Mimi Bunny Cafe in Tokyo, Japan: Video and Closure Notice

Japanese animal cafes are, in the words of a 2019 paper in Medical Humanities by Amanda Robinson, businesses "in which customers pay by the hour to have a drink and relax in a space filled with cats, rabbits or other animals." A rabbit cafe is one of them. Mimi's official site says the Ikebukuro store has closed.

Is Mimi Rabbit Cafe Open?

The home page of usa-mimi.com, the site of Usa Cafe Mimi, gives the shop's address as Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo. Its notice reads "The Ikebukuro store has closed." Another line on the page reads "The rabbits are on vacation now. We will be back soon." The same page says "We are not currently accepting reservations." None of these notices gives a year. A Japanese line on the same page dates the closing from November 1, with no year.

Video: Bunnies on a Visitor's Lap at a Tokyo Rabbit Cafe

The video is titled "Bunnies Swarm Girl's Lap at Japan's Rabbit Cafe!" and comes from the channel My BB Bunny, which uploaded it in December 2015. Its description says it shows "one of Tokyo's most popular rabbit cafes, Mimi," and that the rabbits there "compete for your lap hoping to be fed." The description also says many rabbits roam the premises, so up to ten or more may compete for a visitor's attention. Put on your favorite bunny tee while you watch.

What Is a Rabbit Cafe in Japan?

Robinson writes that animal cafes "began to appear in Japan in 2004, as a part of the iyashi healing boom." Her paper draws on 18 months of anthropological fieldwork in Tokyo and argues that "visitors are using animals to reduce their stress."

Read more about cat cafes.

What Japan's Animal Welfare Act Says About Businesses That Show Animals

The Ministry of the Environment's English text of Japan's Act on Welfare and Management of Animals (Act No. 105 of 1973, last revised by Act No. 46 of 2014) is the document at this guidelines link.

Article 10 says a person who intends to engage in a business that handles animals, limited to mammals, birds, and reptiles and excluding livestock farming, must receive registration from the prefectural governor. For that article, exhibiting animals in the course of trade includes "the provision of opportunities for contact with animals." Article 21 says an operator "shall comply with the standards specified by Ordinance of the Ministry of the Environment concerning such matters as the method for the management of the animals handled, in order to maintain the health and safety of the animals." Under Article 2, every person handling an animal "shall secure an environment for carrying out appropriate feeding and watering, the necessary health management, and the care and keeping of the animal."

WOAH, the World Organisation for Animal Health, has a page on developing international animal welfare standards.

A 2025 study in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, led by Aki Tanaka, scored husbandry and management conditions in 79 exotic animal cafes in Japan. The 231 animals it identified were 51% mammals, 31% birds, and 18% reptiles. The authors report that "Scores across all categories were low for all taxa assessed," and that these cafes "are registered under the same license as other animal exhibits such as zoos." They conclude there is "an urgent need for effectively enforced facility and national animal protection standards for captive exotic species in Japan."

How Rabbits Feel About Being Picked Up and Held

The RSPCA says rabbits are "fragile creatures who can be easily injured, and as prey animals, they prefer not to be picked up."

A 2016 review in the Journal of Small Animal Practice, by Bradbury and Dickens, gathered laboratory and pet rabbit studies on handling. It says "Many rabbits show fear behaviours when lifted off the ground." Estimates from surveys of the people who keep pet rabbits put the share that struggle when lifted at around 60%.

Holly O'Meara, who started the Los Angeles chapter of House Rabbit Society in 1988, wrote in the society's House Rabbit Journal that rabbits "can resist being lifted and carried in a number of ways." She adds that "Rabbits feel uneasy, and are most likely to struggle, when they are suspended in the air."

On a rabbit that struggles, the RSPCA says "Their fragile spines can be seriously, or even fatally, damaged if they feel insecure and struggle when held."

What Stresses a Rabbit

The RSPCA lists signs of stress, fear, and anxiety in rabbits. Of ears stood to attention, with the rabbit staring at a spot, it says the rabbit is "likely on high alert." Of thumping, it says "When a rabbit thumps their hind legs, they may be alerting others to a potential threat, expressing fear or frustration, or signalling that they’re feeling unsettled." Of biting, it says "A gentle nip may also be a warning they need space or feel uncomfortable."

