Animal Welfare
The Questions We Hear
People often ask us questions like these about animal cafes:
- Isn’t it unnatural to keep animals away from their natural habitat?
- Doesn’t living indoors cause the animals stress or discomfort?
- Doesn’t adapting to a human schedule disturb their natural rhythm?
- Aren’t the animals being treated as a spectacle, as entertainment?
- Isn’t the cafe ultimately using animals for profit?
These are fair questions about ethics and animal welfare, and they shape how we run the cafes every day.
Our Philosophy
CAPPINESS is not meant to be a place where animals are put on display. It is a place to learn about capybaras, get to know them a little, and come away caring a bit more about animals in general.
As daily life moves further from animals and nature, it gets easier to stop noticing them, and what we stop noticing we stop protecting. Sitting with an animal, seeing how it behaves and what it needs, is one small way to keep that connection. We hope some of it stays with our guests after they leave.
We also want to be a place for people who love animals but cannot keep one at home: a safe way to spend time with animals without owning a pet, which may also mean fewer animals bought on impulse and given up later.
Our Practices for Animal Welfare
- Choosing the right species. Capybaras are gentle and highly social, one of the few species suited to calm contact with people.
- An environment for natural behavior. Open-air space, pools, and shelters where they can retreat.
- Respecting their rhythm. Short opening hours (10:15 AM to 5:30 PM, no evening sessions) and sessions kept short.
- Never alone. Capybaras live in groups in the wild, so each cafe is home to three capybaras rather than a single animal. Depending on how each one is feeling on the day, not all three may join a session.
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About two hours of rest every midday
Both cafes close from 1:00 to 3:00 PM every day so the capybaras can rest between sessions. Japan’s animal-welfare rules set rest requirements for dogs and cats, but none for exotic animals like capybaras, so we set our own.
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Small groups, reservation only
Every session is reservation-only and capped at around 10 guests, so the number of people interacting with the capybaras at any one time stays small.
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Guests learn before they touch
Each session begins with a short video on how to approach, pet, and feed the capybaras, and our staff walk every group through it in person.
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A veterinarian we can always reach
Our capybaras receive regular checkups from a veterinarian we can contact at any time. If anything seems off, the vet comes and sees them right away. If a capybara is unwell, we keep it out of sessions or, when needed, close the cafe for the day and refund affected bookings.
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Feeding follows a nutrition plan, not ticket sales
The capybara snacks guests hand out are fresh grass, delivered every week from a farm we work with. Daily portions are calculated for total calories and nutrients, and every week we weigh each capybara, check their droppings, record the results, and adjust what and how much they eat. Guests feed from those portions; we don’t sell extra feed. Hay is always available at two or more spots, so they can graze whenever they like.
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Two baths a day
Capybaras are semi-aquatic, so each of ours bathes twice a day. It keeps them comfortable and healthy, and it is why our rooms have almost no animal smell.
Ethics and Sustainability
We are a business, and all profits go back into animal welfare: better facilities, medical care, staff training, and educational programs. Profit and ethics do not have to be at odds when the money is spent on the animals’ well-being.
We don’t want to “use” animals. We are trying to build a way of living alongside them that works for the capybaras as much as for us.
On “Buying Animals Causes Harm”
All of our capybaras were born and raised in Japan, never taken from the wild. We know that buying animals can keep demand going. But for animals already born under human care, our duty is to give them the best life we can and never treat them as expendable.
Both things are true at once: the hope for a better world, and the duty to care for the lives that already depend on us. We try to do right by the animals we have now while working toward a more ethical future.
What Guests Say
We still have plenty of room to improve, but it means a lot when a guest notices the care that goes into our capybaras. These are recent comments from Google and TripAdvisor.
Photo by Drew Selby — Google review
★★★★★
This was such a fun and unique experience. We booked it last second and it was super memorable, the capybaras were very chill and appeared to be very well taken care of (which is always a concern with animal cafes). They enjoyed the pets and snacks!
Photo by Maggie — Google review
★★★★★
I had an amazing time at Cappiness Oshiage! The staff was incredibly attentive and knowledgeable about the capybaras, and it’s clear they are very well cared for. The capys were playful, relaxed, and clearly comfortable in their environment. What really stood out was how the café prioritizes meaningful interaction with the capybaras, creating a much more intimate and memorable experience. I’ve also visited the Shinjuku location in the past and can confidently say the team truly cares about both their animals and their guests. Many good stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
★★★★★
The employees were extremely accommodating, helpful, knowledgeable, and kind. The entrance was a little difficult to find but the experience is worth every penny! It is evident the capys are very well cared for and enjoy the socialization - at least during morning session. We can’t wait to return!
Photo by Leticia Oda — Google review
★★★★★
This was an absolute dream come true for my daughter! She is obsessed with capybaras, and getting to spend time with them up close and personal was the highlight of our trip to Tokyo. Being able to feed them was such a special touch. You can really tell the staff loves caring for the animals; they were incredibly friendly and made the whole experience feel safe and welcoming. A truly amazing and intimate experience for the whole family—highly recommend!
★★★★★
I went to CAPPINESS in Oshaige. It’s was an amazing experience. They had just opened recently and the place was spotless. The staff were very friendly and provided interesting education about capybaras. The animals seemed happy and staff were caring. Highly recommend!!!
Photo by Cassandra Bolton — Google review
★★★★★
I visited the Cappiness Capybara Cafe today. The place is very clean, the capybaras are well taken care of, and the staff is very knowledgeable. We enjoyed our time and highly recommend!