KyleeIn Japan, there are all sorts of animal-themed cafes, ranging from cats, dogs, rabbits to even owls! And when I say owl cafe, I don’t mean our 3-in-1 OWL instant coffee, and no, I don’t mean this place either:
Image credit : Huney’Z World
There are quite a few owl cafes in Japan, and one of them is Fukurou no Mise, which roughly translates to “owl’s shop”. They have a few branches around Japan, and the one I visited was at Fukuoka, Hakata.
Here’s a list of reasons why you should visit an owl cafe.
Also read: Exploring Japan: 9 Easy Day Trips from Tokyo
1. Owls are surprisingly cute and fluffy!
Owls are often linked to notions of wisdom – like the phrase “wise old owl”. In real life, however, owls are surprisingly cute and fluffy. Come to an owl cafe to discover the other side of owls. Some of them enjoy being stroked, especially on their heads. How adorable!
2. It’s better than trying to spot owls in a bird park
Straining your eyes to spot a caged owl? Nah, not in an owl cafe. For an affordable ¥1500 yen per hour, you’ll get up and close to owls, pet them, and even take selfies with them! Oh, and you’ll get a drink too. Forget bird parks – owl cafes are the in-thing now!
3. There is a large variety of owl species
This cafe has around ten owls of differing species – barn owl, barred owl, burrowing owl, Eurasian eagle owl and more. And if you’re lucky, they may have baby owls too, but you can’t pet those little creatures. Photos only!
4. Because Hedwig and Harry Potter
Calling out to all Harry Potter’s fans! Dress up like a wizard and have a fantasy time in an owl cafe. Come on, don’t be shy, nobody will judge you. Japan is a country for cosplay, right?
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5. The owls are well taken care of
The staff in this owl cafe will guide you on the the do’s and don’ts of how to handle their owls. These owls are well taken care of and the staff will make sure that customers don’t break the stated rules.
6. You may catch your Pidgey
Image credit : Fukurou no Mise Tsukishima
Crazy about Pokémon GO? Who knows, you may catch ’em all here!
7. And if you’re lucky like me…
No, I didn’t pluck that! An owl shed its feather while I was there, and the staff offered this precious feather to me as a souvenir knowing that I was crazily in love with owls. She told me that owl feather is a lucky charm!
Are you sold on owl cafes yet? Fukurou no Mise has outlets in Hakata, Osaka, and Kyoto! There are also other owl cafes found throughout the country.
Also read: Okunoshima, Japan: Where Rabbits Outnumber Humans
Fukurou no Mise Hakata
Price : ¥1,500 per hour, includes one drink (additional ¥200 for alcoholic drinks)
Groups of up to 20 each hour, and advance reservations required
Address: 4-211 Kamikawabatamachi, Hakata-ku
Opening hours: 12pm to 8pm on Tuesday to Friday; 11am to 8pm on Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays.
