Snaky Business

While our sunny island is abuzz with the pet cafe hype of the recent years, Japan has gotten ahead in the game, opening the first ever snake cafe amidst Tokyo’s busy fashion district, Harajuku. Not for the faint-hearted, the Tokyo Snake Centre houses 35 non-venomous slithery friends. Most of them are breeds of corn snakes¾a docile type that many reptile lovers keep as pets. 

According to the cafe manager, Hisamitso Kaneko, he was interested in environment conservation, and started the cafe to show people the good side of snakes. Indeed, these creatures are often linked to death and danger. The owners hope that more people would be aware that snakes too, are worth conserving.

The cafe serves a range of coffees and food, which are not included in the 1000-yen (S$11.60) entrance fee. Some snakes are kept in glass “cages”, while others slither around freely, but patrons who want to hold and pet the snakes will need to pay an additional 540 yen (S$6.30). Merchandise options such as faux snake skin ties and snake skin charms are also available for purchase.

Check out snippets of the snake cafe here:

Images: Mirror UK, Malay Mail Online.