TOKYO is now home to the world’s first hedgehog cafe, the latest in a long list of animal-themed establishments in the city. Located in the Roppongi entertainment district, the cafe is named “Harry” — a play on the Japanese word for hedgehog.

    Hedgehogs aren’t native to Japan, but they’ve long since been sold as pets in the nation that’s crazy for all things cute. At Harry, 1,000 yen (US$9) can buy animal lovers an hour in the company of the prickly yet adorable creatures. The cafe is home to 20 to 30 friendly hedgehogs of different breeds that you can spend time with and even take home. A chalk-written blackboard lists all the available hedgehog breeds available for purchase and their prices by sex. So if customers find it hard to part with the adorable rodents once their hour is up, they have the option to give them a home forever.

    According to Mizuki Murata, a staff member who also works at a rabbit cafe in the same building, Harry has been packed ever since it opened in February, with people sometimes lining up at the door for a chance to spend time with a hedgehog. “We wanted to show people the charm of hedgehogs, which give the impression of being hard to handle,” she said. (SD-Agencies)