Cat cafés have long been a popular attraction in Japan for tourists and locals alike.
And just when you thought cuddling kittens while you sipped on your favourite variety of tea or coffee couldn’t get any better – it just did.
A hedgehog café has now opened in Tokyo and allows customers to have a hold of the adorable creatures for 1000 to 1300 yen (AU$12 to $16) an hour – depending on whether you visit on a weekday or not.
Around 20 tiny animals spanning a range of different breeds are kept inside glass tanks at Harry, in the Roppongi entertainment district, where they can to be viewed and petted by eager visitors, many of whom don’t have the opportunity of owning their own pet at home.
Small apartments and stringent no-pet policies in many rental properties have led to just 20 per cent of the Japanese population having their own family animal.
So it’s a good thing they can head to their local café for some quality bonding time with rabbit, hawk, owl, snake, goat, goldfish and even penguin-themed establishments sprouting up around the country since the first cat café was opened in Osaka in 2004.
