Given the shoebox-like proportions of most Tokyo apartments, many of the city’s animal lovers are forced to find alternatives to keeping a pet at home. Enter the animal café: These highly unusual, unabashedly quirky venues welcome guests to relax and sip tea in the company of their furry friends of choice. Whether offering cats, rabbits, dogs or even reptiles to cuddle with, these six venues are our top picks for critter cafés in Tokyo.
In Japanese culture, cats represent wealth and good fortune. This café allows customers to enjoy their lunch or coffee breaks surrounded by a multitude of coddled felines. Alongside the drink offerings, there’s an additional menu that lets visitors try and buy attention from the cats – everything from cat food to feathered toys are sold separately. Roughly 15 cats are present at any given time, hiding under the floor pillows and pink sofas or eagerly awaiting treats and attention.
Sakuragaoka Café
Opened in 2009 in bustling Shibuya, Sakuragaoka Café has the distinction of being the only goat café in Japan’s capital. The two critters who call the restaurant home, Chocolat and Sakura, are the main attractions of the venue, with visitors coming in to watch the animals get fed. While diners can hang out next to the two, note that petting is discouraged.
Captivity-raised owls can be admired at the recently opened Fukuro No Mise café, part of a growing trend of owl adoration that kicked off with the release of the Harry Potter films. For the price of a coffee, customers can spend some quality time with the birds – start with petting before working up to letting the birds stake out territory on your shoulder.
Snakes, turtles, iguanas and owls are only a few of the animals available to pet at this Tokyo café. Visitors can enjoy green curry while cuddling with snakes, or take a stroll down the front alley to feed the African eagle owl.
Looking to de-stress? This Harajuku coffee house gives customers the chance to mingle with a selection of impossibly cute rabbits. Ra.a.g.f is also attached to a breeding center where customers can purchase one of their very own if they can’t stand to leave without a furry companion in tow. Make sure you arrive early, as the café is always jam-packed.
At Deco’s Dog Café, not only can you have a drink in the company of dogs, but you can also share a meal with your favorite furry friend. With a special menu that includes canine and human versions of chicken pies, cabbage rolls and sweet potatoes, two- and four-legged visitors alike are likely to have a good time.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…whose Tokyo guide cover all the best hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, sights, shops and spas
