Hedgehogs Become Cuddle Buddies at New Tokyo Cafe

As if cat, rabbit, owl, hawk and even snake-themed cafes aren't enough in a country which loves all things cute, Tokyo residents wanting to spend time with animals have a new choice - a hedgehog-themed cafe.

A board shows a selection of hedgehogs for sale at the Harry hedgehog cafe in Tokyo

Customers at "Harry" - a play on the animal's name in Japanese - have been lining up to spend time at a bright room in the Roppongi entertainment district where 20 to 30 hedgehogs of different breeds scrabble and snooze in glass tanks.

A fee of 1,000 yen ($9) on weekdays and 1,300 yen on holidays brings an hour of playing with and cuddling - carefully - the prickly mammals, which have long been sold in Japan as pets despite not being native to the island nation.

"All of these hedgehogs are friendly even though some of them might spike you," said Anna Cheung (center) an 11-year-old visitor from Britain. She visited the cafe with her sister Yuna Cheung and mother, Kimberly Russel, from Great Britain.

A woman takes a selfie with a hedgehog at the Harry hedgehog cafe in Tokyo, Japan, April 5, 2016. In a new animal-themed cafe, 20 to 30 hedgehogs of different breeds scrabble and snooze in glass tanks in Tokyo's Roppongi entertainment district. Customers have been queuing to play with the prickly mammals, which have long been sold in Japan as pets. The cafe's name Harry alludes to the Japanese word for hedgehog, harinezumi. 

Staffer Mizuki Murata, who also works in a rabbit cafe in the same building, said the shop had been popular since its February opening, with customers often having to queue.

"We wanted to show people the charm of hedgehogs, which give the impression of being hard to handle. We wanted to get rid of that image by letting people touch them," Murata said.

"The cutest thing about hedgehogs is getting them to finally open up and show you their face."