Fukuro Cafe - Japan's Owl Cafes

Japan is famous for themed cafes: animal cafes, maid cafes, and cosplay spots. Today we will introduce a cafe for owl lovers, the Fukuro Cafe (梟カフェ). There you can have a drink and spend time with real owls. These owl cafes can be found in Tokyo, and they have also opened in Osaka and Nagoya.

This cafe is similar to the Neko Cafe: you pay a fee to enter, stay for a set window of time, and walk around to meet owls of various breeds. You can often hold them and take photos, pet them, and so on, after the staff show you how. Of course, most people go to this place for the owls and not to drink and eat. Some shops include a drink in the fee, while others barely serve food at all. Remember that these rooms are small and tend to be crowded, so if possible, make a reservation — in some houses it is required.

Playing with the owls at Fukuro Cafe

Owls are not usually pets, so you need to follow a lot of rules. After you sit down, the staff explain the session, usually in Japanese, and tourist shops may add English cards or spoken English. The visit often lasts about an hour, sometimes less, and part of that time is the briefing. In these cafes, you usually choose an owl to hold on a finger or the back of the hand. Sometimes you need to wear gloves for the larger owls. They can perch on your hand, shoulder, or head.

You will probably only be able to pet your owl, although you can take photos of all of them. They will explain how you should pet an owl, with care and common sense, touching from behind its head or back. You must be careful not to put your fingers in front of the owl and scare it. Flash, strong perfume, and sudden moves are usually banned, because owls hunt at night and hear very well.

Fukuro no Mise, Nagoya, and other shops

The owls are usually perched on stands or indoor trees. If you are in Tokyo, you can visit Fukuro no Mise (フクロウのみせ, "owl shop") in Tsukishima, a short walk from Tsukishima Station: it opened in 2012 and is still operating. Osaka also had a shop of the same name on Tenjinbashi. That branch later closed. In Nagoya, the known address was Fukuro no iru Mori Cafe (ふくろうのいる森カフェ) in Sakae. The operator currently lists that location as closed for relocation.

In Akihabara there is also Akiba Fukurou. It usually works on full online reservation, small groups, and a quiet room. Fees, hours, and how much you may touch an owl change from shop to shop, so check the current website or official account before you go.