In the past, in order to see Shiba Inu with your own eyes, you'd have to encounter them on their daily walks in their neighborhood, or at a park welcoming to pets. Places such as Ueno Park and Yoyogi Park come to mind, which are often visited by tourists, especially during cherry blossom (Sakura) season. But to actually get to meet one up close and personal, there wasn't any truly reliable option for that, until recently.
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| Mr. Shiba enjoying the snow |
Mame Shiba is a small shiba (purposefully so?), noticeably smaller than the typical Shiba Inu. Aside from its diminutive stature though, Mame Shibas are without a doubt indistinguishable from its larger species, and have a unique charm and cuteness of its own. In the Tokyo area, one establishment called the Mame Shiba Café opened recently in Harajuku, one of Tokyo's popular tourist destinations.
Since it recently opened, the Mame Shiba Café is a very popular attraction, with lines just to purchase the tickets at times. Once you buy the admission ticket (880 yen) you'll probably have to return to the café at an appointed/schedule time for your 30 minutes of quality time with the mame shibas.
But once you get in... prepare to be amazed at their numbers (around one dozen of the dogs were in the café when I visited) and their overwhelming cuteness.
The mame shibas were a lot different in personality from my own shiba-san at home, but perhaps that indicates the difference in atmosphere for a dog, between a family home and what is essentially like a dorm for dogs. Shibas are known to be somewhat cat like in personality, which I saw even more so with these mame shibas... not too friendly as a rule, but when for some reason they find someone they like...
My wife had no shortage of love from those little dogs! I think these mame shibas could tell that she's a shiba mommy...
For anyone who loves dogs, or even animals in general (especially of the cute and lovable variety), the Mame Shiba Café is definitely a unique place to visit and one I'd highly recommend.
Recommendations:
- Arrive early, even before the café opens (1100 during the week, 1030 on weekends/holidays) to get near/at the front of the line for ticket(s). Even if you take a while to get your ticket, you might only have to hang around waiting/lunching in the area for an hour or less until your admission time. This frees up valuable time to check out other things (Meiji Jingu, Yoyogi Park, etc) later!
- Wear comfortable clothes, something easy to sit and kneel in. These little doggos are... very little, and you aren't allowed to pick them up (touching/petting them is more than okay), so your attire should be conducive to getting closer to the tatami floor easier.
- Go alone or with others, but selfies with the shibas might be difficult. Let a friend take the photo of you with the mame shibas!
- I don't remember seeing restrooms around the café, but as you have 30 minutes here with the shibas I'd suggest going to a facility elsewhere and before your visit.
Specifics:
Mame Shiba Café, Harajuku
Hours: 1100-1900 on weekdays, 1030-1930 on weekends and holidays
Location:
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