Shiba Inu Cafe Review – Tokyo Japan

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Themed cafés are one of the main tourist attractions in Japan.  There are ALL kinds of cafés imaginable:  hedgehog, owl, pig, robot, Alice in Wonderland, Vampire, Pirate, Ninja, Pokeman, Kawaii (Cute) Monster…just to name a few.  Here is my review of one of those cafés, Shiba Inu Cafe in Tokyo, Japan that we visited.

In the U.S., you may have heard of cat cafés that are becoming popular in some cities.  It’s where you go to interact with cats that are available for adoption while you hang out in the café with a cup of coffee or tea.  The cafés in Japan featuring live animals are different from what you’d expect.  The animals are not available for adoption, you pay an admission fee to get in and you interact (or not, if they are sleeping) with the animal for a set amount at a time.

How to buy tickets for themed cafés in Japan

Shiba Inu Café’s tickets can only be purchased on the spot.  But tickets for some of the themed cafés and other tourist attractions can be purchased in advance.  Check out these links below to get the tickets. Or click through “More Photos” button on the featured image to see what some of these cafés look like!

🦔 Hedgehog Café

🦉 Owl Café

🦇 Vampire Café

Shiba Inu Café in Tokyo, Japan

There are a few Shiba Inu Café throughout Japan. But the one that we visited Harajuki Mame-shiba Café is on the iconic and ridiculously busy Takeshita Street in Harajuku, Tokyo. 

Address:  1 Chome-6 Jingumae 3F, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Hours: 11am – 7pm
Admission: (as of Spring 2024)  ¥1,000 for ages 13 and over, ¥700 ages 6 – 12
Website: http://owls-cats-forest.com/free/mameshiba-harajuku
(English translation button on the top right)

If I had made the decision solely based on the online reviews of these Shiba Inu Cafés, I would not have visited one.  Barely at 3 stars out of 5, current reviews cite anything from smell of the urine, unfriendly dogs, small dogs that they thought that were being starved so that they can stay small and cute, dogs being cooped up in a small room, or some dogs fighting baring their teeth that were allowed to continue.  These reviews are all some types of misunderstandings, by the way. I’ll explain below.

Well, I went mainly because I was missing my Shiba Inu, Rocket.  And I want to set the record straight for those who are wondering if you should go or not.

Set your expectations

If you know nothing about Shiba Inu, other than that they are cute Japanese dogs, you probably will go in with the expectation that you’ll get to play with some cute dogs.  Here is what you need to know about Shiba Inus to set the right expectations before you go:

• They are “Mame-shiba” which means that they are smaller than the standard Shiba Inu, miniature Shiba Inu, if you will.  They are not starved, standard size Shibas! The dogs at the café are all young adult dogs and not puppies, which is probably a good thing since Shiba puppies tend to play-bite quite a bit.
• Here is our post about 7 things you need to know about Shiba Inu but in a nutshell, they tend to be loyal to their friends and family but aloof or scared of strangers.  So, expect that you are not going to interact with most of the dogs there!  Basically, you are there to stand in line, pay money then to be ignored by about 12 – 15 Shiba Inus. 
• Yes, the room is relatively small.  But A) you are in Japan! ALL the rooms are small.  Dogs and people live in that! And B) if you know Shiba Inu at all, they are so agile that they can make a small room feel like you are at the Daytona racing track! 
• The way that Shiba Inus play is different than how I’ve seen any other breeds play.  It’s a cause for one of the many misunderstandings about this breed. They look and sound so vicious when they play. But they are totally play-fighting. Almost wolf-like. Our Rocket plays this way with his BFFs and we call it his “bitey face” but he means absolutely no harm.

How best to enjoy Shiba Inu café

Once you have the right expectations, the best way to enjoy the experience is to go first thing in the morning, as soon as it opens.  It might be best to wait in line for a bit (15 – 30 minutes) before it opens so that you’ll be one of the first ones in.  Otherwise, you have to stand in line, get a ticket for a time slot for later in the day or even for the next day.  They only allow about 15 people in at a time, for 30 minutes.

First thing in the morning, dogs are still active and curious, so you get to watch them play instead of sleep in the corners.  Some of them came up and greeted us in between their rumbling. And the place as it just opened, doesn’t have any unpleasant odor.  The dogs are completely trained to go on a designated potty area in the corner but I can imagine the smell as the day wears on.

My summary of Shiba Inu Café

As long as you know what to expect, it is a great place to go if you have/had a Shiba and you miss being around them. Or if you love the breed and want to see what they are really like in their “natural” environment; in their home, in their home country.

To me, a Shiba Inu owner for the last 20+ years, it was fun watching the Shiba Inus play together.  They were having so much fun doing the Shiba 500 around the room, wrestling together, “butt tossing” or “booty bumping” each other in the face, and ignoring people except for their beloved store staff members.   The little interaction that I did get from a couple of Shibas was enough to tide me over until I got home 2 weeks later to see my baby, Rocket who greeted me with the happiness of 1,000 Suns then promptly walked away to fall asleep on the couch!

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