Animal Cafes You Must See In Japan

One of my guilty pleasures in Tokyo is the animal cafes. I visited an owl, cat and dog cafes while I was there last year. Each place offered a uniquely different experience and the animals at each establishment looked like they were loved and well taken care of by the staff. Tokyo has a plethora of different animal cafes from the conventional to the slightly bizarre.

Since Tokyo is a big city that suffers from an epidemic of loneliness, it makes sense that animal cafes are popular with the Japanese. Animals provide immediate stress relief and positive therapeutic benefits to those who visit.

To help you search for the right animal cafe, I’ve prepared a list of most popular cafes in Tokyo

Calico In Shinjuku

This is one of the most popular cat cafes in Shinjuku. Located in on the 6th floor you’ll be met by the friendly staff and given an orientation. This is a cat lover’s heaven. There are two floors filled with cats. There are dwarf cats, flat faced cats, large cats, small cats – literally every type of cat and color. You must be at least 12 to visit so this is not option with families with small children.

Address: 1-16-2 Kabukicho | Fuji Bldg.6F, Shinjuku160-0021, Tokyo Prefecture

Phone Number: +81 337701328

Price: 1000 yen per 1 hour (Weekdays) / 1200 yen per 1 hour (Weekends) / 150 yen for each additional 10 minutes

Website / TripAdvisor Page.

Calico Cat Cafe, Shinjuku

Nekorobi

This is a really sweet cat cafe in Ikebukuro. They have a nice selection of cats here. The price includes free vending machine and cat treats. They also offer free WiFi and the use of a mac laptop for browsing.

Address: 1-28-1 Higashiikebukuro, Toshima 170-0013,Tokyo Prefecture

Phone Number: +81 362280646

Price: 1100 yen per 1 hour (Weekdays) / 1300 yen per 1 hour (Weekends) / 250 yen (weekday) or 300 yen (weekend) for each additional 15 minute

Website / TripAdvisor Page

Cat Lazing in Nekorobi

Temari No Ouchi

This cafe is downright adorable. It has small cottages that look like they came out of a story book. If you get a chance, try to get a table in one of the two enclosed areas because the cats seem to enjoy going through there. This is a popular cat cafe so the cats may be aloof from the extended attention they get throughout the day. Due to it’s popularity it’s not recommended to go there without a reservation.

Address: 2-13-14 Kichijoji Honcho | 3F, Musashino180-0004, Tokyo Prefecture

Price: Y1200 on weekdays, Y1600 on weekends and holidays, and Y700 after 7pm.

Phone: +81 422235503

Website / TripAdvisor Page

Temari No Ouchi Whimsical Cat House

Mocha

This is a wonderful little cat cafe in Ikebukuro. It has a large lounge area with a massive cat tree in the middle of the living room. There’s lots of cats and kittens that are active and looking for attention. During feeding time, the cats lined up in the middle of the room in a straight line.

It was Pretty-Damn-Cute.

I shot the below video in the cafe and it will give you a good idea of what it has to offer. Also, you’re charged on 10 minute intervals. So you only pay for time used, which is a pretty good deal. I highly recommend this place.

Address: 1-15-6 Nishiikebukkuro | Toshima Kaikan 3F,Toshima 171-0021, Tokyo Prefecture

Price: 200 yen per 10 minutes (which is 1,200 yen per hour)

Phone Number: +81 359278828

Website / TripAdvisor Page

Tori No Iru

This is a really small owl cafe that has 5 tables and about 16 seats. The main attraction though are the owls that are housed in an enclosure at the front of the cafe. This is not a cheap animal cafe, after ordering food and drinks you can pay an extra 500 yen to spend 5 minutes with the owls. I got to do this and I loved it. Below is a video from that visit.

Address: 2 Chome-6-7 Kiba Koto, Tokyo

Phone Number: +81 358098865

Website

Kotori Omotesando

This is another small bird cafe which specializes in parrots, parakeets, sparrows and cockatoos. Once you’ve ordered some drinks and a snack, you can pay 500 yen to spend 5 minutes handling the birds in an enclosure that’s in the back of the cafe. Due to the small size of the cafe, your time here is limited to 1 hour.

Address: 6-3-7 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Phone: +81 364275115

Website

Outside of Kotori Omotesando Cafe

Cafe Baron

This is really nice owl cafe where you get to hang out with owls and lizards as you enjoy some drinks and snacks. Cafe Baron has a hands off policy towards their animals, but you can take pictures as long as you don’t use flash and respect the animals personal space.

Address: Koenji-Kita 3-10-5, Tokyo Japan

Phone: +81 353566510

Website

cafe baron bird cafe

Dog Heart Cafe

I visited this cafe on my last day in Tokyo. This is relatively small place with one room filled with playful and raucous puppies and some older dogs. When I visited they had beagles, miniature poodles and one golden retriever. The dog cafe experience is the polar opposite of the cats (of course). The dogs are very high energy, constantly running around, jumping on you and fighting with one another. This cafe also has an option to take a dog on a walk.

Address: 1-45-2 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku Tokyo Japan

Phone: +81 334694115

Fee: Y950 for 30 minutes or Y1550 for 60 minutes cover charge in the cafe. Dog rental starts at Y3600 for 1 hour.

Website

Tokyo Snake Center

Located on the 8th floor of a Harajuku building is the Tokyo snake center. This place houses a collection of non-poisonous snakes that you can watch from behind the safety of glass or have a more hands on experience. It’s a little pricey but worth a visit if you’re interested in snakes.

Address: Sanpo Sogo Bldg 8F, 6-5-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku Tokyo

Phone: +81 364279912

Fee: 1000 yen you can have a drink with small snake accompanying you in a clear glass case, for an extra 540 yen can touch and play with a larger snake

Website