Once a mecca for lolita fashion and cosplay, Harajuku has now become the place to go for cute animal cafes ranging from mameshiba dogs to otters. Harajuku Kawaii Land Kyun Kyun, which opened in June 2023, adds to that reputation with its offering of guinea pigs, hedgehogs, chinchillas and more.
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This is a sponsored post but all content below is my honest opinion.
System and vibe
At Harajuku Kawaii Land Kyun Kyun, there is no limit to how long you can stay once paying the entry fee. The facility is based on the motif of “playing with animals from the perspective of a small child,” which means the enclosures are placed at lower heights than usual. The interior color scheme also uses a lot of pastel pinks and blues, creating the soothing, cute atmosphere of a child’s bedroom.
The facility appears to be very popular among foreign tourists. They made up most of the visitors there when we went on a Saturday afternoon. All information is presented in both Japanese and English, and the staff can also speak some English.
You must wear gloves when petting or holding any of the animals, and change to thicker gloves for the hedgehogs given their spikes. While having a barrier between your hands and the animal does dull the petting sensation somewhat, I understand it is for safety and hygiene.
Animals at Harajuku Kawaii Land Kyun Kyun
Guinea pigs make up the largest population of animals at the facility, followed by hedgehogs and hamsters. There is also one chinchilla and gecko out to play with at a time. The animals are rotated out every few hours so they can rest.
The guinea pigs have varied personalities, with the female ones seemingly more shy than the males. While some don’t mind being pet, others scuttle away as soon as you touch them.
Given that hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal, many were sleeping or curled up into a ball. They seemed used to being picked up in their ball form and having their tummies stroked because it did not wake them from their slumber.
What did rouse them was waving a mealworm in front of their faces though. One funny thing that happened: I was holding a hedgehog while it was lying peacefully on its back, and asked my friend to take a mealworm to feed it. She picked it up with the tweezers, but accidently dropped it into the enclosure below. While attempting to pick it back up, a hedgehog there noticed and started to make its way towards it. The hedgehog in my hands appeared to be flustered by this turn of events, and squirmed to get up. It was like he was saying, “who you giving my mealworm to?!” We picked up another mealworm and fed it to him, don’t worry. XD
You can also hold hamsters, but they tend to be rather squirmy and will run curiously around your hands. The chinchillas, the largest of the animals at Harajuku Kawaii Land Kyun Kyun, can only be petted. They seem to enjoy rolling around in the sand in a jar.
The most chill animal was actually the gecko, which mostly held still and let you stroke its head as much as you wanted. Lizards can be surprisingly cute.
Feeding the animals
You can purchase snacks to feed the hedgehogs, guinea pigs and chinchillas.
While the hedgehogs enjoy the dried mealworms, the guinea pigs’ interest in the dried fruits and grass vary. Some munch on them, while others turn their noses up at them. They seemed more interested in munching on the plastic laid under the mats in their enclosure, lol. The chinchilla took the dried strawberry I gave it, but didn’t finish it. Maybe it had been fed too much by other visitors already.
Cost
Entry for an unlimited time costs 2,200 yen per adult, half the price for children. Children under 3 years old are free. Bookings are not necessary. Snacks for the feeding animals cost extra, with the cheapest at 1,000 yen for the hedgehogs and guinea pigs. There are also packages where you can get a set of four stickers and a souvenir toy in addition to the snacks.
Getting there
Harajuku Kawaii Land Kyun Kyun is located around a 5-minute walk from Meijijingu-Mae (Harajuku) Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda and Fukutoshin Lines. It can also be reached in around the same time from the JR Harajuku Station (take the Takeshita St. exit).
Address: 東京都渋谷区神宮前１丁目９ 30FLEG 地下1階
B1F FLEG, 1-9-30 Meijijingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
The facility is open from 10am to 6pm on weekdays, and up to 7pm on weekends/holidays.
Check out the archives for more animal-related activities!