Visiting a Hedgehog Cafe in Harajuku

Themed cafes are everywhere in Japan but animal-themed cafes also abound in Tokyo where you can find cat, puppy, and even owl cafes. My interest was piqued when I heard about hedgehog cafes. I’ve never seen a hedgehog in the wild so I was curious to see what kind of creatures they are. We stopped in one afternoon at Hedgehog Cafe & Pet Store HARRY Harajuku to check out these cute critters!

The fee is 1,430 yen for 30 minutes and this includes a free hot or cold drink from their vending machines. You are also allowed to bring in your own food and drink. You are seated next to a hedgehog enclosure and are allowed to hold them gently and feed them meal worms (extra purchase) if you want.

The hedgehogs are ultra cute! Be mindful not to disturb ones that are sleeping, however, if there is a hedgehog awake, you are allowed to gently pick them up. They curl right into a ball and snuggle in your hands.

Although the experience was delightful, I am still somewhat conflicted about themed animal cafes. With domesticated pets like cats and dogs, I don’t have a huge issue, but what I learned later is that pygmy hedgehogs are nocturnal, so, most of them you’ll find sleeping during the day. I can’t imagine it being ideal for a hedgehog that’s nocturnal to be woken up multiple times during the day, so, again, keep this in mind if you have qualms about visiting an animal-themed cafe. It is important to note too however, that the cafe does rotate their hedgehogs so that each get private rest time away from customers during the day.