Owls and Cafes...

Cafes around the world are subtly different.... Usually there's a bar for coffee and snacks with cute little tables spread around... Tokyo tends to take it another step....

ANIMAL CAFES. You read that right. ANIMAL CAFES!!!! Essentially, tiny little cafes around the city where you can pay for a drink and the experience of seeing animals... Incredibly weird and would most likely be shut down by PETA in about 5 seconds if ever considered in the USA. 

Needless to say, I love animals and coffee, so yah... I found those mysterious little cafes! There are a ton of different cafes throughout Tokyo; cat cafes, rabbit cafes, menagerie cafes, random animal/wilderness cafes, HEDGEHOG CAFES (that's next on the list in case you missed the subtly), and of course, owl cafes. 

My friend and I set off and found Harajuku Owl Cafe & Bar on the 4th floor of a tiny little apartment building. When you walk in, it's a little room with windows everywhere, a counter where you order drinks, and a wall of windows separating the cafe from the owls. You order your drink and relax for a bit to give the owls a break from all the people, and then when it's your time, they bring you into the room and introduce you to the animals. There were about 10-12 owls throughout the room ranging in sizes and ages. The caretakers briefly went through an introduction of each owl, it's name, what kind, where to pet them, and how to handle them... They then just kind of set us loose and let us take pictures like the crazy people we were!

One of the caretakers handed me a glove and just put the owl on my arm with very little warning... Neither the owl or I were prepared for it... The pictures clearly prove it was not a match made in heaven.... 

                      Exhibit A:

The next few owls were more forgiving... And my fear of getting pecked to death slowly began to evaporate. 

              Exhibit B & C: 

Overall, the experience was incredible and one I would definitely do again. I highly recommend it if only to say that you held owls and pet them in Tokyo. They we generally adorable and ridiculously soft.... I'm not gonna lie.... I fully considered trying to stuff one in my purse and smuggle it home with me.... Luckily, the cafe thinks of that and gives you a tiny owl souvenir to take home with you instead of the actual live animal..... 

I got to snuggle owls. Yup. Here's a bonus video to prove they are cuddly if you didn't believe me... 

Love, Alison