Japan is known for their animal cafes housing various different species. From cats to owls, to hedgehogs and beyond. You can sit down and have a cup of tea while experiencing the healing and de-stressing powers of cute critters.

If you’re from a country that doesn’t have pet cafes, it’s definitely something cool to try out while visiting Japan. For tourists, it could be the perfect chill out time during a hectic sightseeing schedule, and there’s one very Japanese animal everyone is desperate to play with.

Shiba inu have only become more and more popular in this age of the internet, since their hilarious antics often go viral, and as such have become an unofficial national mascot of Japan in the eyes of the world.

How to Enjoy Shiba Dog Cafes

Good news! Shiba inu cafes do exist! The cafe's four-legged hosts aren’t the full size dogs that you’re used to, these are ‘mame’ (meaning bean) shiba inu, a smaller variety of the breed. Here’s three cafes where visitors can frolic with these meme dogs.

These cafes are part of one chain, so the system works the same. First you go to the cafe to buy a ticket, and if there's a queue, you will be given a time slot. You can wander away then return at the given time to show your receipt. Finally, the frolicking with adorable pups can begin. A 30 minute time slot costs 780 yen for adults and 580 yen for children.

Also note that the 'cafe' part can be taken with a grain of salt. They won't be serving drinks and food (which is probably just as well), your ticket usually grants you one drink from a vending machine.

Mame Shiba Inu Cafe, Tokyo

Mame Shiba Inu Cafe, Okayama

Mame Shiba Inu Cafe, Kyoto