When you think of “animal cafe,” you may associate it with cat cafe or dog cafe. However, Japan is going far beyond on those typical animal cafe.
Have you dreamed of playing with unique birds, fluffy rabbits, or even with hedgehogs over drinks?
There are many unusual, but fun animal cafes in Japan. It’s going to be a special experience!
We have sorted 15 animal cafes that rarely exist in other countries. Tell us which you like the best!
1. Ikefukurou Cafe (Ikebukuro)
Have you ever dreamed of interacting with owls? If yes, Ikefukurou Cafe is the perfect place for you.
Ikefukurou Cafe is located in Ikebukuro with more than 30 kinds of owls, some of which can be rarely seen. Not only can guests touch owls but also they can place them on shoulders or arms up to 2 owls.
Adress: 1-7-1-6F, Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo
Website: http://www.ikefukuroucafe.com/
2. Akiba Fukurou (Akihabara)
Akiba Fukurou was opened in 2014 in Akihabara, which is a famous district for plenty of anime and manga-related shops and events. This owl cafe creates a relaxing environment for both owls and guests with a combination of classical music, chandelier, and white-based interior. Also, guests should make a reservation beforehand.
Guests have one hour of playtime, and one hour proceeds like a story once you enter the cafe. Before getting in the cafe, they read a Q&A book that contains profiles of all the owls, how to interact with them, etc. Japanese, English, Chinese, and French versions are available.
Then, they enter the room and have an instruction about playing with owls. After that, they are free to watch, touch, and play with owls in the clean, cozy room. They can ask a photographer to take photos with owls for free!
Adress: 67, Neribeicho, Kanda, Chiyodaku, Tokyo
Website: http://akiba2960.com/
3. Animal Room Ikemofu (Ikebukuro)
Do you want to play with animals like fennec, kinkajou, miacat, chinchilla, and flying squirrels?
Animal Room Ikefukuro has animals that we can rarely see even in the zoo. The cafe is divided into “small animal room” and “owl and reptile room,” and in the “owl and reptile room,” you can play with various types of owls and reptiles such as chameleons, lizards, snakes, and turtles!
Address: Narita Building 6F, 1-29-4, Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo
Website: http://www.ikemofu.jp/en/
4. Hachu Cafe (Kichijoji)
Hachu Cafe specialises in reptiles and its has many types of reptiles from lizards to chameleons, iguanas, snakes, turtles, geckos, and dragons. Isn’t there ever chances to play with these reptiles?
The owner opened this cafe not only for giving guests interesting experiences of interacting with reptiles, but also for promoting appropriate ways to have them at home.
Address: Starlight, Starbright Building 2F-B, 4-6-3, Honmachi, Kichijoji, Musashino, Tokyo
Website: http://turboreptiles.co.jp/#menu (Japanese only)
5. Usabibi (Ikebukuro)
If you adore rabbits, check out rabbit cafe!
Usabibi is a rabbit cafe located in Ikebukuro, where guests can play with rabbits with reasonable price, drink included. Also, you can see rabbits eating and you can feed them with carrots! Adorable rabbits never bore you here!
Address: Nakagawa Building 5F, 2-42-9, Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo
Website: http://usabibi.net/
. Ra.a.g.f (Harajuku)
Ra.a.g.f opened in Harajuku with a hope of people getting to know more about rabbits to prevent unconsidered purchase and abandonment.
There are 20 rabbits with six different kinds, and guests can choose up to two rabbits to play with. You can buy snacks for rabbits at the cafe to feed them. Also, you can bring your rabbits to the cafe!
Address: 6-14-1, Jingumae, SHibuya, Tokyo
Website: http://raagf.com/readme/
7. Usagi no Ehon (Shimokitazawa)
Usagi no Ehon is a small but cozy rabbit cafe in Shimokitazawa area. The cafe is decorated with picture books and handmade ornaments, which makes a fairy tale-like room. From six weeks-old bunnies to adult rabbits, adorable fluffy rabbits welcome guests.
