Quirky Tokyo: 6 Wonderfully Weird Attractions

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March 29, 2017

Every country has its quirks, but I can’t think of a city in the world that is as unique as Tokyo! Today’s post is going to cover 6 of our favorite, wonderfully weird things to do in this amazing city. First up, animal cafes…

Relax at a Cat Cafe!

Since people in Tokyo have small apartments and work long hours, many can’t have pets. Therefore, it is not a surprise that there are over 200 cat cafes in Tokyo. One of our favorite cafes is, Cat Cafe MoCHA. MoCHA is a stylish cafe on the 8th floor of a building in Shibuya. Once you enter the cafe, you will need to wash your hands, put your bags in lockers, and change into slippers. The staff will then go over the rules with you, which are don’t hug, chase, or feed the cats.

They also ask you not to use flash photography or speak too loudly around the animals. I love how much they care about the cats! After you learn the rules, you will mark your entrance time with a host and if you wish, you can buy tea before you enter the CUTEST ROOM IN THE WORLD!

As you walk into the main room of the cat cafe you will see all sorts of toys for the cats to play with, and trees for them to lounge on. The room is very clean and smells lovely! (I worried it may smell like pee, but it didn’t.)

It is really fun to explore the room and pet so many different kinds of cats. They were all quite friendly. The entrance fee is 200JPY/ten minutes and most people stay for about an hour. I wish I could have stayed all day!

Location: 32-12 Udagawachō, Shibuya-ku, Tōkyō-to 150-0042

Hours: 10am-10pm

Price: 200JPY/ ten minutes, free flow drinks 350JPY

Hang out at Harry’s Hedgehog Cafe!

I won’t lie, I knew I HAD to visit the Hedgehog Cafe in Tokyo from the second I saw Margo Robbie’s cute post while she was visiting Tokyo on Instagram. So, I tricked Christopher into walking all the way to Harry, Japan’s first Hedgehog Cafe. (He totally thought he was going to get French food!) Christopher had his fill of animal cafe’s until he met our Hedgehog, Sonic, and fell in love! Just look at his face…

So, what can you expect from Harry’s? Well, one, you can book a time slot in advance, or wait outside for an opening. We only had to wait about ten minutes to get in. Once you are inside you will clean your hands, and meet your Hedgehog. You are allowed to swap out Hedgehogs if yours is being fussy.

When you meet your hedgehog it is best to cup your hands like you are holding water. Let the hedgehog get to know you and settle down. Then, you can slowly stroke them. Mine fell asleep and started snoring! It was so cute. I always worry about animal welfare but the Hedgehogs here seem very well taken care of and happy. In fact, I even noticed them giving certain Hedgehogs breaks to sleep. It seems like the owners really care about them. If you fall in love with a Hedgehog they are available for purchase. If I could have taken Sonic home with me I would have, but we had a flight to Hong Kong booked for the next day.

Location: Harry, Tokyo, Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-7-2 IWAHORI Building 2F

