9 Meowtastic Reasons to Visit this Purr-fect Cat Cafe in Tokyo

A Cat Cafe in Tokyo is such a purr-fect idea! It’s simply a business that takes care of cats, and allows people to come pay to play with them. It’s a concentrated niche that caters to one specific demographic of people and, as it turns out, quite a few of them at that! 

At first it seemed so foreign to us that people would go to a place to play with random cats, rather than just have a pet at home. But the truth is that even though Japanese culture revolves around animals in their stores, anime, branding and pop culture, most places of residences do not allow pets in Japan!

Since people in Japan can’t have pets, these cat cafes in Tokyo solve the problem! 

Even better than that, there aren’t just cat cafes, but dog cafes, rabbit cafes, bird cafes, snake cafes, and even goat cafes. See a full list here! 

9 Meowtastic Reasons to
Visit this Purr-fect Cat Cafe in Tokyo

We loved our visit playing with the kitties at Cat Cafe Mocha in Harajuku. Located on Takeshita Dori, this is an easily accessible cat cafe and a great inclusion to your afternoon shopping and exploring. These are the very best reasons that you should visit a cat cafe in Tokyo. 

Cat Cafe MoCHA
キャットカフェMoCHA
2F Prime Harajuku, 1-19-9 Meiji Jingu Mae, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, Japan
+03-6721-1201
Hours: 10a – 10p

1. A Cat Cafe is not a Pet Store

Unlike a pet store, a cat cafe is a leisurely cafe where people can come and relax, eat food and enjoy the company of furry animals.

The animals are not for sale, nor are they are in a box or behind a glass frame. At a cat cafe you go to play, feed, and love the cats. You can spend hours here, finding a companion or several, playing with the cats, nurturing and feeding them. 

It’s like being a grandma (so I’m told), you get to enjoy only the best parts of this feline friendship. At the end of the day, you never have to discipline or clean up after the cats, or make sure they are well fed and groomed. 

2. This Cat Cafe is Child Friendly

Sadly, the majority of cat cafes in Tokyo do not allow kids. We attempted a few, being shooed out the door blasted with the international sign for ‘you’re not welcome’ – arms crossed in a giant X over your body – before we realized this was the norm.

We’d promised our littlest, and being obsessed with cats, she reminded us everyday!

We found a few on the internet, but then we happened upon this child friendly cat cafe in Harajuku while enjoying the day at Takeshita Dori! We were all so excited to be able to cross this off our bucket list. 

This place is so friendly, and so cute. They were very welcoming to our kids, and the cats are adorable.

What You Need To Know

Before you can play with the cats, you’ve got to take care of the niceties. 

First order of business, as is the norm in Japan, is to remove your shoes. They provide lockers and slippers for you in exchange. 

In addition to your shoes, you also must stow all your personal belongings prior to entry.

You are given a wristband with your locker key and a sleeve that keeps track of how long you are in the cafe, plus this sleeve is used to keep track of any extra treats, drinks or toys that you purchase for the kitties or yourself.

Cat Cafe Costs

The base rate is 600 yen (approximately $6 USD) per person for a half hour. After the initial half hour you can continue to stay, 10 minutes at a time, for an additional 200 yen (approximately $2 USD).

Your time is clocked upon entry, and exit. They also offer additional up charges, available on the menu.

Rules

• You aren’t allowed to hold the cats
• You can only pet the cats
• You can sit near the cats
• You cannot yell
• You must wash hands

3. It’s in a Great Location 

Cat Cafe MoCHA is located on the second floor of the Prime Harajuku building, near the entrance to Takeshita Dori. You’ll find it on the left side of the street.

In addition to the delightful cats, it offers a great view of the busy street, and interesting people watching opportunities. 

4. It’s a Big Indoor Space For Cats and Feline Friends

The cafe is comprised of two rooms, and a hallway dividing them.

The first room houses a cat tree in the center of the room with seats, windows and cat furniture around the perimeter. The tree also has several warming lights, and it is obvious the cats enjoy lounging in the heat. Most of the people congregate in this room as there is more seating.

The second room is Alice in Wonderland themed, with a giant faux tree the cats can meander both inside and outside of. There is much more room to interact with the cats in this room, but not much seating.

5. There are Dozens of Cats to Play With 

This cat cafe in Tokyo houses a variety of cats with different ages, colors, sizes, and temperaments. We found all the cats to be pretty lazy and unamused.

They don’t appear annoyed, but they aren’t exactly excited either.

I can’t imagine they ever have a break from visitors, so that isn’t surprising. There are a lot of people clamoring for attention from the animals, but since you can’t hold the cats, you are at the whim of their disposition.

6. This Cat Cafe in Tokyo Offers a Guaranteed Cat Magnet 

With 3 little ones, we decided to splurge and spend 500 yen (approximately $5 USD) for each of our children, so they could feed the cats a popsicle.

It worked like a charm and the cats were lured to us! My kids were thrilled as they had a trail of kitties following them wherever they went. 

This was a very nice, though rich touch. Though they called them popsicles, a more descriptive word would be lollipops. They are fairly small, but have a good duration. 

7. Humans Get Refreshments Too 

There is a separate room for drinks and treats for humans too, including a soda fountain and small cookies for sale. 

The first drink is free! 

8. All Cats are Adopted 

At this particular cat cafe in Tokyo, the cats are adopted into permanent homes by the time they reach 3 years old. 

Not only does that make the average cat younger and more prone to playing at the cafe, but it ensures that the cats do not spend a lifetime at the cafe. 

9. Cats Are the Most Popular Animal in Japan

The cat is loved and revered in Japanese culture and is the favorite animal of the country. This is definitely one activity you can do just to say you did! 

You really don’t want to miss the chance to visit an authentic and original cat cafe in Tokyo. 

Have you visited a Cat Cafe before? Or maybe a Goat Cafe? Are the Goat Cafe’s located indoors? We would love to hear more about other cafes located throughout Tokyo. 

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