Cat Cafe MOCHA Harajuku — Restaurant in Tokyo

I had never been to a cat cafe before and really wanted to try this one in Harajuku. It was a good experience! They do not take reservations, so I went first thing in the morning on a Wednesday to Harajuku and got to the location a few minutes before they opened and was asked to wait downstairs. The building is just a block or so away from Takeshita street and across from the Meiji Jingu so it is very close to the station and is a little hard to find as the cafe is up on one of the top levels. I think the building was black and on the corner, possibly the first few floors were a drug store, so you will likely see signage for that. Once they open, everyone waiting in a line on the sidewalk can take the elevator to the cafe. They have you put your belongings and shoes in a locker next to a complimentary vending machine of drinks. You can then play with the cats! There's no food or drink barista, so don't expect a cafe vibe as this is more just an excuse to play with cats. There's a small vending machine of cat snacks that you can buy inside to lure them into playing with you too. Additionally, the cats were fed while I was there (see attached picture) so I am not sure if guests can always give them treats as they may otherwise be too over fed. You get charged by the time you spend, so after the first half hour, I believe you are charged for every 10 minutes , so keep an eye on the clock! I think it's a fun experience to go to at least once and would recommend - especially going when they first open ideally...

I am visiting Japan from the UK and wanted to try through famous cat cafe.

Staff at front of house/reception earlier were very helpful and friendly. The staff in the cafe area itself are very cold hearted.

The cats were lovely but most of them were sleeping and only wanted to interact if you bought them treats! (Which you pay extra for)

Even though the area was busy, it didn't really have much of a friendly atmosphere.

I took a cat pop out of a fridge and I understood that it clearly said I had to pay the 500 yen, which was OK with me. You pay for treats etc at the end of 30mins.

One of the staff came over to me immediately and asked for my barcoded receipt. They give you this with the time you start as you get 30 mins. We came in a group of 3, and the lady seemed to presume I was stealing/unwilling to pay as I did not have a barcode. I had to get it from my husband who was with us in the cafe. The lady needed to have a better approach, especially with foreign tourists like myself.

They should communicate better with staff when it comes to groups, or give everyone in a group, the same barcode, so the same confusions dong happen again.

For these reasons I will give 3...

I’m really glad I went here! It’s just right outside the East Exit of the Harajuku Station. 4th floor of their building. They allowed cats to have space and just be themselves. Unfortunately, some of the people who were in another group really didn’t seem interested in reading the cats body language and were just following some of them around taking photos which stressed some of them out. We gave the cats space, and as soon as 11am hit, treat time was allowed. So I got a cat popsicle and a lot of the cats came over to get a taste! They really relaxed after their 10:30am feeding time and after the forceful people left. We also played with the long cat toys which we used to pet some of the more nervous ones and they really appreciated the space. ♥️ So many cuties with all different kinds of personalities! They really trust the employees too, which makes me think that they are well taken care of. Free drinks while you are there but time goes quickly! You just pay the fee for time spent there, and then if you bought any treats. Would love to come...