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An entire block is dedicated to an aging shop. The shop’s name is written in charming, bubbly letters on an iron sign in the shape of an owl taking flight: “Hiro’s Hoot House: Kobe’s Oldest Owl Café.”
“Welcome! Do you have a booking number? We take bookings from 11 to 3 and 5 to 8.”
A thirty-something woman in a white blouse with a ribbon bow tie and a green apron embroidered with stylized owls over matching green trousers opens the front door with a merry jingle.
A short, black-haired woman dressed severely in a pressed business suit frowns and makes a few quick notes on her clipboard: “You weren’t told? I am here for the inspection. To see if your establishment is up to code.”
The other woman blinks in surprise.
“The property inspector! My sincerest apologies, um, the first group of guests have already arrived. Would you still like to inspect now or come back during the owls’ breaks?”
In response, the older woman’s expression sours even further and she makes a ‘tsking’ sound of disapproval. “I’ll come back later. Tomorrow. 8 pm. Tell your manager not to forget this time.”
She turns on her heel with the faint sounds of the other woman saying: “But, I am the manager…” Fading in the background.
The year is 2019 and, everywhere in Hiro’s Hoot House, owls rest on perches, lurk on natural wood shelving just out of reach, and swivel their heads to eye the Guests passing underneath.
Flyers stuck on both the outside and inside of the cafe read : “Thank you for supporting Hiro’s Hoot House! We will be closing permanently by the end of this month. The owls appreciate your generosity and kindness through all these years.”
Multiple versions of these flyers are pinned or pasted to a bulletin board near the front door, alongside photos of the different owls in the cafe. Under each owl their name, species, and general personality are written with colourful gel pens.
The owl café takes up an entire block and is made up of several floors. To move around this Incarnation, one must take the winding stairs (decorated with owl-themed crepe paper of course!) or an elevator (ding!).
The first floor is the reception room as well as the learning area which is meant to be comforting and welcoming for children and adults alike. Patchwork sofas line the walls and comfortable floor cushions maximise the small space. Shelves are stacked with an assortment of books about all manner of animals, with an emphasis on owls of course. A display case is dedicated to a series of pamphlets advertising dozens of different animal-themed cafes as well as local zoos and conservation centres. The walls are painted with pastel greens, blues and purples somehow matching the many disjointed patterns of the sofas and cushions.
The second floor is dedicated to the café proper which is decorated in a lovely natural woodland theme with wooden flooring and walls painted with scenes of forests and marshes. Both real and fake plants decorate the space, making guests feel as if they have been transported to the owls’ natural habitats. Owls cling to branches almost entirely camouflaged amid the bark and leaves. Round wooden tables and chairs with cushions tied to the seats dot the floor, leaving only a modicum of space to walk among them.
The cafe floor has fewer owls than the other floors so guests are permitted to engage in casual conversation whereas in other areas a whispering policy is enforced by staff.
Guests can choose to use the vending machines tucked amid the plants to buy cans of coffee and bottles of tea. A squat red machine contains bags of owl treats. The treats are purchased with special tickets and each guest is given a ticket at the door. Staff members explain carefully that the owls must not be overfed and, if the owls do not take the treats offered, guests are to leave the uneaten pellets with staff and they will be given a complimentary pin instead.
If you are interested in a more personalised food order at Hiro’s Hoot House, vending machines are not the only way to get drinks or snacks. Each table has a menu and staff take orders for lattes with owl foam art and small chocolate-almond cakes decorated with owl-shaped truffles.
The third level is almost entirely dark, the lights set so dim that it is certain that the owls can see you much better than you can see them. The ceiling and walls are covered with twinkling stars and sparkling constellations. Only six guests are permitted up here at a time and they are always led by a staff member. The staff explains this floor is to mimic the owls' preferred habitat as well as to encourage them to be more active. As nocturnal creatures, the floor acting as a ‘nighttime forest’ means that guests can hear the soft ‘hoots’ of owls while looking up at the simulated night sky. If a guest stand in one place for long enough they may even feel the air stirred by wing beats brush the tops of their heads as an owl soars from one side of the floor to the next.
Takahashi Hiro: The illustrious founder of Hiro’s Hoot House, the first iteration appearing on the Kobe animal cafe scene in the 1980s–before a ‘scene’ even existed! Now approaching his seventies, Hiro was long-since expected to retire. Unfortunately, however, his eldest son was not so interested in inheriting a family business of keeping owls to show off to tourists. Instead, Hiro scoffs, he went into investment banking. Luckily, Hiro’s granddaughter was more interested in taking care of the owls and from 2015 she became the manager for the cafe, while Hiro remains the owner who refuses to make his life about anything other than work. Current status: Unemployed
Takahashi Hisoka: Granddaughter of Hiro, Hisoka is a young woman no older than her early thirties (but she won’t reveal her actual age) with hair cut in a short bob and a cheerful outlook on all aspects of life. She has been the manager of the owl cafe for a mere five years but is very competent at running it. Even the imminent closure of Hiro’s Hoot House hasn’t managed to put a damper on her mood. She cares intensely for the owls and, although she understands that declining financial resources play a part in the cafe’s demise, she remains baffled as to why animal rights activists bash the cafe on SNS. #NotAllOwlCafes Current status: Unemployed
At least a dozen owls Current status: Dispersed
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