Report Exposes Major Welfare Concerns at Japan's Exotic Animal Cafes

[Tokyo, 10th December 2025] A shocking scientific report exposing acute and systemic welfare failures within Japan's Exotic Animal Cafes has today been released by international animal welfare organisation Wild Welfare. The study, supported by Animal Welfare Japan and conducted in collaboration with Nippon Life Sciences University (Japan) and Nottingham Trent University (UK) assessed the welfare of animals in almost 80 cafes across major Japanese cities. The report revealed that animal welfare was consistently low across all taxa and that a significant proportion of these establishments are operating far below even basic animal welfare standards.

The report highlights a severe lack of consideration for the suitability of environments for a range of animals including owls, snakes, otters and hedgehogs. Captive wild animals are denied adequate space, and any freedom of choice, critically limiting their ability to exhibit any natural behaviors. In addition, many of the human-animal interactions offered, such as holding or handling a wild animal in these cafe environments, poses a multitude of risks to both animals and humans.

Following one such cafe visit, Wild Welfare Senior Advisor, Georgina Groves noted how "Exotic animal cafés may appear novel or even educational, but behind this trend lies a profound welfare concern. Species such as birds, reptiles and all other wild animals, have highly specialised behavioural and environmental needs that simply cannot be met in these confined spaces or through repeated handling. Animals are not props for human amusement, they are complex, sentient beings whose welfare depends on freedom of choice, natural behaviours, and environments far removed from café settings." Georgina explained.

In particular, the report emphasises a failure within Japan's system of regulation. Exotic animal cafes are currently licensed similarly to zoos and aquariums. However, welfare standard requirements and current oversight of such licensed facilities related to animal cafes is insufficient and extremely poor, resulting in significant welfare gaps.

To encourage immediate actions, Wild Welfare along with a coalition of NGOs, academics, and veterinary experts have submitted a joint statement to Japanese policy makers, requesting their commitment to urgently support four key pledges. The four pledges include providing a comprehensive review of existing exotic cafés, urgently implementing measures to mitigate zoonotic disease risk, support the restriction of ownership for certain wild species, and agreeing to phasing out exotic animals in cafes by ending the breeding of new animal stock.

"There is a clear and growing appetite within Japan, across international NGOs, scientists, and animal facilities, to implement improved animal welfare standards through stronger legislation" explained Simon Marsh, Director of Wild Welfare. "Our mission is to allow all captive wild animals the opportunity to have 'voices' heard, their needs met, and the ability to live a good life worth living" Simon concluded.

The peer-reviewed paper serves as a wake-up call for the government to address the urgent need for wild animal welfare reform. As public understanding, expectations and scientific understanding continues to advance, out-dated practices often seen at these establishments must continue to be challenged and updated accordingly. Wild Welfare remains committed to advocating for meaningful change within the exotic animal cafe industry, to ensure all animals receive the care and better living conditions they desperately deserve.

To travel responsibly and ensure your trip doesn't unknowingly contribute to animal suffering, access Wild Welfare's free guide to animal-friendly tourism at https://wildwelfare.org/animal-friendly-tourism/.

ENDS

Wild Welfare c/o RPD,
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Wild Welfare is a UK-registered charity working globally to transform the lives of wild animals living in captivity. Founded in 2012, we are the first captive wild animal charity solely focused on improving welfare standards by strategically uniting global animal welfare NGOs with captive wildlife facilities, such as zoos, aquariums, and sanctuaries.

Globally, an estimated 10,000+ captive wildlife facilities exist, many of which operate outside of recognised welfare standards, resulting in widespread animal suffering. Our mission is to address this critical issue not through condemnation, but through constructive partnership and expert support.

This release was published on openPR.