mipig + café Kyoto: Micro Pig House

The Mipig + Cafe: Micro Pig House in Kyoto, Japan was my first time experiencing a pig cafe - and it was wild

There’s something to be said about the power of wandering and discovery. Especially, in Japan. After a morning of exploring the Fushimi Inari Taisha torii gates and surrounding area and lunch near Kyoto Station, we made our way to Kawaramachi Station.

The goal was the visit the Kyoto Samurai and Ninja Museum. However, due to lack of a reservation, we were turned away. So, we had time to wander before our scheduled Evening Guided Walking Tour of the Gion District in Kyoto, Japan.

Now, one thing to be comfortable with is the amount of animal cafes that are in Japan. They exist. They are what they are. Same with the state of Florida. There were a few that we passed up or didn’t have reservations for.

But, suddenly, we saw mipig + café Kyoto: Micro Pig House while walking toward the Ninja Museum gift shop. I immediately stopped and squealed. I’d enjoyed being around the owls and animals at Owl Cafe Oz in Tokyo. But, being around pigs while drinking lemonade? When would I ever get that chance again!

Checking in is easy. First, you take your shoes off and put your shoes and extra belongings in a locker. Next, you tell the front desk how long you would like to spend with the pigs. Then, you go upstairs with your table number and sit at your assigned table.

While it was fun to have a blanket on and have pigs be brought to me, what I REALLY noticed was how often the pigs fight with each other. A few minutes into our visit, some of the pigs got into a fight. The hostesses giggled and pulled them apart.

Later, one of the pigs crawled into my lap. It was very interesting to look down at my white shirt and see drops of blood from a pig on it. Interesting, indeed.

Drinks from the drink vending machine are complimentary throughout your stay. The only challenge is – you have to get up and get them. When you have pigs roaming around, it’s a moment.