrying their offspring. Finally, Akane is nominated to be Ranma’s bride, but she won’t be the only fiancee. It’s a comedy story with many characters being motivated to either date or kill female or male Ranma – sometimes both.
Nekohanten
Nekohanten is the name of the Chinese restaurant. This is the base for Ranma’s Chinese fiancee Shampoo, her suitor Mousse and Shampoo’s great-grandmother Cologne. Shampoo already appeared in season 1 of the Netflix show.
The Tokyo Nekohanten is located on floor 6 of Shibuya PARCO. Floor 6 is well known to gamers, manga and anime fans, because this is where you’ll find the Nintendo Store, Pokémon Shibuya, Capcom Store Tokyo and Jump Shop. Nekohanten is located right next to the Nintendo shop. Reservations are not required.
There was a small line when I visited the café on a weekday at 11.30am. The menu was given out beforehand in order to order everything before entering. The outside of the character shows the characters of the show in Chinese-style clothing. This includes some characters that haven’t appeared yet in the reboot show like Ukyo, Mousse and Shampoo’s cursed form.
Eating at the Nekohanten
As with any other character café, every dish is said to be inspired by a character. The signature dish is the Tanmen (Shampoo) for 1650 Yen. The café doesn’t serve okonomiyaki. Instead an okonomiyaki-styled soup is on the menu, representing Ukyo. Other dishes are fried rice and curry.
All meals contain either meat or seafood – poor black pig P-chan (Ranma’s rival Ryoga’s cursed form): “his” dish contains pork.
P-chan was also turned into a dessert with the chocolate parfait. The declaration of love from kendoist Kuno to the pigtailed girl (Ranma Saotome) inspired a dessert combination of gelato (flower bouquet) and french toast (Ranma turned into stone for comedic effect) for 1760 Yen.
Instagramable?
The café has walls with visuals from the show and a TV that will sometimes show the trailer. The most fun dishes are the omu fried rice that looks like Genma Saotome in panda form, P-chan-shaped chocolate parfait, gelato+french toast and the raspberry drink with a kettle.
You’ll also receive one of eleven coasters, selected by random for each Nekohanten visit.
Ranma 1/2 Shops
The Nekohanten has its own Ranma 1/2 fan shop. The goods here are specific to the Nekohanten store and not available at the Ranma 1/2 popup store. You don’t have to eat at the café to enter the store.
The official Ranma 1/2 pop up store in Tokyo is located just five minutes from PARCO at Shibuya LOFT. These are the characters as they appear in the show, with stickers, mugs, acrylic stands, shirts (panda Genma and P-chan), buttons and tote bags. No plushies though. Two capsule toy machines are also set up there, handing out badges at 300 yen a piece (eight different designs).
If that’s not enough Ranma 1/2 merch, there are other gashapon machines at various capsule toy stores. Currently two series are in circulation: “Ranma 1/2 Machibouke” (panda Genma, Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, female Ranma) and “Ranma 1/2 narabun desu” (Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, Ryoga, P-chan).
Old Ranma merchandise
Ranma 1/2 merchandise isn’t common at second-hand stores like Surugaya. Your best bet are Japanese auction sites and online stores like Yahoo!Auctions and Mercari.
Access
Nekohanten is located at Shibuya PARCO 6F, open daily from 11am to 9pm until February 16, 2025. The Ranma 1/2 pop up store is at Shibuya LOFT and other LOFT locations (Nagoya, Osaka, Sendai). Open until February 11, 2025 (Shibuya).
