Watch: Teacup pigs take centre stage at Tokyo café

Animal cafés are big business in Japan, generating €12bn per year - Copyright Reuters

By Euronews with Reuters

Published on 26/04/2019 - 10:14

There are 1,000 pet cafés in Japan. Visitors say the animals help relieve stress, and the cafés have become a €12 billion industry.

Appropriately named teacup pigs, weighing under 5kg, are the star turn at Tokyo's first pig café.

There are 1,000 pet cafés in Japan with animals ranging from cats and dogs to bears and hedgehogs.

Visitors say the animals help relieve stress, and the cafés have become a €12 billion industry.

Customers are allowed to embrace the pigs – which are aged between two and four months old – while enjoying their coffee and dessert.

One said: "I never expected such closeness between pigs and human beings. I am [busy] at work, but now with the little pigs here with me, I feel the [weariness] is all gone."

While another added: "Their noses feel cool, but the bodies are so warm. How cute! I love little animals. I think the little pigs can heal my heart."

Comments

Watch: Teacup pigs take centre stage at Tokyo café

You might also like

Watch back: Japanese Emperor Akihito abdicates in Tokyo ceremony

Pig's brain function restored hours after death

Watch: 'The most dangerous fishing event in Japan' featuring 1,000 piranhas