Located in the heart of Harajuku on Takeshita Street, a quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo life is hidden.
Animal cafés are incredibly popular in Japan, and Tokyo offers a wide variety to choose from, such as mini pig and otter cafés. However, cat cafés are most popular here, with numerous locations scattered throughout the city. One example is Cat Café MOFF.
With almost 20 cats total at a recent visit, Cat Café MOFF is home to a variety of breeds from Russian Blues to Ragdolls. The playroom is quite spacious with an open area for cats to roam as well as semi-private seating areas for quality one-on-one time.
The feline residents of the café are free to spend their time working by playing with various toys, being petted, lounging in the honeycomb-shaped shelves or simply ignoring the adoring glances from patrons. The cats’ shifts are rotated throughout the week so they get plenty of rest while off the clock. As customers relax, they can find a wall filled with the cat’s name, date and place of birth, picture and breed.
Pricing
Open every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Cat Café MOFF offers customers the opportunity to purchase 30 minutes of time with the cats for 900 yen (about USD $6.30), with an extension fee of 250 yen (about USD $1.75) per 10-minute increment. On weekdays and holidays, there is a maximum charge of 2,100 yen (about USD $14.50) and 3,100 yen (about USD $21.50) allowing cat lovers to enjoy their stay without worrying about the time.
Customers must also order a beverage with their purchase. Luckily, the café offers a wide range of sweet drinks, from coffee with original latte art featuring the cats to refreshing juices to boba beverages. The drink prices ranged from 250 yen to 680 yen (approximately USD $1.75 to $4.75). They also offer the opportunity to buy treats to feed the fluffy creatures for 200 or 500 yen (approximately USD $1.40 and $3.45).
The process of checking into the café is tedious, as there are many stipulations before being able to enter the area with the cats, including the following:
- Place all bags in a locker
- Must wear the disinfected slippers offered
- No holding the cats
- No flash when photographing
- Children must be highly supervised by accompanying adults
- Hands must be sanitized before entering
- If buying treats, the cats must only be fed with a spoon, not by hand
Catherine “Cat” Chan, a senior majoring in human development and family science, was understanding of the process.
“I definitely think they were kind of a little strict on the rules, which I do get why they’re strict, but I thought it was a nice experience,” Chan said. “I liked that we could feed them.”
After agreeing to abide by the rules, customers are free to enjoy their time with the soft and fluffy cats.
If you ever find yourself in Harajuku, be sure to spend time resting your feet with adorable and friendly cats while enjoying a sweet drink at Cat Café MOFF. However, if you can’t make it to Japan and want to stay a little closer to home, you can find locations in Hawaii!
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