Animal Cafes in Hiroshima

Apr 26, 2021

Animal Cafes in Hiroshima

Though animal cafes first reared their furry little heads in Taiwan, since 2004, they have boomed throughout Japan, and there are spots throughout the nation at which you can sit and pet animals whilst enjoying a range of hot or cold drinks.

It’s no surprise that the popularity of animal cafes has boomed in Japan. With so much of the population living in small, rented apartments where the keeping of pets is generally forbidden, animal lovers are forced to take this unusual step to get closer to their fuzzy friends. Combined with the ‘kawaii culture’ and the propensity for the Japanese youth taking to Instagram to document their lives (it’s gotta be ‘instabae,’ you know!), then you have a recipe for a thriving – not to mention quintessentially Japanese – industry.

A few animal cafes dot Hiroshima, ranging from the quite normal to the downright bizarre. Below is a small selection.

Café Manekineko

You probably already know the word ‘Maneki Neko’ as those porcelain cat statues that beckon you into shops and restaurants, but here, in this cozy little café near Yokogawa Station, the cats are more than real.

There are currently almost 40 cats for you to meet (although not all will be on display simultaneously to as give them some time off). They absolutely take over the place, draping themselves on every free bit of furniture… and customers.

It costs 1,200 JPY per hour (half price for kids), which comes with one free drink, but if you want to stay – and if you love cats, then you no doubt will – then it’s just 300 JPY for a 15-minute extension. If you’re peckish, they also have food, such as pizza, okonomiyaki, and various simple rice dishes, as well as kakigori [shaved ice] desserts.

Where: 1 Chome-7-19 Misasamachi, Nishi Ward, Hiroshima (map)
Website:  http://cafe-manekineko.com/

Nekogokochi

If that’s not enough cat for you, just a short walk from the Peace Park is Nekogogochi (kind of meaning ‘cat feeling), Hiroshima’s first cat café that only features rescued cats.

Established in 2016 as a ‘cozy space for cats and you,’ Nekogokochi is designed as a peaceful place where you can sit, read a book and relax as the little scamps play around you.

It costs 1,000 JPY for an hour with an extra 500 JPY for an additional 30 minutes. Choosing the nomihoudai [all you can drink] option will set you back just 400 JPY, and buying treats for the cats is 300 JPY.

Where: 1 Chome-1-27 Honkawacho, Naka Ward, Hiroshima (map)
Website:  https://nekogokochi.com/index-en.html

Owl de Base

If you prefer feathers to furriness, then Owl de Base is probably more your kind of thing. The largest animal café in Western Japan, there are around 30 owls, hawks, falcons, and (rather incongruous, when you consider the number of birds of prey in the region) hedgehogs and meerkats that you can meet, feed, pet, and take photographs with.

Usefully, there are English translations worldwide, which means you can learn all about the animals you get to know. It costs 1,650 JPY per hour, which is a little more than the cat cafes but includes drinks. Unfortunately, although you may feed the animals (for a small fee), they do not serve human food, so don’t come hungry.

Where: Hiroshima, Naka Ward, Fukuromachi, 1−33 4F (map)
Website:  https://www.owl-de-base.com/english/

---

Image: via https://twitter.com/OWL_de_Base/header_photo
Image: via https://nekogokochi.com/index-en.html
Image: via https://www.instagram.com/p/CFi39JynBg3/
Image: by 命は美しい via flickr.com [CC by 2.0] – Modified