Hours: 12:00 to 21:00pm

Price: Mon-Fri 1,000JPY, Sat/Sun 1,300JPY

***There is a bunny cafe upstairs if you want to visit that too!***

</p> <div>So, what can you expect from Harry’s? Well, one, you can book a time slot in advance, or wait outside for an opening. We only had to wait about ten minutes to get in. Once you are inside you will clean your hands, and meet your Hedgehog. You are allowed to swap out Hedgehogs if yours is being fussy. When you meet your hedgehog it is best to cup your hands like you are holding water. Let the hedgehog get to know you and settle down. Then, you can slowly stroke them. Mine fell asleep and started snoring! It was so cute. I always worry about animal welfare but the Hedgehogs here seem very well taken care of and happy. In fact, I even noticed them giving certain Hedgehogs breaks to sleep. It seems like the owners really care about them. If you fall in love with a Hedgehog they are available for purchase. If I could have taken Sonic home with me I would have, but we had a flight to Hong Kong booked for the next day.</div> <div>Location: Harry, Tokyo, Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-7-2 IWAHORI Building 2F</div> <div>Hours: 12:00 to 21:00pm</div> <div>Price: Mon-Fri 1,000JPY, Sat/Sun 1,300JPY</div> <div>***There is a bunny cafe upstairs if you want to visit that too!***</div> <div>Visit an Owl Cafe!</div> <div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_19ad30bfad854014a89ffb16ec9458b1~mv2_d_3024_4032_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_33f854cd1cab447890d0b87b315c63d3~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_7b34d7c804134b909b5ff7b6642af59a~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_770f945541e84020bd9aa1785e6742e0~mv2_d_3024_4032_s_4_2.jpg" /></div> <div> Owl Cafes have recently become all the rage in Tokyo and it’s easy to understand why. I mean where else can you hold a variety of these unique animals? There are many Owl Cafes around Tokyo but we chose to visit Mohumohu because it was conveniently located in Shinjuku near our hotel, and because we read the owner spoke English. Mohumohu is also one of the smallest Owl Cafes in Tokyo so they only allow 12 guests in at a time. Because of this, reservations were required in advance but they let us pay when we arrived. We loved having a smaller group of people to share the experience with because we were able to get up close and personal with the birds.</div> <div>So what should you expect? When you enter the owl cafe you will be given your choice of a water or juice. You will then be asked to wash your hands before meeting the owls. If you want to purchase owl food you can, but it is not required. It’s little bits of raw quail I think? Not entirely sure but it didn’t look appetizing! 😉 There are a variety of owls in Mohumohu and you are allowed to pet, or even let the animals sit on your arm. The owner loooooves these owls and treats them like his babies. The owls were very friendly and he even let them fly around the room. I always have mixed feelings about seeing wild animals in situations like this one but they seemed happy and to be enjoying the company. Overall, this stop on our trip was a hoot!</div> <div>Location: Owl Cafe Mohumohu, 5F, 3-35-2 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo</div> <div>Hours: Mon-Fri 12noon-9pm; Sat, Sun & Holidays 11am-8pm</div> <div>Price: Mon-Fri ¥1,500/hour; Sat, Sun & Holidays ¥1,800/hour</div> <div>***Go all the way up the stairs. It’s a bit hard to find.**</div> <div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_f5873db57125431789e90e391087b3e2~mv2_d_3024_4032_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_bed450b48ac843428c3d64f1e9969d40~mv2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_043ec3a7c4a045d19d05546ce1c4efd7~mv2_d_3024_4032_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_0bc73985dc454d50b3e11fe926859ff3~mv2_d_2250_2812_s_2.jpg" /></div> <div>Experience a Maid Cafe!</div> <div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_0e921aa711e941f181b13ca7f9586532~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_2f12991a646f463c90b211d270b2b762~mv2_d_3024_4032_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_46d7cf3ccfc54e8d9651d7438226094b~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /></div> <div>The strangest cafe we went to in Tokyo was DEFINITELY the Maid Cafe and I’ll be honest, I was pretty nervous to go in! But, for the sake of the blog, I found myself heading down some stairs and entering Maid Dreamin in Shibuya. So what is a Maid Cafe you are probably asking yourself? Well, it is basically a cafe where pretty, young Japanese women dress up like maids and attend to your wishes, while calling men Master, and women Princess. It is SUPER WEIRD and I felt quite uncomfortable. However, the girls are really sweet and we ended up having a ton of fun! So, what’s it like?</div> <div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_9a94f97d09eb41e1a2d93ff99232b364~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_9309194e6a3e4bf2b651947effbeac2e~mv2_d_4024_2874_s_4_2.jpg" /></div> <div>Upon entering you will be greeted by a maid who will lead you into a bright open space that looks like something you’d see in a Nintendo game. Our cafe had a stage in the middle for performances and even a trampoline! Your “maid” will explain if you need service to put your hands in fists and hold them up to cheeks while you scream, “Nyan, Nyan!” in a cat voice. (I am not joking this really happens. Nyan means Meowwww) Then, you’ll place your order. They have really cute ice cream dishes, food, tea and alcoholic beverages. Every hour, the maids get up and perform a dance/ Lip sync battle that inevitably ends up with a local drunkenly jumping around with glow sticks. At the end of your visit you have the option of buying a picture with your maid, which we did because technically photos aren’t allowed inside. (I snuck all of these!) Overall, I ended up having a pretty good time at the Maid Cafe. Although, I still felt a bit awkward having someone call me Princess!</div> <div>Location: Horaiya BLDG.B1F,30-1 Udagawacho Shibuya -ku Tokyo 150-0042 Japan</div> <div>Hours: Sun-Thurs-13:00-23:00pm, Fri/Sat- 13:00pm-5:00am</div> <div>Price: 500JPY/hour plus what you order</div> <div>***18+ after 11pm. Don’t touch the maids! You’ll get kicked out.***</div> <div>Rage at the Robot Restaurant!</div> <div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_d58c2f3d807a4d4e82e18ec0de44190e~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_c1dee1d3f19e4259a665f4769f661250~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_7ab0cb1aec354f1391d4c8a66dfcdb97~mv2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_09f5c10baef2450691e2f9687a14d8db~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_95e2743955e04582a1bc18ff966511e2~mv2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_92f3cf8fafc344f4947093296ca23e10~mv2.jpg" /></div> <div>From the second we saw a video from the Robot Restaurant in Tokyo we knew we had to go. Located in Shinjuku, Tokyo’s Red Light District, the Robot Restaurant is unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. Think bikini clad women fighting off Dinosaurs and Robots. It is really out of this world and part of me felt like I was living in a Hunter S. Thompson novel.</div> <div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_04df9d4975704e99b5be6ad458f5705c~mv2_d_3000_2250_s_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_373bbf4b582e46c1a65ee91d597e0dbc~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_a7cb325a007a4aa3b7aafc8830caf275~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_caa98b7077dd48f789259d2b0d045793~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_bf188570340b4c0cb9f8406b26a81b3e~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f25595_0f21d1a6c1a14b42a951d071f311af1a~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg" /></div> <div>You can’t miss the Robot Restaurant as the sign is huge and colorful, and there are two large Robots at the entrance. Once you are inside, you can buy tickets or pick-up tickets that you pre-ordered. Tickets are about $50USD and I would purchase them in advance since this show does sell out. After getting your tickets you will be directed to a bar area that serves wine, beer, mixed drinks and sake. They also serve food, but it was pretty bad, so I suggest eating before you arrive. Right before the show starts you will be ushered down to the basement where you will get your seat for the show. The seats are pretty tiny so expect to be packed in!</div> <div>Next, sit back, relax and enjoy this!</div> <p><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/210645849">

