Harinezumi Hedgehog Cafe

The Harajuku location is located on the 4F of a building, only a few steps away from the main subway station. Take the tiny elevator up and take your place in the back of the line in the stairway. Only a short wait for myself on a busy Saturday morning, as they have set up lots and lots of hedgehog stations, giving all animals ample time to rest & take shifts. Most folks purchase the 30min package for 1500yen, possibly adding mealworms snack for 200ish more. Via vending machine as all things Japanese. Once you check-in, the time starts ticking, and you get seated at a station. A station is usually an open glass box or container with 2-4 hogs. You get some quick tour/training on how to handle them, as well as cute instructions (english friendly) if you forget. Gloves are recommended as they are prickly and nippy. They are SO VERY cute. With their tiny noses sniffing around, the hogs love curling up into nap position and feel nice & warm in your hands. Soft belly, needled back, but don't hurt if you are gentle. I could spend forever just being with them. Staff is helpful about helping take photos and gently reminding you when you almost reached your time limit. A free drink (via vending machine in the back) is also included. Lots of options from all sorts of coffee, tea, soda. Its also fun to walk around the area and see other hedgehogs play & interact with each other & other guests.

This was a very great experience and I am glad I got to try it. Believe it or not, despite the name of this cafe, the hedgehogs 🦔 were my least favorite part. They were always trying to hide and didn't look like they appreciate you holding them. The other animals were very adorable. Especially the owls. They looked very curious with their big eyes. I wasn't sure what the rodent animals were but they were really cute as well. I recommend giving this place a try.

One of our favorite experiences as a family in Tokyo. The Brooklyn style interiors are lovely, but it is not a real cafe. You get a drink for every 30mins sessions you pay for. Nothing fancy, just from a vending machine so don’t expect a flat white here. The place was not packed when we went so I didn't feel bad for the animals. I imagine that if there were too many people and unruly kids who aren't taught by their parents/guardians to handle the animals super gently and respectfully, I would be too stressed. The staff explained to us how to hold the hedgehog so handled the animals super gently. And since our 4 yo son was too young, we didn't let him hold the hedgehog to avoid the hedgehog being dropped. As a parent, I recommend instead buying mealworms so your child can feed it to the hedgehog, which they appreciate. But please tell them to be very careful not to poke or hurt them. I don't know how comfortable I am for the other wild animals and I truly hope they are happy. We enjoyed our time with the sleepy hungry hedgehogs. We asked for the one with the nicest disposition so that my son wouldn't be scared. The staff nicely obliged. Anyway please be nice to the animals and don't just treat them as props for an IGworthy photo.

Hedgehog were a great experience to hold and caress. Some were really active and ran on my hand for a good while. Another pooped on my hand so it was really funny. For this I would recommend a reservation since by the time we came it was packed and also a weekday. They also had different animals such as an owl

This was honestly one of the cutest things we’ve ever done! 🦔🤍 We made a reservation in advance and were warmly welcomed by the staff. They clearly explained all the rules. We were given gloves to hold them and could buy small food trays to feed the adorable hedgehogs. The staff knew so much about each little hedgehog, which made the experience even better! There was a bit of a language barrier with a few staff members, but with Google Translate everything went smoothly. It’s also nice to know that the hedgehogs get rest days, so they’re not around people all the time. While you’re there, you’re free to grab some complimentary tea or water. After our visit, I bought a keychain and we even got a free hedgehog sticker. Highly recommended if you’re looking for something cute and unique to do! 🥰