I lived in tokyo for a bit and i always wondered if these theme cafes get repeat customers. I enjoyed going to like a Feudal Japan era cafe, but animal cafes aside, i never really had a desire for a repeat visit especially since the lines can be SUPER long.

Aren’t many of the ones that are themed after IP’s explicitly temporary?

I went to a bird café In a mostly residential area just north of Ueno park last year. It was a total blast. We only went in because my spouse didn't feel well and need to rest, but it ended up one of the highlights of our trip. Everyone was super happy. All guests were laughing at the birds that were in a huge cage; the caged birds were seemingly having a great time snuggling and humping each other; the birds you could visit with were clearly excited to get attention. One bird kept chirping at my wife every time she stopped petting it. The entire place liked like a room for kids, but there were no kids, just happy adults and birds. The music they played sounded like music from a happy scene in an anime. It was almost surreal. I would go back in a heartbeat!

We did go to a hedgehog cafe which was bad. Unhappy staff and the animals are nocturnal and just want to sleep. It felt just like animal abuse.