Located in the heart of Tokyo, Avatar Robot Cafe DAWN ver.β offers a unique and immersive dining experience that blends cutting-edge technology with a mission. At this cafe, you’ll encounter OriHime, a tabletop-sized avatar robot, and OriHime-D, a taller variant designed to deliver drinks and guide guests. The cafe is the brainchild of Ory Yoshifuji, a Japanese robot creator who, inspired by his own experiences with isolation and his friendship with Yuta Banda who has a spinal cord injury, created OriHime to eliminate loneliness and bring people together.
Visitors to the cafe can enjoy a one-hour session with an OriHime pilot, who will explain the menu, take orders, and engage in conversation. This setup provides job opportunities for individuals who have difficulties leaving their house regularly, fostering a diverse community and offering a glimpse into a life beyond physical limitations. Customers without reservations are also welcome to interact with OriHime pilots, albeit for a shorter duration.
The cafe operates daily 11:00AM-7:00PM with the exception of Thursdays, when it is closed (unless Thursday is a national holiday).
Getting there
The cafe is near the following stations:
- A 4-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line Kodenmacho Station.
- Near JR Sobu Line Shin-Nihonbashi Station (Exit 5).
- A 7-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Mitsukoshimae Station.
- A 10-minute walk from JR Yamanote Line Kanda Station.
Accessibility
The cafe is physically accessible with a ramp at the entrance and no inaccessible areas or steep slopes. The flooring is manageable, and there are no unavoidable stairs. The cafe provides one accessible toilet equipped with a backrest, an adult-sized changing bed, and ostomate facilities. One wheelchair is available at the entrance for visitors to borrow.
The cafe provides tactile pavements from the pedestrian crossing to the entrance and guide dogs are allowed on the premises for visually impaired visitors. However, there is no Braille available in either Japanese or English.
For visitors with hearing impairments, Avatar Robot Cafe DAWN ver.β offers a communication board to facilitate interactions
The cafe ensures that all text is easy to read, using simple sentences and easy vocabulary. Pictograms are used on toilet signs to aid understanding, making the facilities more accessible for individuals with cognitive disabilities.
Avatar Robot Cafe DAWN ver.β aims to provide a sensory-friendly environment with no bright or flashing lights and no strong smells (other than food). However, noise levels can be high at certain times of the day and interaction with staff is necessary, which might be challenging for some. No designated calm-down room for those requiring a quiet space.
Vegetarian menu options are available.
