After my meeting at the University of Tokyo, I planned to visit an owl cafe. Japan is famous for animal cafes. In these cafes, you can cuddle cute animals while having a cup of coffee or tea. I’ve already visited a cat cafe, and I liked it. But ever since I learned of the existence of owl cafes in Tokyo, I have wanted to visit one.

Owls, unlike cats, are not really domesticated animals. Thanks to the Harry Potter series, people are enticed to have these birds of prey as pets. And owl cafe is the nearest thing to having an owl. I, myself, was so excited.

There are several owl cafes in Tokyo. The most famous on the internet is the “Fukuro no Mise,” which has many positive reviews. The name literally means “Cafe of Owls”. Located a few blocks away from the Tsukishima station, its place is not that easy to find. Thanks to the ever-dependable Google Maps.

When I arrive at the place at 2:30 pm, I need to reserve what time I can enter. The entry is divided per hour from 12 noon until 9 pm. Each visitor is allowed for an hour inside the cafe. I had to wait for one and a half hours since the earliest free time was 4 P.M. They also asked me to pay 2000 yen, and if I can’t come back on time, it’s not refundable. The price includes a cup of coffee and a small souvenir. So I did pay and just spent some time at the nearby McDonald’s.

Then the time came. I entered the cafe with other visitors (there were 8 of them). The place is small. With that number of people, plus the 3 owl caretakers and about 14 owls, the room was already crowded. The place was fascinating. I have never been that close to an owl before.

At first, they asked us to sit and listen to the cafe’s rules. Then, they showed us how to handle the owls. There are two groups of owls: the small, cute ones and the elegant, big ones. We can’t mix them together, as the large ones will swoop the small owls, killing them in the process.

The owls at the cafe are domesticated and calm, so their presence is not even frightening. The caretaker said that the owner bought the owls from a Japanese breeder and raised them by himself.

The cafe is so cool. We don’t just have to look at the owls; we can also hold and touch them. I have held almost all of them except for the two owls that we can’t touch. One of them is on a day off, and the other is blind.

Handling the small ones is easy. There is one baby owl, and it’s the cutest. Its reaction to the pat on its head is priceless. On the other hand, the large owls perched on my hand and shoulder are equally amazing. One-horned owl even bit my ears; the caretaker said it was trying to communicate with me. The owl likes me, lol.

The caretakers are friendly, and one lady is capable of speaking good English. She talked to me. She was surprised to learn that I came from Hokkaido, where there are many wild owls. I asked her why there were no snowy owls at the cafe. She replied that they need cold temperatures. Tokyo is too warm for them. So, no Hedwigs for Harry Potter fans.

I do not condone using owls as tourist attractions at the cafe. Nonetheless, it was a unique experience.

Acknowledgment: Thanks to my friend-bird expert for identifying these owls.