Animal cafes in Japan with kids: the saddest experience (honest review)

The red fox was drugged to sleep in the animal cafe

Planning to visit animal cafes in Japan with kids? Before you add one to your Tokyo itinerary, here’s my honest experience visiting two of the most popular Tokyo animal cafes and what I wish I had known.

When planning my trip to Japan with my two little ones (then 3-year-old and 5-year-old), I spent countless hours researching family-friendly activities. Everywhere I looked, whether on travel blogs, social media, or forums, animal cafes in Japan seemed to top things to do in Japan, especially for families. These cafes, where you can sip a coffee while your kids snuggle and interact with animals, sounded like the perfect opportunity for a memorable, kid-friendly adventure. And like any mom, I wanted to give my children an experience they'd cherish forever.

Well, it's an experience I’ll never forget, but not for the reasons I had hoped.

Read my full blog post with all the travel mistakes we made on our Japan trip with kids.

🐾 What Are Animal Cafes in Japan?

Animal Cafes in Japan are supposed to be very different than other countries. These cafes offer a unique experience where visitors can spend time with animals (dogs, cats, pigs, owls, and other exotic animals), especially if they can’t keep them at home or feel lonely.

Most of these cafes follow a similar format where customers purchase a drink from a vending machine. This purchase allows them to spend a specific amount of time (anywhere between 30 min to 2 hours) with the animals, holding them or snuggling them in their laps.

You'll hear all kinds of cafes in Japan that are marked must-do experiences in Tokyo- Cat Cafes, Dog Cafes, Hedgehog Cafes, Owl Cafes, exotic animal cafes. (see below)

🏙️ Popular Animal Cafes in Tokyo (Before You Decide)

Before sharing my experience, here are some of the most commonly visited animal cafes in Tokyo:

• Harajuku Kawaii Zoo (for exotic animals)

• Cat cafes in Akihabara

• Hedgehog cafes in Harajuku

• Owl cafes across Tokyo

These places are widely recommended online, which is exactly why we chose them.

💔 Our Horrible Experience Visiting Animal Cafes in Japan with Kids

The idea of visiting an animal cafe was thrilling at first. Japan is famous for its quirky and unique takes on everyday activities, and animal cafes seemed like a great way to introduce my kids to animals up close. Reviews from other families talked about how much fun their kids had, holding animals they might never encounter in their daily lives.

So, I went ahead and booked two of the most recommended spots: Harajuku Kawaii Zoo and a Cat Cafe in Akihabara.

What unfolded next was both heartbreaking and eye-opening.

Harajuku Kawaii Zooland Experience (Animal Cafe Experience)

Purchasing tickets

Given the hype of animal cafes online, we ended up purchasing the tickets in advance (which turned out to be a mistake, more on that later). If you purchase online, the minimum time starts from one hour, which locks you for a long time of uncomfortable and distressing environment.

My advice:  
Avoid purchasing tickets online in advance. Instead, buy them in person, as the starting time is only 30 minutes, which is more manageable. While walking the streets of Harajuku, you'll have the opportunity to decide which option you prefer.

First Impressions at Harajuku Kawaii Zoolan:

The minute we stepped into the Harajuku Kawaii Zooland in Tokyo, our excitement turned to unease. We walked into a small room with multiple enclosures around the perimeter. Right away, something felt off; the air was thick with an unpleasant smell, and the overall atmosphere felt tense. The first red flag hit me when I saw the animals.

There were ferrets in an enclosure, one hedgehog hiding inside a warm blanket, one red fox (I know, right?), one exotic wild monkey in a cage (not to be touched), and a capybara (which passed away recently). You could pet them, hold them, and take pictures with the animals.

The cafe smelled like a petting zoo, and there were little directives given as to how to handle the animals. The lack of guidance and the apparent distress of the animals made the whole experience deeply uncomfortable.

Unsettling Experiences

My kids were excited at first, but it quickly turned into confusion and discomfort.

The hedgehog barely moved and was labeled “shy” as a reason. While we were given gloves to touch it, it was obvious that the poor thing wanted nothing to do with us. My kids barely saw his head pop out once.

The capybara, which the cafe was heavily marketed around, had passed away, leaving its area empty and desolate. This was a significant letdown, as we had been looking forward to seeing and interacting with the capybara.

One of the most disturbing aspects was seeing the red fox at the cafe. I didn't even know you could have a fox in an animal cafe. The little fox was either sleeping or was drugged to sleep. My guess is the latter. It was heartbreaking to see such a wild and energetic animal in such a condition. 

