Nibbles & Sips: Ra.a.g.f. Rabbit Cafe – Harajuku

As you can tell by my face in the above picture, animal cafes are a particular favorite of mine.  At home in the States I have three cats, and I miss them quite a bit.  Fortunately, Japan always has the perfect fix for any ailment.  The animal cafes in Japan include types such as rabbits, owls, birds, birds of prey, reptiles, and of course the well known cat cafes.  Last autumn I visited a rabbit cafe with my girl friends as part of a fun Saturday out in Harajuku.

Ra.a.g.f. (Rabbit and Grow Fat) is located in the heart of Harajuku.  Though hidden on a side street and up a flight of stairs, it is well worth the search to find.  The cafe gives customers the chance to interact with their resident rabbits in a small intimate setting.  And across the hall there is a cat cafe, in case you need more animal time.

Pricing is relatively cheap and comes with a drink.  You can choose to stay for 30 minutes, an hour, or extend by 30 minutes after the first hour.  Vegetables to feed the rabbits are also available for an additional 150円.

Pro tip – get the vegetables.  These little darlings know when someone has food and will climb all over you to get some, making for perfect photo opportunities.

The cafe itself is less ‘cafe’ like and more of a small apartment with floor seating.  The image above captures the entire seating space.  Behind the small gate are the stacks of cages that the rabbits stay in when not out and wandering.

A system is in place to ensure that the rabbits don’t fight with each other or become overstimulated.  One rabbit is allowed out for 30 minutes, at which point they are placed back into their home cage to rest for a certain length of time.  Visitors may request that a particular rabbit be taken out, but cannot be switching between them, you will need to wait before changing.  Additionally, visitors must not try to pick up the rabbits.  If they hop into your lap then that is their own prerogative.

Here you can see my friend Janelle demonstrating proper rabbit cafe technique: get vegetables, entice rabbit to you with the food, smile and enjoy 🙂

Often times the rabbits will be content to sit on your lap as they search for more nibbles, offering visitors the opportunity to pet them and enjoy their company.

As you stay it is encouraged that you approach the cages to interact with the resting rabbits.  You can open the door and pet or feed them, so long as you’re careful they don’t try to hop out!

Though I am sure many are against the practice of keeping animals in cages, I was impressed by the amount of love and attention given to the rabbits.  The girls working in the cafe take care to give each rabbit a turn out, as well as attention when they are ‘resting’.

As for the ‘cafe’ part of this?  Nothing to write home about.  You can choose tea, coffee, or other soft drink.  We mostly ignored ours, as the rabbits are the draw to coming here.

Have you ever been to a rabbit cafe?  How about an animal cafe of a different sort?  I’m always on the lookout for new ones to get my animal companion fix, so let me know in the comments!!

CAFE INFORMATION
Ra.a.g.f. Harajuku
http://raagf.com/shop/harajuku/
150-0001
Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 6-14-15 Maison Harajuku 3F
TEL 03-6805-0328
Opening hours:
Weekdays 12:00 to 7:30 (last entrance 7:00)
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 11:00 to 10:00 (last entrance 7:30)