--- title: A Hedgehog Cafe Is Opening in Tokyo description: Fully stocked with 20 to 30 different breeds of hedgehogs canonical: https://time.com/4285123/hedgehog-cafe/ author: Melissa Locker article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-07T16:35:13.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:53.156Z og:title: A Hedgehog Cafe Is Opening in Tokyo og:description: Fully stocked with 20 to 30 different breeds of hedgehogs og:url: https://time.com/4285123/hedgehog-cafe/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A Hedgehog Cafe Is Opening in Tokyo twitter:description: Fully stocked with 20 to 30 different breeds of hedgehogs twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # A Hedgehog Cafe Is Opening in Tokyo > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=5f80a6f0-a871-40da-b446-86337b1c7bae&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Paying for Petting Time in Japan's Cat Cafes [Watch (HLS stream): Paying for Petting Time in Japan's Cat Cafes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/HhzXsIjc.m3u8) (3:38)  _Published 2010-06-28. In Osaka, Japan, where many apartment dwellers aren't allowed to keep pets, cat fanciers spend time with their favorite felines at the Cats’ Time Cafe_ by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Apr 7, 2016 4:35 PM UTC by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Apr 7, 2016 4:35 PM UTC Cat cafes are so last year. Back in 2014, [Japan spearheaded](http://time.com/2280/heres-an-inside-look-at-japans-best-cat-cafes/) what would become a global trend—cat cafes, a place for patrons to drink coffee in the company of cats. Now, cat cafes are popping up across the United States from [New York](http://time.com/3987579/new-york-city-second-cat-cafe/) to [Oakland](http://time.com/3539012/cat-cafe-oakland/). Japan, however, has moved on. ### A Squirrel's Guide to Fashion  This Year's Model Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Simple, Yet Elegant Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Sorry, Did You Say Something? Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  The "Little Squirrel on the Prairie" Look Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Forever Gingham Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  I Call This My "Going Visiting Dress" Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Chill in the Air Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Can't a Squirrel Eat in Peace? Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  CPR: Cute Professional Rodent Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Sharing Is Caring Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Too. Much. Starch. Can't. Breathe. Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  One Sample per Customer, Please Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  A Clean Squirrel Is a Happy Squirrel Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Ahhhh. Warm Towels. Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  To Sleep, Perchance to Dream ... of Acorns ... Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images _The Guardian_ [reports](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/07/hedgehog-cafe-opens-in-tokyo-to-promote-animals-softer-side) that Tokyo is now getting its very own _hedgehog_ cafe, where customers can pony up 1,000 yen ($9) on weekdays and 1,300 yen ($12) on holidays to carefully play and cuddle with the prickly yet adorable animals. The cafe is called “Harry”—a play on the Japanese word for needle–and is fully stocked with 20 to 30 different breeds of hedgehogs for all your cuddling needs. “We wanted to show people the charm of hedgehogs, which give the impression of being hard to handle. We wanted to get rid of that image by letting people touch them,” cafe worker Mizuki Murata told _The Guardian._ The cafe is already a hit, with an employee telling [NBC News](http://www.nbcnews.com/video/tokyo-s-hedgehog-cafe-sees-a-spike-in-popularity-660713539743) that there has been a line out the door since the cafe opened. ## Transcript >> It's feeding time at Cats' Time Café, the most frenzied time of the day here at this café in one of Osaka, Japan's trendiest neighborhoods. But the café isn't for the cats. It's for cat fanciers like Michiko Otta. She comes weekly to pet and feed the 21 cats here. Like many Japanese apartment dwellers, she's not allowed to keep cats in her small apartment. -[ Foreign language ] >> When I come here, I feel like playing with the cats. And after that, I like to take my time and quietly observe the cats. It makes me feel relaxed and comfortable. >> Otta spends her days working in a metal factory, so her time at the café is a welcome break. Here, she says she can touch and feel warm fur instead of cold metal. >> Kichan, this cat here, is the most similar to me. >> The café charges ¥ 840, the equivalent of 9 U. S. dollars for an hour of cat- petting time. Otta usually spends three to four hours at the café. So, she buys the $ 16 entrance, which gets her unlimited time with the cats, plus a drink. Café owner Yoko Yoshida previously worked at a dog grooming shop, but her love of cats went out. She came up with the idea for the Cats' Time Café, called Neko no Jikan in Japanese, while sipping coffee at a comic book- themed café. -[ Foreign language ] >> It hit me. If cats were at this café, I would feel even more relaxed. I gathered lots of my favorite cats and opened this café. -[ Foreign language ] >> I felt like I made my dream come true. >> Yoshida opened Osaka's first cat café five years ago, and added a second branch last year. -[ Foreign language ] >> It was necessary for cat lovers to get out of their houses more, and touch cats and talk about cats with one another. >> These cats take their lounging duty seriously and spend much of the day sitting and sleeping wherever they want. -[ Foreign language ] >> Just looking at the cats is fun. Time goes by slowly here. >> If I pet them or hug them, I can lose my stress and I can get the energy. >> It's not only women who flock to the café. June Shirosaki says watching cats stroll about helps him forget the worries of his job. -[ Foreign language ] >> At the office, I always have to be aware of the people around me, which is stressful. But here, I can watch the cats living on the natural free world, and I can take it easy. >> The café occasionally draws foreign customers, like first- time visitor Igor Almeida of Brazil. >> It's different. It's-- you can interact with the cats. This is completely new. Here in Japan, I think there's an interesting love for cats that maybe we don't have. >> There are other types of animal cafés in Japan, including establishments with dogs, bunnies, and even birds. 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