The Cutest Character-Themed Cafes and Animal Cafes in Japan
/Japan is full of cute cafes and especially adorable themed cafes. They have everything from cat cafes to Totoro cafes to hedgehog cafes and it's so hard to choose between all these awesome cafes with limited time (and cash). These are some of the cutest cafes we have visited in Japan:
Shirohige's Cream Puff Factory
This was our favorite cafe in Japan as we love Totoro and Ghibli films. Their specialty is the cream puffs in the shape of a Totoro and they are so cute and tasty. So cute that you almost feel bad cutting into it. You can eat at their cafe upstairs or order takeout from downstairs. If you would like to sit at a table, make sure you arrive first thing in the morning as their tables fill up fast.
Pompompurin Cafe
I'm not sure if a cafe can get any cuter than this. Everything about this cafe explodes cuteness. As soon as I walked in, I felt like I was a little kid again giddy with all the cuteness surrounding me. All the dishes are adorable and presented in the shape of Pompompurin. The only downside about this cafe is that the service is not so great and the food is average. That part didn't bother me too much as I was obsessed with how cute my dishes were.
Hedgehog Cafe
Most people enjoyed this cafe and we were really excited about this cafe too, but once we got there and had the opportunity to hold a hedgehog, we got scared. We were too afraid that the hedgehog would cut us with it's sharp spines. BUT everyone else was having a wonderful time holding their cute little hedgehogs as they sipped on some tea and snacks at the tiny tables. We were just scaredy cats.
Owl Cafe
Owl cafe was much more calm and we were not as afraid of holding the animals. We were scared to hold the bigger owls, but the little owls were really cute and relaxed. One of the owls pooped on my head, so make sure you're careful when an owl starts climbing up your arm and onto your head.
Cat Cafe
Cat cafes are old news in Japan, but if it's your first time visiting an animal cafe, starting with cats might be more ideal. Since there are hundreds of cat cafes to choose from nowadays, Japan started creating more artsy, designer cat cafes like Cat Cafe MoCHA.
Hello Kitty Cafe
We grew up with Hello Kitty around the house and although we have outgrown collecting Hello Kitty items, we enjoyed her cafe in Odaiba, Japan. All of the cafes we mentioned above were in pretty small spaces, but this Hello Kitty cafe is quite large and it located inside a huge shopping mall in Odaiba, Japan. It's a super cute London themed cafe since that is Hello Kitty's birthplace. We always thought she was born in Japan!
Reissue Cafe
Reissue isn't necessarily a themed cafe but it's worth a mention since they can make awesome 3D character coffee art. We asked the coffee artist to create Totoro for us, but he can make just about anything you ask for including Pikachu, Mickey Mouse and Snoopy. It's definitely worth a visit if you're into super kawaii things.
There are so many cafes to choose from in Japan and every year we discover a new place. Here are some other suggestions that might be of interest to you if you are on a hunt for more cute themed cafes:
Bunny Cafe - This bunny cafe is located right next to Hedgehog Cafe, so if you're wanting to fit in two animal cafes at once, Roppongi is the place to go.
Kawaii Monster Cafe - This cafe looks crazy awesome with all the vibrant colors and wacky sculptures. It reminds me of the movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Sanrio Puroland - If you want the ultimate cuteness overload experience, you must visit Sanrio Puroland. It's a little out of the way from Tokyo, but worth visiting if you're a huge Sanrio fan and cute character-themed cafes.
Hope this list helps you find those cute cafes in Japan!