Virginia Trioli Instagram – A sad, short Tokyo owl cafe story. Animal cafe experiences are a big part of Tokyo popular culture: Shiba Inu dogs, hedgehogs and owls, etc. We had a gorgeous morning at a Shiba cafe, where these imperious, aloof dogs allowed – or didn’t allow – themselves to be patted. It was clean, well run and the dogs were not over stressed. The owl cafe, while obviously run by caring, loving owners, was very different. I will admit I was worried about the owl visit from the start – but my son is a huge lover of animals and wanted to try. The incredibly small room was filled with owls who had their legs tethered, some crouching beneath benches as they were “trained”, and others – in the enclosed balcony room you can see here – looking out onto the glorious trees of the Meiji Shrine park. They stared at those trees fixedly. We found the scene heartbreaking. It’s one thing to have a room of calm, domesticated house dogs, but these are wild, hunting predators who cannot fly more than a couple of flaps, and flinch every time someone pats them. We lasted ten minutes and left. The owners were confused and upset at our early departure, but we barely made it out to the lift before my son and I burst into tears and sobbed at the experience. I’m sure there will be many here who tell us we are applying the wrong cultural lens – but I have never liked birds in cages. #tokyo #japan #animalrights Tokyo, Japan