Hi guys, I’m going to Japan this summer and wanted to ask for some advice about animal cafés and whale watching tours. I really love animals and would enjoy seeing them, but I also don’t want to support places where the animals might actually be stressed or treated badly just for tourism.
I’m especially wondering about places like Owl Village Café in Harajuku, Tokyo. It has really good reviews, and a lot of people say the owls seemed calm and well cared for , but I also know that reviews don’t always mean the animals are actually happy or unstressed.
I’m also curious about cat cafés, dog cafés, and similar places in general. How do you tell the difference between places that are reasonably ethical and ones that are basically animal cruelty? Are there certain red flags to look for? Or are most of these cafés considered bad from an animal welfare perspective?
Same question for whale watching - are there ethical companies/operators in Japan, or is it generally harmful for the animals?
Would really appreciate advice, especially from people who know more about animal welfare or who have visited these places themselves. Thanks!