Japanese social media is now flooded by photos of influencers with bubble tea. But they're no ordinary cups of boba. Instead, the posts feature a giant pit filled with balls that look like tapioca pearls.These are scenes from the new Tokyo Tapioca Land, an indoor theme park dedicated to bubble tea in all its glory. The pop-up, which opened on Aug. 13 and will be up until Sept. 16, is said to be the first tapioca theme park in the world.It’s located in Harajuku, a district in Tokyo that’s known for its quirky boutiques and colourful street style. Owing to the worldwide obsession with milk tea, the park created buzz even before it opened. It instantly made headlines when Tokyo Photogenic Team, the group behind the operation, announced the unveiling of the park on July 19. By July 22, the pre-ticketed events available online were already sold out.Apart from the oversized tapioca ball pit, visitors can also take selfies in bubble tea-themed photo booths, beside bubble-tea decor, and by the many bubble-tea vendors. Tapioca is everywhere.The theme park’s coloured walls and pink swing sets are also all over “the ‘gram.”
Advertisement
However, some boba fanatics have been disappointed with the park. According to SoraNews 24, some reviewers complained about the limited space and steep ticket price of $9.30. Others found that their bubble tea fantasyland just didn’t live up to expectations.Like most countries in Asia, Japan is no stranger to the bubble tea craze which originated in Taiwan. It first hit Tokyo in the early 1990s, now known as Japan’s first “tapioca boom.”The nationwide infatuation with the drink has become so big that even notorious Japanese mobs known as the yakuza have ventured into it as well. Now Japan sells everything from tapioca beer to bubble tea-inspired lipstick.Find Meera on Twitter and Instagram.