 I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had contributed to this animal's misery by supporting such a place.

The ferrets were another source of concern. They were wild, pacing up and down in their enclosure, clearly distressed. They hated being held, and as soon as you picked them up, they would start looking back at their enclosures, desperate to return. The ferrets even scratched one of my kids while trying to escape their hold and wanting to go back to their enclosures.

Ferrets are trying to escape the kids' hold

It was clear that the cafe prioritized profit over the well-being of the animals. We were so disappointed coming here and bringing our kids into this unethical cafe where animals were in distress.

Inhumane Conditions

It was inhumane, and anyone could see that the animals do not like interacting with humans. Even though we were the first visitors of the day, most of them seemed exhausted and uninterested when we came in. The animals appeared stressed and unhappy, and it was clear that they were not comfortable with the constant interaction with people.

Cat Cafe in Akhihabara (Animal Cafe Experience)

After the concerning first experience at Harajuku Kawaii cafe in Tokyo, people mentioned visiting a Cat Cafe instead, calling it ethical and a great experience for kids. So, I took the kids to visit The Cat Cafe in Akihabara.

This time I was cautious and asked for only 20 minutes (we all learn from our lessons, right?).

However, those 20 minutes were equally disheartening. The cafe lacked the warmth and care that one would expect from a place that supposedly loves animals.

As we entered, there were around 10 cats of different sizes and colors. There was a cat house at the corner of the room where most of the cats were resting. The cats outside were indifferent at best, and many of them seemed to prefer being left alone. My kids tried to pet them, but most would hiss or just move their paw to stop their hands. We kept trying other cats to pet, but they hardly wanted to play or be petted. They would sit in the corner eyeing us wildly. Two cats would just sit in front of the door, waiting for it to open and escape.

Time really slowed down, and 20 minutes just seemed like 2 hours. Even my kids wanted to get out within 10 minutes of those cats attacking them. We picked up our included drink and left after 15 minutes.

⚖️ Are Animal Cafes in Japan Ethical?

While not all animal cafes in Japan are the same, many raise serious concerns with limited space and excessive human stimulation.  Some animals appear stressed and unhappy with the constant interaction with people.

There are some cafes that claim to be more ethical (especially adoption-based cat cafes), but they are not always the ones heavily marketed to tourists.

The idea of these cafes may seem harmless and fun, but in reality, the animals often suffer for our entertainment. I’ve heard similar reports from other travelers we met who visited a rabbit cafe (only one bunny could be out at a time, or they’d fight) and dog cafes.

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👶 Are Animal Cafes in Japan Good for Kids?

If you’re traveling to Japan with kids, this is an important question. From my personal experience

👉 Not all animal cafes are suitable for kids

• Animals may react unpredictably depending on the stimulation they have received

• Some environments can feel uncomfortable with a lot of enclosures for animals, giving them little space to move freely

• Animals can be stressed in tense environments and may scratch kids without knowing. Just like the incident my younger daughter had.

  
  

If your child loves animals, there are better alternatives like:

• Zoos

• Animal parks

• Nature-based experiences

See my blog post for all the fun experiences to do with Kids in Japan.

If you or your kids are ethically inclined for the well-being of animals, I will leave it up to you to decide to visit an animal cafe in Tokyo or other places in Japan. I had a regretful experience in Tokyo, Japan. The well-being of the animals should always come first, and it is clear that this is not always the case in these cafes. If you are considering visiting an animal cafe, I urge you to think carefully about the ethical implications and the potential harm to the animals.

💡 What I Wish I Knew Before Visiting an Animal Cafe in Japan

If you’re still considering visiting an animal cafe in Japan, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Avoid exotic animal cafes

• Look for ethical or adoption-based cat cafes

• Visit for shorter durations (20–30 mins max)

• Observe animals before interacting

• Don’t force interaction

  
  

Final Thoughts: Was It Worth It?

Honestly, No!! For us, visiting animal cafes in Japan with kids turned out to be one of the most disappointing parts of our trip.

What we expected to be a fun, memorable experience became something that felt uncomfortable and, at times, upsetting. That said, I’m glad we experienced it because now we know. What is marketed is not always worth your time.

👉 If you’re considering adding an animal cafe to your Tokyo itinerary, I’d recommend doing your research carefully or skipping it altogether.

I would love to hear from you regarding such experiences. When you travel, have you fallen into a tourist trap, or did it not matter to you?

📌 Save This Before Visiting Animal Cafes in Japan

If you're planning a trip to Japan with kids, this is one experience worth thinking through carefully.

HAPPY TRAVELLING!!!