Visit an Owl Cafe!

Owl Cafes have recently become all the rage in Tokyo and it’s easy to understand why. I mean where else can you hold a variety of these unique animals? There are many Owl Cafes around Tokyo but we chose to visit Mohumohu because it was conveniently located in Shinjuku near our hotel, and because we read the owner spoke English.

Mohumohu is also one of the smallest Owl Cafes in Tokyo so they only allow 12 guests in at a time. Because of this, reservations were required in advance but they let us pay when we arrived. We loved having a smaller group of people to share the experience with because we were able to get up close and personal with the birds.

So what should you expect? When you enter the owl cafe you will be given your choice of a water or juice. You will then be asked to wash your hands before meeting the owls. If you want to purchase owl food you can, but it is not required. It’s little bits of raw quail I think? Not entirely sure but it didn’t look appetizing! 😉

here are a variety of owls in Mohumohu and you are allowed to pet, or even let the animals sit on your arm. The owner loooooves these owls and treats them like his babies. The owls were very friendly and he even let them fly around the room. I always have mixed feelings about seeing wild animals in situations like this one but they seemed happy and to be enjoying the company. Overall, this stop on our trip was a hoot!

Location: Owl Cafe Mohumohu, 5F, 3-35-2 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo

Hours: Mon-Fri 12noon-9pm; Sat, Sun & Holidays 11am-8pm

Price: Mon-Fri ¥1,500/hour; Sat, Sun & Holidays ¥1,800/hour

***Go all the way up the stairs. It’s a bit hard to find.**

Experience a Maid Cafe!

The strangest cafe we went to in Tokyo was DEFINITELY the Maid Cafe and I’ll be honest, I was pretty nervous to go in! But, for the sake of the blog, I found myself heading down some stairs and entering Maid Dreamin in Shibuya.

So what is a Maid Cafe you are probably asking yourself? Well, it is basically a cafe where pretty, young Japanese women dress up like maids and attend to your wishes, while calling men Master, and women Princess. It is SUPER WEIRD and I felt quite uncomfortable. However, the girls are really sweet and we ended up having a ton of fun! So, what’s it like?

Upon entering you will be greeted by a maid who will lead you into a bright open space that looks like something you’d see in a Nintendo game. Our cafe had a stage in the middle for performances and even a trampoline! Your “maid” will explain if you need service to put your hands in fists and hold them up to cheeks while you scream, “Nyan, Nyan!” in a cat voice. (I am not joking this really happens. Nyan means Meowwww) Then, you’ll place your order. They have really cute ice cream dishes, food, tea and alcoholic beverages. Every hour, the maids get up and perform a dance/ Lip sync battle that inevitably ends up with a local drunkenly jumping around with glow sticks. At the end of your visit you have the option of buying a picture with your maid, which we did because technically photos aren’t allowed inside. (I snuck all of these!) Overall, I ended up having a pretty good time at the Maid Cafe. Although, I still felt a bit awkward having someone call me Princess!

