A Date with Adorable: Animal Cafés in Tokyo

Komugi, a red tabby American shorthair, lounges by a window at Cat Café Mocha.

Northern white-faced owl Hanno perches on a chair at the Owl Nest Café.

Four-toed hedgehogs, particularly the salt and pepper variety, are popular among customers at Hedgehog Café Harry.

Pritz, a Netherland dwarf at café Ra.A.G.F., is the spitting image of Peter Rabbit.

Jagger, a jungle carpet python at the Tokyo Snake Center, is surprisingly soft and supple to pet.

Toy poodles, such as this one at Dog Heart, are popular in Japan.

A northern goshawk stares coolly from its roost at the Falconer’s Café.

The shop’s 13 cats melt hearts as they nibble side by side during one of the café’s twice-daily feeding times.

Located across from Harajuku Station, the café is a popular draw for Japanese and foreign visitors alike.

Customers ply the feline staff with kitty snacks.

Shop manager Abdullah, a Saudi Arabian national and long-time resident of Japan, holds one of the café’s feathered residents. Owls are known as being nocturnal, but the birds at the shop were bred in captivity and are active during the daytime. Interested customers can inquire about purchasing their own hooter.

Customers can ask to feed an owl or have it sit on their shoulder.

The owls are able to fly freely around the café. As the birds are not housebroken, though, there are occasional messes to clean up.

Of the nearly 100 varieties of hedgehog found around the world, the four-toed variety is the only breed kept as pets in Japan. Customers can ask staff for help in handling the animals or follow the shop’s printed how-to guide.

The café is a popular attraction for foreign visitors to Japan. Seats are positioned around hedgehog boxes, and even when busy, the shop guarantees customers their own harinezumi to cuddle.

Timid patrons can don gloves when touching or holding hedgehogs to avoid being pricked by an errant spine.