Tokyo is chock full of cute and stylish cafes where dessert-lovers can pick up sweet treats and while away the hours. In order to stand out, some cafes are turning to new technology to enhance the experience of their customers.

Tyffonium, a new cafe which has opened up in Shibuya’s Parco shopping mall, purports to create an experience like magic through delicious desserts, some augmented reality wizardry, and even a VR game too.

Calling themselves a ‘magical theme park’-like cafe, they promise a bewitching encounter much more exciting than the average coffee shop. The concept is ‘twilight circus’, a phantom circus that only appears at dusk.

An Augmented Reality Cafe in Tokyo

On their own, Tyffonium Cafe’s elaborate parfaits are obviously aesthetically pleasing, but using the magic of AR they come alive, each one playing into the mystical and supernatural theme. This ‘new sweets experience’ takes place by looking through the tablet provided in-store to see the haunting graphics swirl around your parfait.

There’s 5 ‘Magic Parfait’ desserts to choose from.

Blueberry and red grape parfait - Twilight (1200 yen)

Cassis (blackcurrant) and chocolate parfait - Corridor (1400 yen)

Yuzu and cheesecake parfait - Clown (1000 yen)

Pineapple and hazelnut parfait - Circus (1200 yen)

Peach and yoghurt parfait - Tarot (1400 yen)

If you want to send a magical message to someone, Tyffonium also sell chocolates which will come alive when viewed through a smartphone app which can be downloaded. Cute characters will appear spouting messages like ‘thank you! or ‘happy birthday!’, making the chocolate a unique means to send a greeting to a friend.

Tyffonium Cafe's Virtual Reality Game

Adding to the enchanting theme is the VR game which is tarot themed and called Voyage of Reverie. This interactive fortune-telling attraction allows you to immerse yourself in 22 different worlds based on the major arcana emblems. Up to two people can play at once. (Price for one person is 800 yen, or 1500 yen for two people.)

If you want to experience an augmented reality cafe for yourself, Tyffonium is located on floor B1 of Shibuya Parco shopping mall. Check out their website for more information and full menu.