Unusual Tokyo Eatery: Tori no Iru Café

It’s usually considered rude to stare at someone while they eat, but does the same thing apply to birds?

Tori no Iru Café is an avian-themed café that’s home to a large variety of birds from around the world. In Japanese, the name literally translates to “a café where there are birds.” According to their website, Tori no Iru Café has 30 different types of exotic birds, including parrots, parakeets, owls, and hawks.

Most of the birds inside the café aren’t free to fly around, but there is a parrot room where customers can go in and interact with some of the birds. It costs ¥1,500 per hour, and those who want to stay longer can do so for an additional ¥300 per 15 minutes. As a sanitary precaution for both the customers and the birds, everyone must apply hand sanitizer before interacting with the feathered staff. For protection from bird bombers, rain ponchos are also a must before entering.

While Tori no Iru Café encourages its patrons to enjoy their visit, safety is still their number one priority. Guests should watch their step, not bring valuable jewelry into the room with the birds, and avoid flash photography. When interacting with the birds of prey, it is dangerous and strictly forbidden to poke the birds around their face. Moreover, it’s important to be gentle with these birds and to slowly stroke their back from the neck down.

Tori no Iru Café has two locations, one near Kiba Station in Koto and the other in Taito near Asakusa Station, and it’s a great place to go for those on a budget. Priced between ¥500 and ¥1,100, everything on the menu is fairly inexpensive.

Kiba Branch:
Address: Seven Star Mansion 105, 2-6-7 Kiba, Koto-ku.
Tel: 03-5809-8865.  
Nearest station: Kiba.

Asakusa Branch:
Address: Oyama Building B1F, 1-12-8 Asakusa, Taito-ku.
Tel: 03-6802-8575.
Nearest station: Asakusa.
www.toricafe.co.jp

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