If there’s an unusual animal interaction to be had on a trip, you can count me in! Whether it’s sharks, stingrays, dolphins, swimming pigs, raccoons, parrots, you name it, I’m there. On a recent trip to Japan, I had several animal encounters at the top of my to do list, and believe me, they were all well worth it. If you’re like me and you want to seek out the best places to feed, pet, and hold some new furry or feathered friends, check out these top spots for animal interactions in Japan!
Animal Cafes
There are a lot of animal cafes to choose from in Tokyo. Cat cafes are the most common, but you’ll also see dog cafes and bunny cafes. I did my research ahead of time and found two that really stood out: an owl cafe called Akiba Fukurou and a hedgehog cafe called Harry Hedgehog. One thing I highly recommend is making your reservation online before you go! Not all places take reservations, but both of these cafes have booking sites in English (an added bonus). Unfortunately, I didn’t think ahead for the hedgehog cafe and by the time I looked online, they were all booked for the day we wanted to go. They take walk-ins too, but we ended up waiting over an hour in line to get in! The owl cafe was so small and books up so fast, I doubt there are any walk-ins.
Owl Cafe
Akiba Fukurou was incredible. As soon as you walk in, there are owls perched everywhere. They’re fully out in the open (but they do have leashes to keep them tethered to their designated spots). You’re allowed to hold two owls during your hour booking, which is really a 45-minute appointment after the orientation. But it still gives you plenty of time to take photos with the owls of your choosing, plus you can walk around the room and snap pics of all the other owls on their perches. And they have an amazing variety to choose from. Some of the owls are tiny and cute, and others are huge and intimidating. The 45 minutes goes by fast, but I loved seeing these gorgeous birds up close! I definitely felt like I got my money’s worth.
Hedgehog Cafe
Harry Hedgehog & Bunny Cafe took its name “Harry” as a play on the Japanese word for hedgehog “harinezumi” which literally translates to “needle mouse”—I just can’t get over how perfect that descriptor is! We only stayed for a 30-minute appointment, turning down the option to extend to an hour. Although it sounds short, it did feel like an adequate amount of time to spend with the hedgehogs. I held two of them and bought snacks for them to eat. One fell asleep in the crook of my arm, and I left feeling like I was the hedgehog whisperer. It was a successful visit.
One thing to note- they do have a bunny cafe on a separate floor from the hedgehog cafe. If you show up without a reservation, make sure you’re waiting in the right line! When we went, there was no line for the bunny cafe but a really long line for the hedgehogs. Most of us didn’t realize you could get in faster if you waited for the bunnies instead. Sure, bunnies are cute, but I was in it for the needle mouse!
Feeding the Deer in Nara
We took a day trip from Kyoto to Nara (about an hour away via subway) for an afternoon with the deer in Nara Park. The park is a short walk away from the subway station, and you start seeing a few deer pretty quickly. But keep walking because there are so many more to come! There are vendors everywhere selling packs of “deer crackers” for 150 yen (a little more than a dollar). We ended up buying 4 packs and easily could have bought more. The best part about the deer is that they will bow to you for crackers. We got a big kick out of bowing to the deer and seeing them bow back to us!
The deer are very interested if they know you have food for them. If you don’t, they’ll give up and follow someone else who does. They don’t get aggressive, but they will surround you if there are a lot of deer in your vicinity. If that makes you uncomfortable, or if you just don’t want to be swarmed, it’s easy to stick to the outskirts and lure just one or two away from the crowds. The most I had around me at once was two or three. One of the deer did start headbutting me gently when I took too long with the deer crackers. And one of them nipped at my husband’s pant leg. Startling, yes, but not harmful in any way. They don’t like to be touched very much, especially on the head or neck. You can usually pat them gently on the back, and the deer will permit it (even more so if they’re getting crackers).
Iwatayama Monkey Park
In Kyoto, you can hike up to Iwatayama Monkey Park which is within walking distance from the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. When I say hike, I mean it. It’s about a 20-minute walk up the mountain after you buy your tickets. Full disclosure, I’m in terrible shape and I’m not a hiker by any means. So, the uphill walk was pretty rough for me but for others might not be an issue at all. There are a few spots to stop and rest along the way if you need it. Don’t worry, it’s worth the trek.
When you reach the park, you’re rewarded with a stunning view of Kyoto and a fascinating opportunity to get up close and personal with Japanese macaque monkeys. The monkeys seem very accustomed to tourists; they will walk right past you without giving you a second glance. You can freely walk around the park and the viewing platform for as long as you like. The monkeys are going about their usual business, whether it’s sleeping, cleaning each other’s fur, sitting in the trees or just walking among the tourists. You can’t feed the monkeys out in the open (this is very important) but you can go to the feeding area to buy monkey food and feed them safely from inside. You hold the food out in your palm, and the monkeys will reach in and grab it. It’s a lot of fun, no matter how old you are!
More for the Bucket List!
There are a few other notable animal interactions in Japan that I missed out on, but are worth mentioning because they’re so unique! Time permitting, I would have LOVED to see the snow monkeys lounging in hot springs at Jigokudani Monkey Park. Unfortunately, it was too far for us to make it a day trip. Maybe next time!
Another amazing animal destination is Ōkunoshima, or Rabbit Island. Although it has a sad history rooted in World War II, today the island is known for being overrun by bunnies, which are friendly to tourists and eager for a snack.
Have you had any unusual animal interactions in Japan? Feel free to share in the comments below!
Kate Sherga, Travelocity Copywriter
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