Hana Hana Small Animals Pet Cafe — Restaurant in Nara

The staff is very kind and nice - but I couldn’t help but feel there is something very wrong with wild animals being kept in small spaces. Owls, in particular, are nocturnal and were woken up to allow customers to touch and hold them. They were also attached by a short chain to a branch and were clearly in stress while we were there. I think this cafe would be just as successful if it freed the wild and nocturnal animals and brought in more animals meant to be pets who enjoy human interaction. I fear the nocturnal, meant to be in the wild animals such as the owls and the hedgehog won’t survive 10 hours of being constantly handled by humans when they’re meant to have room to run / fly. They were also very oddly calm - not sure if they were sedated to allow humans to handle them. I also didn’t see any water available for the animals - I can only assume this is to prevent them from excreting waste. I hope more people will encourage them to ensure humane conditions for animals meant to be pets there and ask them to send them to a rescue organization that can ensure a safe return...

This was my first time visiting an animal cafe, and it was honestly such a disturbing experience. Different animals were mixed together in one space, which felt really cruel. The chihuahuas barked incessantly the entire time, clearly stressed and agitated, and each outburst startled the owls who looked exhausted and drained. Watching it all felt so wrong. I’ve since learned that animals like the owls are trained to tolerate being touched by people, and that they’re punished if they try to defend themselves. Knowing this made everything even more upsetting. It was so uncomfortable that I couldn’t bring myself to hold or touch any of them, and eventually had to leave. Anyone who genuinely enjoys their time here needs to think deeper about what they’re seeing. There’s nothing cute about animals being forced into submission for entertainment. I honestly wanted to take the poor Australian native animals home with me to be free. Please don’t support this kind of place, the animals...

Please don't go here! I entered here as I needed a drink and a break from the heat after visiting nara park. Sadly I had already paid once I got my bearings and realised that all the owls in the room ( including some which looked to be very large exotic breeds) were chained around their ankles and therefore unable to fly or leave their perch. The staff were very friendly and attentive I could tell they wanted patrons here to have a good time but I was very uncomfortable with the living standards of the animals. There were also chinchillas, dogs , parrots , ferrets and snakes which I was encouraged to hold and pat but I don't think this was appropriate either. I felt sad when I left here which is a shame because nara park with the wild deer...