The RSPCA says never to hold a rabbit on its back. "Rabbits held this way often remain still and appear relaxed," it says, but "rabbits find this experience extremely stressful." Its behaviour page adds that "rabbits flatten their ears, widen their eyes and tense their muscles when being placed in this position."

On where a rabbit goes when it is afraid, the RSPCA says "As a prey species, rabbits need to be able to hide somewhere secure, away from the sight and smell of predators". O'Meara writes that "Rabbits are good at bracing themselves, and some will attack if cornered."

How to Meet a Rabbit Calmly

The RSPCA says: "Move slowly and talk quietly around rabbits so as not to startle them. They're more likely to be relaxed in a quiet and calm handling environment." It also says "Interact with your rabbit at ground level. This is less likely to scare them."

For picking a rabbit up, the RSPCA says "Hold rabbits gently but firmly. Ensure one hand supports their back and bottom at all times. Help them feel secure by holding all four feet against your body." It says "Never pick rabbits up by their ears." On children it says "Supervise children at all times. Only adults or responsible older children should be able to pick up rabbits."

Hygiene and Health Points

The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund says pet rabbits "for the most part do not pose a significant disease hazard to humans." It says allergies are the most significant "health hazard" from pet rabbits, and that the allergen can be hay as well as the rabbit's fur.

For bites and scratches, the association says "it is always sensible to clean any bite/scratch thoroughly (soap and hot water is fine) as soon as possible." It lists Cheyletiella fur mites, which "can cause a mild rash in humans which is often itchy." The Merck Veterinary Manual says "Ringworm in rabbits is a zoonotic disease" and that "Transmission is by direct contact."

FAQ On Rabbit Cafes

Are children allowed in rabbit cafes?

Check the cafe's official site for its rules about children. For picking rabbits up, the RSPCA says "Only adults or responsible older children should be able to pick up rabbits."

Can people pass illnesses to rabbits?

Yes. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund names one case. It says rabbits "are highly susceptible to herpes simplex virus or HSV, which causes cold sores in humans." It advises people with an active cold sore "to wash their hands before handling their rabbit and definitely not to kiss the bunny until the cold sore has gone," and adds "It isn’t known how significant this risk is."

Where can I find a rabbit to adopt?

In the UK, the RSPCA says "consider adopting a rabbit instead" of buying one, and that it has "many rabbits at our rescue centres," which it usually matches with new homes in pairs. Read more about rabbits as best pets.

Sources

• Usa Cafe Mimi, home page. usa-mimi.com.
• My BB Bunny, "Bunnies Swarm Girl's Lap at Japan's Rabbit Cafe!" and its description. youtube.com.
• Ministry of the Environment, Japan, "Act on Welfare and Management of Animals" (English text, Act No. 105 of 1973, last revision Act No. 46 of 2014), Articles 2, 10, and 21. env.go.jp.
• Amanda S. Robinson, "Finding healing through animal companionship in Japanese animal cafés," Medical Humanities, 2019. PubMed.
• Aki Tanaka, Tanya S. Erzinçioğlu, Samantha J. Ward, and Georgina Groves, "Unveiling welfare concerns in Japanese exotic animal cafes," Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, 2025. PubMed.
• A. G. Bradbury and G. J. E. Dickens, "Appropriate handling of pet rabbits: a literature review," Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2016. PubMed.
• RSPCA, "Pet rabbits: care, behaviour and welfare" (rspca.org.uk), "Handling Rabbits - How To Pick Up a Rabbit" (rspca.org.uk), "Natural Behaviours of Pet Rabbits" (rspca.org.uk), and "Creating a Good Home for Rabbits" (rspca.org.uk).
• Holly O'Meara, "An Uplifting Experience," House Rabbit Society, from House Rabbit Journal. rabbit.org.
• Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund, "Pet Rabbits and Your Health." rabbitwelfare.co.uk.
• Merck Veterinary Manual, "Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases of Rabbits." merckvetmanual.com.