Of Japan's many animal-themed cafes, or shops where you can interact with cute animals while enjoying a refreshment, you may be acquainted with cat cafes and the now famous hedgehog cafe the most. For slightly more exotic cafe-goers, however, there are owl cafes, and now one with an aesthetic twist is opening up in Japan's historic district of Asakusa. It's called the Fukurou Jinja, or "Owl Shrine", and features lighting and spacing designed by National Museum of Western Art to provide visitors with the opportunity to take the best possible pictures of the owl staff as possible. The inner aesthetics of the cafe truly make the shop appear as a Japanese shrine to owls.

The cafe says that the shrine aesthetic was decided upon to fit in harmony with the many other famous shrines and temples of Asakusa, but also boasts that the particularly spacious design of the shrine style lends itself to photography opportunities better than a standard animal-theme cafe. While the cafe stresses that they prioritize the comfort of the owl above all things, they will customize settings to the customer's preference to set up a high-quality photo shoot. Aside from the beautiful shrine aesthetic, lighting fixtures are arranged to change lighting from specific angles as opposed to an entire room, and shōji, or traditional Japanese sliding doors, in different colors and designs as well can be used.

Like other pet-cafes, the Owl Shrine offers beverages and relaxing atmosphere to visitors, but the emphasis is definitely on photography and seeing the owls in this unique setting. Prices vary from 500 yen ($4.85 USD) to 1,500 yen ($14.57 USD), depending on the options you select--meeting the owls, taking pictures, feeding the owls, grabbing a drink, and even praying at the shrine. Photography is included in all plans. The first floor offers a few owls to hang out with and take out coffee and green tea gelato, while the fourth floor offers the full shrine experience.

While these types of cafes are soothing and enjoyable, they sometimes cause controversy, primarily with people legitimately concerned with the comfort of the animals featured there. Recently shops have tried to ease these concerns by making the animals available for sale as pets, and even promoting good causes. Although these owls do not appear to be for sale, after a recent closure of a Tokyo cat cafe for neglect of the animals, and the preference the cafe stresses for making the owls comfortable, we would hope that these owls are being looked after properly.

Menus and signs appear to have English language support.

The Owl Shrine cafe in Asakusa will open up on September 16th, and is located roughly ten minutes from Asakusa station. Their website contains a map you can check at the bottom. While these sorts of cafes aren't always for everyone, for those of you who enjoy them, this may be the most unique one yet, as it aims to combine local culture and aesthetic with a chance to photograph and touch some cool looking owls.