The Best Animal Cafes in Osaka, Japan
Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m an absolute animal lover! Every trip includes zoos, aquariums, wildlife etc., and when in Japan a definite must-see for any itinerary is one of the many raved-about animal cafes! When the animals are just so cute, how can you not visit?
Let’s get stuck into the list of the best animal cafes in Osaka in no particular order…
1) Owl Family Cafe
Starting on the hour and lasting only an hour, Owl Family Café is quaint little place that boasts over 30 different owls and is a definite addition if you plan on visiting animal cafes in Osaka. You can spend your whole 60 minutes patting owls, holding them (perched on your arm) or snuggling up to them and taking dozens and dozens of snaps.
Hot tip: you can reserve your spot online or arrive early to leave your name and then explore the local area such as Kuromon Market! If you arrive early and close to the hour on a weekday, you’ll most likely just walk straight in, like I did.
Cost: ¥1,500 per 1 hour session with 1 soda/coffee or tea (+¥200 for beer)
Location: Close to Minami-Morimachi Station, you can find Owl Family Café at 1 Chome-10-13 Tenjinbashi, Kita-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu 530-0041, Japan
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 12:00pm – 8:00pm, Saturday, Sunday, PH 11:00am – 8:00pm, Closed Mondays.
2) Rockstar Reptile Cafe
I may be weird, but I love creepy crawlies, and Rockstar Reptile Café was my favourite animal cafes in Osaka to visit. If your faint of heart or not a fan of reptiles and insects then quickly scroll down to the next café.
Like something from a Harry Potter movie, the café/bar is wall-to-wall packed with a HUGE range of creatures you can get up close and personal with and with unlimited time, you can spend all day and night here! The extensive range of hair raising, spine tingling animals includes lizards, snakes, tarantulas and other spiders, chameleons, geckos, iguanas, bats, owls, turtles, bugs, beetles and centipedes.
Once you get over your initial fear and hesitation, this café will definitely become a highlight on any Japan trip! Trust me, I took a friend who was petrified of snakes and spiders, and by the end they were wanting more!
Hot tip: you have to ask staff to remove the animals from their tanks and cages, you can’t simply get them yourself. To save time and waiting, or to get your hands on a desired creature the best way is to be friendly and talk to other people in the café. Making small talk will allow you to swap creatures with your café neighbours and will allow you to hold pretty much all animals without having to wait or flag down a staff member.
Cost: ¥1,000 without drinks, but you do get a membership to visit for free in the future – so if you’re like me, then that’s a bonus!
Location: A 5-10 min walk from Namba station, you’ll find this café on the 3rd floor of the Namba FK Building (2-7-7 Namba FK building 3F , Naniwa-ku, Osaka-shi Nanbanaka, 〒556-0011)
Opening hours: 12:00pm – 11:00pm
3) Small Animal Cafe Rock Star
Run by the same people as the Reptile Cafe, the Small Animal Café has a range of unusual and different animals that you get to interact with. As an Aussie, in Australia we don’t have hedgehogs, squirrels and chipmunks so this café is the perfect place to hold some furry little creatures that you don’t normally get to see. Don’t worry, there’s still a normal range of animals such as rabbits, hamsters and ferrets. Again unlimited time, so play and take a load of super cute instagram pics that are sure to make your friends jealous.
Cost: ¥1,000 not including drinks. Same one-time entry fee as the Reptile Café.
Location: A 5 min walk from Namba station and reasonably close to Dotonbori.
Opening hours: 1:00pm – 10:00pm
4) Dog Tail Cafe
In my personal opinion (and don’t hate me for it) dogs are way cuter than cats, and Dog Tail Café is the best place to cuddle some playful little pups.
With an assortment of dogs whose tails will all be wagging when you walk in the door, take your pick of the litter and play with dozens of dogs including dachshunds, poodles, chihuahuas and more. When you enter you’re assigned an area where you can enjoy a coffee or cool drink whilst a small army of cuteness-overload will run around trying to get your attention. It’s hard to snap away at the cute little faces, adorable puppy eyes and general canine antics when you have plenty of puppies that all want a pat and to play.
(source Twitter)
Cost: ¥1,000 for 50 minutes
Location: You’ll find Dog Tail on the 4th Floor of the Yoshie Building at 2-4-6 Yoshie Building, Chuo-ku, Osaka Dotonbori
Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 12:00pm – 10:00pm, Sat & Sun & Public Holidays: 11:00am – 10:00pm
5) Neco Republic (Cat Café)
If you have your heart on heading to a cat café, then Neco Republic is where you need to go. On the 3rd floor of Neco Republic you will find a cat café where you can relax with many cute cats, but the best thing about Neco Republic is that the whole building is one big business animal shelter that supports cat rescue activities. So you can not only enjoy patting these loving felines, but you can also adopt one if your heart desires. As well as the cat café, there is a nap room on a different floor where you can nap with a cat, as well as a shop to purchase any cat related items.
Cost: ¥1,100 for 30 minutes, ¥1,500 for 60 minutes with ¥500 additions for an extra 30 minutes. All prices include one drink. Holidays and weekends are an additional ¥200 yen per half/full hour.
Location: Only a ten min walk from Shinsaibashi station, you’ll find Neco Republic at 1-26-9 Higashishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi.
Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Fri: 2:00pm – 8:00pm, Sat & Sun & Public Holidays: 1:00pm – 7:00pm, Closed Tuesdays.
Other notable animal cafes in Osaka…
The Original Cat Café – Neko no Jikan
Located close to Umeda, Neko no Jikan was the first ever cat café in Japan and a lot more traditional i.e. you can relax with some beautiful cats, in a Japanese-style café with tatami mats (what a tongue twister!). There is a free time period (from 6:00pm to 9:00pm) which is recommended if you plan to spend a few hours at this traditional café. If you’re more inclined to a modern venue with a younger crowd, check out their second café in Americamura (America Town) that’s filled with many young fashionistas.
Cost: ¥1,100 for 60 minutes including one drink, and ¥1,200 for weekends . The free time period is ¥1,200 for as long as you want (between 6:00-9:00pm) on weekdays)
Location: Only a 2-3 minute walk from Nakazakicho station, Neko no Jikan can be found at 2-17-10 Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka.
Opening hours: Mon: 11:00am – 7:00pm, Tue-Sat: 11:00am – 9:00pm, Sun: 10:00am – 7:00pm
America-mura Snake Cafe
Yes I love snakes, I think they’re awesome. So if you’re a fan of these cool creatures like me then make sure you check out America-mura Snake Café by the same team behind Osaka Reptile Cafe and Small Animal Cafe Rockstar. In a sexy new venue in the heart of America town that’s a brief walk from Shinsaibashi station, you can get up close and personal with an abundance of snakes from across the globe. With a range of pythons, rat snakes, corn snakes, several boas and more, there are so many of fascinating , slithering snakes in palette of colours and patterns that are sure to get your spine tingling.
Cost: Same as the Reptile Cafe, ¥1,000 without drinks, but you do get a membership to visit for free in the future.
Location: You’ll find the Snake Café on the 4th floor of the
Yajima Building at 1-8-11 Nishi-shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka
Opening hours: 12:00pm – 10:00pm
Know another good animal cafes in Osaka? Leave a comment below, I’d love to know!
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[…] Yes a lot of people won’t like this place, but if you’re an animal lover, want to try something different or simply want a kickass image for your Insta then this cafe has it! There are so many amazing animals to get a picture with including snakes, lizards, geckos, beetles, bugs, spiders and more! Check out other popular Animal Cafes here. […]