tokyo pet cafes is a guest post by maria from universotokyo. she was born and raised in buenos aires but is currently residing in (you guessed it!) tokyo. i love her blog and i asked her if she could contribute a post to mine. she agreed and here you have her article on pet cafes. enjoy!

tokyo pet cafex

are you into snuggling bunnies while having coffee? or into playing with cats while catching up with a friend? petting owls while chilling? this sounds quite rare except if you live in tokyo. a new trend of pets cafes has been emerging in town… from cats to owls and goats and bunnies, you can spend time with any of these animals, while sipping a cup of coffee and enjoy the benefits of “pet therapy”.

first stop: ra.a.g.f (rabbit and grow fat), in harajuku. step inside the gated area, choose a spot in the little cafe, get a free drink and enjoy time with a bunny. only one bunny is allowed to wander around this area and the staff switches them every 30 minutes or so. spend a few extra yens and get fresh bunny treats that will assure you get some attention. the rest of the rabbits are in cages that you are welcome to open to pet the animals and take photos.

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next is kotori cafe in aoyama. it hosts a flock of colourful parrots, parakeets and cockatoos for your bird-watching enjoyment. have a cup of coffee/tea and spend 5 minutes with the bird of your choice.

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my fav so far: fukuro no mise. this cafe opens only a few days a week. it was by far the most complicated to get in but worth all the hassle! i had to go down there, make a reservation and come back later. i was there with a friend at 1:30 pm, and we could get in at 7:pm! they limited the amount of time to one hour (the cover charge is 2,000 yen for one hour, and you get a souvenir gift) you can take as many photos as you want (same in other cafes) and you get a drink as well. one thing is for sure…nothing in the world is cuter than baby owls!

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last stop: hapineko a cat cafe in the middle of shibuya. this cafe is opened every day and is ample and bright, with tables and little sofas and all sorts of cats toys, cat beds, boxes, ledges and shelves. at the moment, there are 16 cats in hapineko and you can pet and play with all of them. in general, all the cats were a bit on the shy side except for a kitten who didn’t stop jumping and running around. heaven for cats lovers!

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in a city where pets are not allowed in many buildings, this is a good alternative for animal lovers. bonding with these animals while enjoying a cup of coffee is a relaxing way to spend your free time.

useful info:

ra.a.g.f: jingumae 6-14-15, maison harajuku 3f, closest station: meiji-jingumae station (fukutoshin, chiyoda lines) official website here (japanese only)

kotori cafe: 6-3-7 minami-aoyama, minato-ku, tokyo, closest station: omotesando station (ginza, hanzomon, chiyoda lines – exit b1) official website here (japanese only)

fukuro no mise: tsukishima 1-27-9, closest station: tsukishima (yurakucho and oedo line, 1 minute walk from exit 10) *english-speaking staff on fridays, official website here (japanese only)

hapineko: cratos building (3rd floor), 2-28-3 dogenzaka, shibuya, tokyo, closest station: shibuya (hachiko exit) official website here (english, japanese)

also a big thanks to andreea for inviting me to take part in her wonderful blog. thanks!

photo credits: maria

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