Tempus
|
Tidskriften
|
tidigare veckor: |
OSAKA, Japan - Riding the coattails of the cat cafe boom, so-called animal cafes have become popular, especially in urban areas. Customers can get up close and personal with a variety of creatures - including snakes, owls and rabbits.
Animal
cafes in Osaka have increased eight fold over the last five years,
as people seeking solace with the animals, as well as foreign
tourists craving novelty, have increasingly sought them out.
Nami Kuroki, an 18-year-old company employee from Osaka, enjoyed
the 1-meter-long (about 3 feet) snake draped around her neck at
the Rock Star reptile cafe in the city's Naniwa Ward.
"I like that she cuddles up to people even though they don't
give her attention. Her mysterious nature is fascinating,"
she said.
Rock Star's reptile collection also includes iguanas and chameleons. The cafe opened in 2014 and, after generating strong word-of-mouth buzz, was able to double its seating capacity to 40 last year.
Eighty
percent of its customers are women, many of whom came to the shop
in search of a scary experience and later became regulars after
finding the atmosphere comfortable, according to the cafe.
Although the number of animal cafes nationwide is unknown, a tally
compiled by the Osaka city government showed the number of such
cafes in the city totaled 48 as of late August, an eight fold
increase from five years ago. More than half are cat cafes, but
the number of cafes with reptiles, owls, small birds, hamsters
and other types of animals has also increased.
Fukuro
no Mise ("Owl Shop") in Osaka's Kita Ward has increased
its efforts to lure foreign travelers, posting information on
the internet and taking other steps. Fukuro no Mise employs people
from Taiwan, and 70 percent of its customers are now foreigners.
"It's interesting because we don't have shops like this in
Taiwan," said a 20-year-old university student visiting Japan.
"The big eyes are charming."
Ashiya Get Plus, a pet rabbit shop in Higashi-Nada Ward, Kobe,
added a cafe to its premises in 2012, making it popular among
university students and other young people. "Our place even
seems to be on a list of popular dating spots," its operator
said.
The
Environment Ministry has conducted surveys on well-known cat cafes.
According to a survey carried out last October, cat cafes numbered
314 across the nation, up 89 from two years ago.
At Cat Cafe Nekokaigi, which opened in Kyoto, in 2008, customers
sometimes have to wait an hour to enter on weekends. The cafe
is home to 12 cats that were adopted from people who rescue strays.
"I want to make this cafe a place where people can learn
the importance of life and proper way to care for cats,"
said cafe manager Mayuko Horii, 37.
Akemi
Natsuyama, a senior researcher at the Hakuhodo Institute of Life
and Living, said, "The use [of animal cafes] has spread widely,
as they not only serve as places for healing but also offer people
a unique experience that's easy to post on Facebook and other
sites.
"For people living in urban areas who have difficulty keeping
pets, the fact they don't have to take care of the animals all
the time is one reason the cafes are popular," she added.
Some animal cafes have raised concerns. In June, the Tokyo metropolitan
government revoked the business license of a cat cafe in Sumida
Ward for its failure to treat sick cats and other improper management.
The revocation is believed to be the first of its kind in the
nation.
In
Osaka, the city government instructed an animal cafe to improve
its management after receiving complaints from customers, including
that there were animal hairs in the food.
The Animal Protection Law allows pet stores and other facilities
to display dogs and cats from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For cats, the rules
were eased in June to extend the display time to 10 p.m., following
calls from business operators handling cats. However, other animals
are not subject to such time restrictions.
"If
animals are abused for the sake of business, it's really defeating
the purpose," said Megumi Yokoi, the head of Animalship classroom
for children, a Tokyo-based company offering animal-assisted education.
"I want customers to show good sense by, for example, choosing
stores that properly manage the condition of animals."