Should you visit animal cafes or zoos in Japan?

It is not hard to see why people visit animal cafes in Japan. Animals are cute. Owl lovers want a close-up experience. Capybaras look so unbothered that you can imagine they’re enjoying the attention. But put yourself in the animal’s place.

You’re confined, under bright lights, handled by a stream of strangers for hours. I can barely stand five minutes of small talk with one stranger, let alone being grabbed and posed by dozens.

The reality is, there are many reasons why you shouldn’t visit an animal cafe in Japan — horrible conditions, neglect, disease, stress and even connections with organized crime. It gets to a point where you either don’t know how bad it really is or just don’t care about the suffering of animals.

If you didn’t know how harmful these places can be and were thinking of going on your next trip, here’s what actually happens behind the scenes at animal cafes in Japan.

Owls are the forest’s wizards. They have pinpoint hearing, silent flight and eyes that find you in the dark. They’re built for night. Now picture that animal tethered to a box under fluorescent lights, pupils blown wide, flinching as hands keep coming.

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