A Piglet Café Has Opened in Tokyo

Cat cafés are everywhere these days, but Japan has found a new way to stand out: with a piglet café.

Mipig, a unique café featuring adorable piglets, welcomed visitors in Tokyo's Meguro district this past March.

According to Mipig’s spokesperson, the café is home to ‘teacup piglets’—tiny pigs that can fit into a teacup. However, visitors should be aware that these are not a specific breed but rather small or young pigs that will eventually grow larger.

Mipig was originally conceived as a crowdfunding project on Camp-Fire, Japan’s version of Kickstarter or GoFundMe.

The café's founders aimed to raise 2 million yen for the venture, but they exceeded expectations, raising more than double that amount.

Piglets have gained popularity as pets in the U.S., especially among celebrities. Paris Hilton famously took her pet pig to red carpet events, and Ariana Grande’s pig, Piggy Smallz, even appeared in one of her music videos.

Despite their popularity overseas, piglets are not commonly kept as pets in Japan.

'We hope to help the Japanese public become more familiar with pigs and, in time, see them as cherished members of the family,' the Mipig founders stated.

This was a clever strategy, considering the already competitive animal café scene in Japan. There are cafés where visitors can enjoy coffee while interacting with animals like dogs, owls, hedgehogs, and even Moomins.

'Their noses are cool, but their bodies are so warm. How adorable!' one visitor exclaimed about the piglets in an interview with Dinogo affiliate SBS.

While Mipig is Japan's first piglet café, it’s not the first time the concept has been tried elsewhere.

In 2015, London hosted a 'pignic' where attendees could cuddle with the adorable pigs during a special spring weekend. However, this was a one-time event, whereas Mipig is an ongoing experience.

Mipig Cafe, 11-3, Meguro 4-chome, Meguro-ku, Tokyo; +81 (0)3 6712 2011