The Cutest Character-Themed Cafes and Animal Cafes in Japan

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Thanks to Candy and Crystal, Travel Pockets, for this guest post on 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. It’s so hard to choose between all these awesome cafes with limited time (and cash), which is why I’ve asked Candy and Crystal of Travel Pockets to share with us the cutest cafes they’ve been to in Japan!

Candy and Crystal grew up as military brats and spent the first half of their lives in Japan. The majority of their family resides in Japan, but they ventured out and spent the second half of their lives mainly in the United States.

They go back to Japan every year to spend time with family and explore something new and exciting, which is why they’re my favorite go-to bloggers for all things Japan such as cute cafes! Read on for their recommendations.

Is it your first time going to Japan? Check out my post on everything you need to know for your first time in Japan or skip the hassle and have a local plan your trip for you.

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

We’re not sure if a cafe can get any cuter than this. Everything about this cafe explodes cuteness. As soon as we walked in, we felt like we were little kids again giddy with all the cuteness surrounding us. 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 us too much as we were obsessed with how cute our 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 poke us with its 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. 

Is it your first time going to Japan? Check out my post on everything you need to know for your first time in Japan.

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.

As we mentioned earlier, there are so many more cafes to choose from in Japan, but we simply didn’t have the time to visit all of them. Here are a few more 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.

Cafe de Miki – A little Hello Kitty cafe with sweets and drinks.

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!

XO, Travel Pockets (Candy & Crystal)

Related Japan Posts

• First timer’s guide to Japan
• Cutest character-themed and animal cafes in Japan
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan
• Tipping in Japan

About Candy & Crystal

We’re Candy and Crystal. We’re sisters who grew up as military brats and spent the first half of our lives in Japan. The majority of our family resides in Japan, but we ventured out and have spent the second half of our lives mainly in the United States. We both love traveling and have always documented our travels, so we decided it was time to share our travel experiences with the rest of the world. We visit Japan every year to spend time with family and each time we go back there is something new and exciting happening.

Check out our blog, Travel Pockets!

All photos belong to Candy & Crystal. They may not be used or distributed without their express permission. Please ask them for permission if you love them so!