cafe Tokyo
CAFE CAPYBA
The real deal, in Tokyo. A reservation-only cafe where two capybaras wander the floor while you drink espresso and hand them vegetables. This is what the US spots are imitating.
Plan your visit
- Type
- cafe
- Hours
-
Advance reservation only – no walk-ins. Booking typically opens about two weeks before the date via the official site. There are now two branches — the original in Sumida near Tokyo Skytree, and a second in Asakusa. Check which one you are booking.
- Cost
- From ~¥2,300 (~$15) per person for the first 30 minutes (includes a drink); extra time and veg treats cost more
- Best time
- Year-round
- Duration
- 30 min
- Booking
- Reserve ~2 weeks ahead
- Ages
- Ages 6+
When people picture a "capybara cafe," this is closer to the truth than anything in the US.
The real thing
Cafe Capyba is an actual cafe, not an encounter room dressed up as one. You sit at a table in Tokyo's Sumida ward, order an espresso-bar drink, and the two resident capybaras wander the floor and come to you for vegetables. It is small, calm, and built so the animals stay unbothered – which is the whole appeal.
This is the template every US spot is loosely copying. If you have only seen the American version, the difference is the setting – free-roaming capybaras in a working cafe rather than a timed session in a dedicated room.
Getting a slot
It is reservation-only with no walk-ins, and booking typically opens about two weeks before the date through the official site. Slots go fast, so plan around that window rather than assuming you can drop in.
Sessions are timed and start from around ¥2,300 (about $15) for the first 30 minutes, drink included, with extra time and veg treats costing more. There is usually a minimum age of about six, so check before bringing young kids.
Who it's for
Worth the pre-booking hassle if you are already going to Tokyo and want the genuine article. Not worth crossing an ocean for on its own – for that, the US encounters get you most of the way there without the flight.
Details change – always confirm hours, prices, and booking on the official site before you travel. Animal encounters are subject to each venue's welfare rules.
