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Mipig Cafe, a pig-themed cafe in Tokyo, is becoming a popular tourist destination thanks to its unique business model: allowing customers to enjoy coffee while playing with adorable pigs.
Unlike traditional animal cafes, Mipig Cafe offers a completely new experience for customers. Pigs are considered gentle, approachable animals that bring a sense of relaxation to people. This cafe believes that playing with pigs helps reduce stress and anxiety, and brings feelings of joy and comfort.
Pigs are considered gentle, approachable animals that bring a sense of relaxation to humans.
Mipig Café in the trendy Harajuku district is one of 10 pig-themed cafes that have opened across Japan, including one on the northernmost main island of Hokkaido and another in Fukuoka on the southern island of Kyushu.
Mipig Cafe was founded in 2019 by Shiho Kitagawa, who previously ran a cat cafe.
This cafe claims that playing with pigs helps reduce stress.
The animals at this cafe are "miniature pigs." Even when fully grown, they are no bigger than a corgi dog. In particular, the cafes feature adorable piglets that are only the size of toy poodles. These miniature pigs attract many customers who come to the cafe to enjoy fun and unique moments interacting with them.
The cafe uses pigs that are well-trained and undergo regular health checks to ensure customer safety. In addition, Mipig Cafe also offers a pig rental service for events or parties.
Mipig Café in the trendy Harajuku area.
A beverage dispenser was placed in the corner of the cafe, but hardly anyone paid attention to it because everyone was too busy playing with and taking pictures of the miniature pigs. The charm of the adorable piglets completely captivated the customers' attention, making them forget to enjoy their drinks.
Customers must pay 2,200 yen for the first 30 minutes to have an unforgettable experience alongside the miniature pigs. Before arriving at the cafe, visitors also need to make a reservation to ensure they can enter.
Foreign tourists visiting the cafe say they learned about it through social media, even though the cafe doesn't advertise. The popularity of the miniature pig cafe on social media platforms has attracted many curious and animal-loving tourists, making it a must-visit destination.
The restaurant uses pigs that have been professionally trained and undergo regular health checks to ensure customer safety.
However, the "pig cafe" model has also received mixed reactions. Some people are concerned about hygiene issues when in direct contact with pigs, questioning the level of cleanliness and safety in a cafe environment. In addition, some argue that raising pigs in a cafe setting could affect their health and well-being, as the environment is not entirely natural and could cause stress to the pigs.
Despite the controversies, "pig cafes" are still a popular trend among young Japanese people. The combination of the joy of owning a pet and a unique cafe experience is creating a new wave that promises to continue growing in the future.
