Following on from the popularity of "cat cafes," where customers can play with resident felines while relaxing and having a cup of coffee, similar venues offering the chance to mingle with rabbits, goats and even owls have opened for business in the Tokyo area.
Among them, the Kiba branch of Tori no Iru Cafe (Cafe with Birds) in eastern Tokyo features some 20 birds, mainly owls. Roughly 90 percent of its customers are female, and long queues often form outside the shop on weekends.
"I am really fond of the contrast between the owl's large bright eyes and its sharp beak," said a female customer in her 20s who visits the cafe about three times a week. "I enjoy it here as I can actually touch (the owls)."