This cafe also offers cute food and drink menus. After playing with rabbits, why don’t you have sweets and drinks motiefed with rabbits?
Address: 3-30-1, Kitazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo
Website: http://usaginoehon.web.fc2.com/index.html (Japanese only)
8. Harry (Roppongi)
Harry is the first hedgehog cafe in Japan with branches in Roppongi, Harajuku, and Yokohama. The cafe is very clean and furnished with the stylish decor.
When guests enter the cafe, a box is provided for per group and they pick one favorite hedgehog. After that, all you have to do is just enjoy interacting with your hedgehog. Just watching it moving, eating, and or sleeping gives you a cozy moment! In Roppongi store, you can also see reptiles such as eublepharidae.
Address: Iwabori Building 2F, 6-7-2. Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo
Website: http://www.harinezumi-cafe.com/en/
9. Cheese (Akihabara)
Japan has made even hedgehog cafes. A three-minute walk from Akihabara station, hedgehog cafe “Cheese” has its location.
Inside the cafe, there are couple of desks and chairs are set with hedgehogs in each desk. The price includes free refills of drinks, free Wi-Fi, and phone charger so guests can enjoy interacting with hedgehogs with a comfy environment.
Address: Kokiso Building 2F, 4-4-3, Sotokanda, Chiyoda, Tokyo
Website: http://fureai-harinezumi.com/english.html
10. Kotori Cafe (Ueno)
Kotori Cafe is located in Ueno district, a 10-minute walk away from Nezu station. Various types of birds such as parakeets, parrots, and Java sparrows welcome guests in a colourful, spacious room. Additional fee is charged when interacting with the birds.
This cafe attracts guests not only with birds but also with its homemade food and sweets with cute bird motifs. All the food, mugs, plates and cutlery are bird-themed. It is just adorable!
Address: 1-8-6, Uenosakuragi, Taito, Tokyo
Website: http://ueno.kotoricafe.jp/ (Japanese only)
11. Tori no Iru Cafe (Asakusa)
If you love birds in general, Tori no Iru Cafe in Asakusa is the best place. You can play with more than 100 birds including owls, parakeets, parrots ducks, etc. Birds are free to fly around the room, and guests are allowed to touch and place them on shoulders. You can get the food for bids for 100 yen. But be careful, once birds find you have food, you get locked on!
Address: Oyama Building B1F, 1-12-8, Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo
Website: http://toricafe.co.jp/en/asakusa-en/access-contact-asakusa-en
12. Takasho Chaya (Mitaka)
Takasho Chaya is the only one cafe that is owned by a falconer, located in Mitaka. Hawks are in a room with a glass-made wall, so guests can enjoy meals while watching them. Guests can take photos of hawks, but are not allowed to touch or feed them.
Falconers from around the world visit this cafe, sometimes with their hawks. You may be able to see hawks at a very close distance if you are lucky.
Address: 1-11-8, Shimorenjaku, Mitaka, Tokyo
Website: https://falconerscafe.web.fc2.com/english.html
13. Penguin no Iru Bar (Ikebukuro)
Penguin no Iru Bar is the only bar in Tokyo where guests can enjoy alcohol drinks with penguins. Penguins are in a spacious pool and guests can see them swimming and playing together. The owner loves penguins and gives them a proper care. Of course, guests can enjoy drinking with a plenty of alcoholic beverage and food menu!
Address: COSMY1 1F, 2-38-2, Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo
Website: https://www.govoyagin.com/ja/activities/japan-tokyo-see-penguins-in-a-bar-at-ikebukuro-tokyo/7979
14. Kingyozaka (Hongo)
Kingyozaka is a cafe where guests can enjoy a meal, watching goldfish swimming. Going through a narrow road, you find the signboard and huge water tanks with thousands of goldfish. There is also a fishing area along a path that leads to the cafe.
