Japans first hedgehog cafe

By Katherine Morten

We were lucky enough to visit the Kitty Café in Nottingham. There are also a few other restaurants like this across England. As far as animal themed establishments that is all I had heard off. However, Japan have opened their first hedgehog café. I was very intrigued and decided to find out more.

The café is located in the Roppingi entertainment district in Tokyo. Just like the Kitty Café the venue is home to around 20 hedgehogs and people are able to adopt them and give them a new home. Similar to the café in Nottingham, you pay for entry and are allowed around an hour with the animals, before leaving and allowing the next slot of people to enjoy their time there. The only difference is you have to buy the hedgehogs, whereas the Kitty Cafes adoption was free as long as you could provide a good and loving home.

Animal establishments are common in Japan, with there being a rabbit café next door.  Although the animal is not bread in the country, the Japanese are fond of unusual concepts and cute and cuddly things, therefore they are bought and sold in the country.

There are rules when it comes to entering the café you must handle the hedgehogs with care and when they are ready they will uncurl and show you their faces. You can sit with one as long as you want whilst enjoying food and drink. The concept would have seemed bizarre culture in England 20 years ago, but it has been the norm in Japan for many years. Tokyo is the home to many, cat, dog, reptile and other fluffy animal cafes, but they are the first to open a hedgehog one.

As much as all sound amazing, we shall stick to the Kitty Café, until the team can afford a trip to Tokyo.