On March 31, the Square Enix Cafe in Akihabara will close its doors for good.
Opened in 2016, the space themed after the storied game development studio is giving up the ghost after nine years. On paper, the Square Enix Cafe had everything going for it. Just steps from JR Akihabara Station in the heart of Tokyo’s lively otaku (geek or nerd) district, it regularly showcased various iconic Square Enix games (Final Fantasy VII, NieR and Dragon Quest, to name a few) through special menus and temporary displays, while also offering exclusive collectable goodies such as coasters for visitors.
And yet, the Square Enix Cafe lacked many hallmarks of what make the rash of similarly video game-themed cafes that have popped up across Japan so enduringly popular. Here, there are no barrel-shaped tables, swords on the walls or spectacular stained glass windows. The cold walls display changing decorations associated with the various games featured each month in the form of framed posters — but that’s about it.
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