Collaborative Cafe, ClariS Cafe, Opens at Ufotable Cafe, Connects Staff and Anime Fans Together

Exclusive notebooks prepared for ClariS Cafe.

Ufotable Cafe is a cafe run by the anime production studio Ufotable, which is responsible for continuing to create hit works such as Fate/Zero and Kara no Kyokai. This cafe routinely holds collaborations with various works and artists. A collaboration cafe with the two-person idol unit ClariS, called ClariS Cafe, is open now until June 30.

The cafe – which has a stylish, relaxing woody interior – is about a 10-minute walk from JR Koenji Station. You may be wondering, “Why would an anime production studio have a cafe?” To find out, we visited the cafe and talked with PR specialist Ozaki from Ufotable, who showed us how important fans are to the company: “Ufotable Cafe is the culmination of our wanting to feel even closer to anime fans than we are as creators. Therefore, not just notebooks from fans, but also those freely written by Ufotable staff have been prepared. In those notebooks are not just thoughts and drawings from people who visit the cafe, but also many of those from staff, and we have been able to connect the two in an analog way.”

It is surprising that they use an analog method like notebooks and not just methods linked to the Internet. Also for ClariS Cafe, the raw voices of those who visit the cafe are filled in notebooks used exclusively for it.

In addition to Claris Cafe, Ufotable Cafe constantly implements different collaboration projects.

TOM: What kind of criteria do you use to form collaborations?
Ozaki: There have also been projects for work our company has created, like Fate/Zero. However, they are not limited simply to our works, nor anime. We are assertively collaborating with things that have a connection to us.”

TOM: Of course, you also collaborate with games similar to Summon Night 5.
Ozaki: We want to assertively collaborate with artists similar to our current collaboration with ClariS if there is any connection to us.

TOM: Although, we expect that the development of a menu for each collaboration is vitally important to it, right?
Ozaki: That is pretty important (laughs). Of course, if the menu is different than what those who like the work we are collaborating with imagine, the project itself would no longer hold together. Consent from fans becomes extremely important. If there is an eating scene within the story of an anime or game, we decide to reproduce those items shown. However, in addition to that, how the food looks and tastes are important as well, so we go back and forth many times over on the collaboration side before we decide.

TOM: Did you encounter any trouble putting together the menu for the ClariS collaboration?
Ozaki: The menu for ClariS was relatively easy to do. The CD package features the image of a cake and candy, so the only thing we were careful of was how to express the images of Alice and Clara.

TOM: What kind of people make up the majority of those who visit Ufotable Cafe?
Ozaki: Of course, there are many women, but in the evening on weekdays, there are many salarymen. Depending on the work being collaborated with, the gender ratio can vary quite a bit.

TOM: Isn’t it true that not just fans from Japan, but from abroad as well have come to the cafe?
Ozaki: People from overseas do also come to the cafe. We would like even more overseas customers to come to the cafe. We would be happy if they could closer experience Japanese animation.

Ufotable constantly thinks about fans and challenges themselves in various areas. It is for these reasons that they constantly create high-quality anime.

Next time, we will take a trip to Ufotable Cafe’s sister cafe in Shinjuku to check out ClariS Dining.

ClariS Cafe
Dates: June 18-30
Business Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. (last order is 10:30 p.m.)
Closed: Sundays (in the case of a national holiday, the cafe will be closed on Tuesday)
- When crowded, guests will be seated via a numbering system

Ufotable Cafe Tokyo
Location: Nagata Building 1F, 1-38-11 Nogata, Nakano, Tokyo

Ufotable Cafe Tokushima
International Higashisemba 113 Building 2F, 1-13 Higashisemba, Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture

ClariS Dining
Dates: June 20 - July 2
Business Hours: 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. (last order is 10:30 p.m.)
Closed: Wednesdays
- When crowded, guests will be seated via a numbering system

Ufotable Dining
Shinjuku Sanchome 9-1 B1, Shinjuku, Tokyo

ClariS Cafe Special Site:
http://www.ufotable.com/cafe/tokyo/gallery/clariscafe/index.html (Japanese)

ClariS Dining Special Site:
http://www.ufotable.com/dining/claris_dining (Japanese)

Second Story
ClariS’ second album Second Story was released on June 26!

The album features 12 songs with three being from big-hit anime: the opening theme “Reunion” from the second season of Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai, the theme song “Luminous” to Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Beginnings, and the opening theme “Wake Up” to Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture.

Release date: June 26
Pre-order exclusive limited edition: 4,000 yen
Limited edition: 3,600 yen
Regular edition: 3,059 yen
(all prices include tax)

ClariS’ Official Site:
http://www.clarismusic.jp/ (Japanese)

This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
This article was written by NOBUYUKI HAYASHI(slf)

Ufotable Cafe’s exterior. At the entrance, large tapestries featuring ClariS are displayed.
Ufotable Cafe’s exterior. At the entrance, large tapestries featuring ClariS are displayed.
The interior of Ufotable Cafe had ornaments based on ClariS’ new album, "Second Story."
The interior of Ufotable Cafe had ornaments based on ClariS’ new album, "Second Story."
Not just prints signed and commented on by ClariS were on display, but also the background music and videos were all of ClariS.
Not just prints signed and commented on by ClariS were on display, but also the background music and videos were all of ClariS.
Exclusive notebooks prepared for ClariS Cafe.
Exclusive notebooks prepared for ClariS Cafe.
Everything shown is limited to the Tokyo collaboration menu. The two guys sent from our editorial team to the cafe were overwhelmed by the cuteness of the food.
Everything shown is limited to the Tokyo collaboration menu. The two guys sent from our editorial team to the cafe were overwhelmed by the cuteness of the food.
“Clara’s Float,” a drink made in the image color (pink) of Clara (600 yen).
“Clara’s Float,” a drink made in the image color (pink) of Clara (600 yen).
“Alice’s Float,” a drink made in the image color (blue) of Alice (600 yen).
“Alice’s Float,” a drink made in the image color (blue) of Alice (600 yen).
“Clara and Alice’s Croissant Sandwich” (1,000 yen). A lovely set meal that comes with an egg sandwich based on Clara’s moon motif, a smoked salmon sandwich based on Alice’s sun motif, salad, and soup.
“Clara and Alice’s Croissant Sandwich” (1,000 yen). A lovely set meal that comes with an egg sandwich based on Clara’s moon motif, a smoked salmon sandwich based on Alice’s sun motif, salad, and soup.
“ClarS Parfait - Second Story” (780 yen) is a fairly large parfait. Though that didn’t stop us from eating all of it.
“ClarS Parfait - Second Story” (780 yen) is a fairly large parfait. Though that didn’t stop us from eating all of it.
“Strawberry Waffles - Reunion” (650 yen) has both a cute appearance and enough food for a guy to easily eat.
“Strawberry Waffles - Reunion” (650 yen) has both a cute appearance and enough food for a guy to easily eat.
Those who order from the ClariS collaborative menu receive an original signed placemat, a coaster, and a badge (available only while supplies last).
Those who order from the ClariS collaborative menu receive an original signed placemat, a coaster, and a badge (available only while supplies last).
Collaborative Cafe, ClariS Cafe, Opens at Ufotable Cafe, Connects Staff and Anime Fans Together 12
Collaborative Cafe, ClariS Cafe, Opens at Ufotable Cafe, Connects Staff and Anime Fans Together 13

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