Big round innocent eyes, soft fluffy feathers and the possibility of going up-close with these wisdom animals were what on our mind when we walked into this owl café by chance. At a mere 1,000yen we were given the freedom to caress, take photos, and sip a drink of our choice within an hour timeframe.
While some owls were born naturally to please the crowd in their most innocent/hilarious look, others got their “back-off” sign written all over.
Only when the local TV crew came over to film these owls do I see the pity side of these adorable little creatures; the humongous camcorder along with video light alarmed the owls, flapping their wings in futile attempt to flee on tethered legs. It was almost heart-breaking to witness.
An entertainer by day when they the nocturnal should be sleeping, a product for sale at 6 figures in yen, a captive to which no crime was committed, a wild creature where its future is to be domesticated; I see no signs of these owls being any closer to what the café title suggests, but the very opposite.