This retro, tranquil cafe is full of goldfish items and arts, and some tables are made of water tank so guests can see goldfish swimming while eating.
If you are looking for a place to be free from stress, this is the right place.
Address: 5-3-15, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo
Website: http://www.kingyozaka.com/ (Japanese only)
15. Mameshiba Cafe (Kamakura)
The symbol of Japanese animal…that’s Shiba Inu! Mame-shiba refers to smaller size of shiba inu, and they are absolutely cute! There are 13 mame-shiba aged from three month to five years old. The interior decor evokes a nostalgia of the “Showa” period of Japan (1920s-1980s).
Address: Hamasho Lafine BUilding 2F, 1-6-4, Yukinoshita, Kamakura, Kanagawa
Website: http://brangista.j-server.com/BRAOWLCATF/ns/tl.cgi/http://owls-cats-forest.com/free/mameshiba-kamakura?SLANG=ja&TLANG=en&XMODE=0&XCHARSET=utf-8&XJSID=0
Bonus! 5 Adorable Cat Cafe and Dog Cafe in Tokyo
1. Calico (Shinjuku, Kichijoji)
Calico in Shinjuku is the largest cat cafe in Tokyo with more than 50 cats, located in Shinjuku’s vibrant Kabukicho district. The fee is 1,000 yen (1,200 yen on weekends) per hour and 150 yen is charged by every 10 minute additional time.
Calico in Kichijoji has less cats, but it also offers you a relaxing time with cats. Good news is that Kichijoji store has a plenty of manga!
Address
Sinjuku: 6F Fuji Building, 1-16-2 Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Kichijoji: 1-8-2, Honmachi, Kichijoji, Musashino, Tokyo
Website: http://catcafe.jp (Japanese only)
2. Neko no Iru Basho (Ikebukuro)
Neko no Iru Basho is a unique cat cafe compared to other ones, with 2,000 manga in a spacious room. There are also desks, chairs, sofas and free Wi-Fi, so some people come here to do work while interacting with adorable cats.
Adress: 1-23-9-5F, Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo
Website: http://www.nya-n.jp/299/index.html (Japanese only)
3. Nekobukuro (Ikebukuro)
Nekobukuro is not strictly a cat cafe, but it has fame with uniquely designed interior, which created a society of cats, looking like a mixture of amusement park and kindergarten. When you go through the left-handed door, you see a fake train carriage stopping at “Nekobukuro station,” with plenty of cats sleeping.
Then you go into the area that features a society of cats. Guests can play 15 to 20 cats with reasonable price. It has “snack time” twice a day, which guests can feed cats.
Adress: Tokyu Hands Ikebukuro 8F, 1-28-10, Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo
Website: https://p2-pet.com/nekobukuro/index.html (Japanese only)
4. Inu no Jikan (Aoto)
Inu no Jikan does not look like a dog cafe at a glance- the cafe is a room of an apartment. But when you open the door, 13 friendly cute dogs give guests a warm welcome, jumping and waving tales. Since the cafe has a small space, only a handful groups can make a reservation per day.
Adress: 7-24-3, Aoto, Katsushika, Tokyo
Website: http://ootukainuyashiki.blog121.fc2.com/ (Japanese only)
5. DOG HEART from Aquamarine (Shibuya)
In this cafe, not only can you play with dogs, but also you can take them for a walk! This cafe made its first store in Shibuya in 2012, and opened a new branch in Shinjuku.
The owner opened this cafe to create a place where those who love dogs but cannot have one at home can interact with dogs. Also, she wanted to offer guests opportunities to imagine what it would be like to have a dog by allowing them to interact and walk with dogs. Since she has seen lots of dogs left from owners due to their unconsidered purchase, she strives to reduce the number of those unfortunate dogs.
Adress: Y’s Park Building 2F, 1-45-2, Tomigaya, Shibuya, Tokyo
Website: http://dog-heart.ico.bz/index.html (Japanese only)
Which cafe did you like the best? Share your favorite with us!