Location: Horaiya BLDG.B1F,30-1 Udagawacho Shibuya -ku Tokyo 150-0042 Japan

Hours: Sun-Thurs–13:00-23:00pm, Fri/Sat- 13:00pm-5:00am

Price: 500JPY/hour plus what you order

***18+ after 11pm. Don’t touch the maids! You’ll get kicked out.***

Rage at the Robot Restaurant!

From the second we saw a video from the Robot Restaurant in Tokyo we knew we had to go. Located in Shinjuku, Tokyo’s Red Light District, the Robot Restaurant is unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. Think bikini clad women fighting off Dinosaurs and Robots. It is really out of this world and part of me felt like I was living in a Hunter S. Thompson novel.

You can’t miss the Robot Restaurant as the sign is huge and colorful, and there are two large Robots at the entrance. Once you are inside, you can buy tickets or pick-up tickets that you pre-ordered. Tickets are about $50USD and I would purchase them in advance since this show does sell out.

After getting your tickets you will be directed to a bar area that serves wine, beer, mixed drinks and sake. They also serve food, but it was pretty bad, so I suggest eating before you arrive. Right before the show starts you will be ushered down to the basement where you will get your seat for the show. The seats are pretty tiny so expect to be packed in!

Next, sit back, relax and enjoy this!

The show starts off like this, with women and Robots dancing away!

But then, things take a turn for the worst, and the Robots start attacking the humans! (Once the chain link fence goes up around the audience you know things are about to get real!)

Don’t worry though, because everything works out in the end and the Robots have a huge dance party with their human friends! One thing is for sure, the Robot Restaurant is not to be missed! Remember, make a reservation in advance! And don’t forget to take a photo in the robot chairs out front.

Location: B2F Shinjuku Robot Bldg, 1-7-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo

Hours: Daily 4pm-11pm

Price: $7,000JPY

Sleep in a Love Hotel! (I dare you…)

What the room looked like on the website…

What the room really looked like…

Since we were in Tokyo for the New Years Holiday hotel prices were very high. I’m talking like $700/night for the Intercontinental Hotel, which is usually around $280/night. In order to off set the cost, I found myself online looking at how we could save some money for a night or two. That’s when I found the hotel pictured above. It was only $200/night but the booking sight warned it was a Love Hotel.

While I had heard of Love Hotels in the past, I didn’t really know anything about them so my research began. Basically, a Love Hotel is a type of short-stay hotel where couples go for sexual activities. The name comes from Hotel Love in Osaka, which was built in 1968. In Japan, apartments can be very cramped and couples don’t typically live together until they are married so Love Hotels are a great option for them to share private moments. After scouring the Internet for information I felt confident that this love hotel wasn’t seedy and would be fine for a night stay. I hit the book button and then slightly panicked for the next month that I had made a terrible decision! The things I do to save money…

-Rooms can be rented for the night, or for hours. (Although, nicer ones like JMex only rent overnight.)

-Large groups will be turned away. These aren’t for parties.

-Check-in is typically after 8pm and checkout is around 11am-12pm.

-Shukuhaku shitai desu ga means “We’d like to do an overnight stay.”

-You can walk into a Love Hotel. They are busiest on Fridays and Saturdays.

-Don’t expect a view. These rooms are all about privacy!

Location: There are many in Shinjuku. This one is located at 2 Chome-5-6 Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0021, Japan.

Where do you want to travel?

Quirky Tokyo: 6 Wonderfully Weird Attractions

Relax at a Cat Cafe!

Hang out at Harry’s Hedgehog Cafe!

Visit an Owl Cafe!

Experience a Maid Cafe!

Rage at the Robot Restaurant!

Sleep in a Love Hotel! (I dare you…)

Have a wonderfully weird time in Tokyo!

XOXO,

Lindsay & Christopher

Diva Diary

The Flower Fields

10 Must Do's in Mykonos!

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Where do you want to travel?

Quirky Tokyo: 6 Wonderfully Weird Attractions

Relax at a Cat Cafe!

Hang out at Harry’s Hedgehog Cafe!

Visit an Owl Cafe!

Experience a Maid Cafe!

Rage at the Robot Restaurant!

Sleep in a Love Hotel! (I dare you…)

Have a wonderfully weird time in Tokyo!

XOXO,

Lindsay & Christopher

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Diva Diary

The Flower Fields

10 Must Do's in Mykonos!

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