Owl Cafe in Asakusa

We have talked about animal cafes before on my blog (the cat cafe in Shibuya). However, have you heard of the owl cafe? In Asakusa, there was a small cafe with many different kinds of owls and a few other small animals called Owl Cafe Asakusa. While the cafe seems to be no more, there are several other owl cafes around Tokyo. This post will give you an idea of what an owl cafe is like in Japan!

Most animal cafes charge an admission fee or a fee for how long you stay, but they provide free drinks. This was the same way. We paid a small entrance fee and then had our choice of a free drink inside.

There were so many owls! Some you could pet and others were less friendly. Most were sitting on a little roost just relaxing, but some were flying around freely.

The ones I pet were so soft and seemed to be used to humans petting them.

There were also a few special animals there like otters, some turtles, and other types of birds. We spent about an hour inside looking at the different owls and other animals. It is definitely a really fun experience!

If you like animal cafes, check out my other post about Cat Cafe Mocha, as well. I hope you’ll visit an animal cafe on your next trip to Japan! It is an extraordinary experience.

Digital Art Museum - TeamLab Borderless Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan

One of my absolute favorite places that we visited while in Japan was the digital art museum in Odaiba called TeamLab Borderless. This is not just a museum… it is a fully immersive and interactive experience. You are part of the art, explore the art, become the art. It’s like a whole playground for all ages filled with the most beautiful designs that you are fully experiencing.

The entire building has an open room to room flow. You just walk around and end up in different areas, part of different experiences. One area was all flowers that popped when you touch them. Another area was a strange climbing experience. There was a field of what I can only describe as lily pads with digital projections flowing across them as you walk among them. You can touch everything and everything reacts to motion and touch in the digital artwork.

One of the coolest exhibits was the tea house. You can go and choose from several types of tea. They will create it for you and bring it out to you, setting it on the table in this dark room. Then, the tea comes to life. smart projections from above you make floral designs in your tea bowl. The flowers bloom as your tea sits still, but when you lift the tea, the blooms fall apart. No matter where you move the bowl, the blossoms find your drink.

Another amazing experience was a totally dark room with a net that suspends you high above a mirrored floor. You lay in the middle of this net, almost as if it was a birds nest, and thousands of projections fly by you on the walls and ceiling. It feels like you’re watching the night sky come alive while suspended in mid air.

Of course, there are the very popular giant illuminated balloons. They change color and bounce slowly. There are also various kid-friendly (or adult-friendly) play areas. We climbed on some uneven suspended planks in a neon glow area. We even went down a big slide that had fruit projected onto it. When you slide down, the fruits are disturbed and bounce all over the place.

There really is so much to see here. So much, that I can’t even cover all of it. Finally, one more mention… The lantern room. A room filled with color changing lanterns and mirrors. This entire place feels like some out of body experience. If you get to visit, I definitely suggest it. Also, check out the many other TeamLab exhibits across Japan and the rest of the world. I’m sure you’ll find something that will blow your mind!

Ooedo Onsen Monogatari - Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan

Do you want a relaxing day at an onsen with an Edo Period twist? Then you won’t want to miss Ooedo Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan. Yes, this is an onsen, but they also have restaurants with a food court, shops, carnival games, and even an outdoor foot bath garden… all decorated like the Japanese Edo Period.

When you first enter, you’ll remove your shoes and go check in. Just a warning, they do not allow patrons with tattoos inside, but they also don’t check to make sure you don’t have tattoos. I’m sure if it’s obvious, then you won’t be allowed to enter. Once you check in, you’ll go to the yukata counter and pick out the design of Yukata that you want to wear. A yukata is like a light-weight kimono in a way. They have many designs to choose from for both men and women. I chose a fun bright yellow-green yukata with orange flowers.

Next, you’ll head to the dressing rooms. There are separate dressing rooms for men and women. There, you’ll change into your yukata and put your belongings into a personal locker. Next, you can enter the main hall.

The main hall is a big indoor courtyard. It feels like you’ve been transported back in time to an Edo Period town square, complete with quaint storefronts, wooden towers, and colorful paper lanterns. We went to one of the quick service restaurants and ordered some food to eat in the courtyard (kind of like a food court area) before heading outside to the foot bath.

Outside, there is a beautiful Japanese garden with a relaxing foot bath. This is mixed gender and everyone is fully clothed, unlike the onsen/baths themselves. This is just to relax outdoors and socialize while you soak your feet in some hot, steamy water. The foot bath is shaped like a stream that winds through the garden. The bottom of the stream has different shaped rocks and textures that we were challenging each other to walk through. Some of the sections are meant to hit certain pressure points in your feet, so we were laughing as we tried to walk across some of the pointy stones. Then, we sat and chatted with friends along the side of the stream.

On this visit, we chose not to go to the onsen/bath itself. We had a rather large group and were running short on time. We did, however, check out the shops and carnival before we left. One of the shops sold Gudetama water, which I couldn’t resist buying (if you’ve read my Gudatama Cafe post, you know how obsessed I am).

Finally, it was time to leave. We changed back into our normal clothes, turned in our yukata to the checkout area, and picked up our belongings from the locker. This was a great experience, family friendly, and overall a really festive atmosphere. I definitely recommend Ooedo Onsen. Check it out next time you’re in Tokyo!