Japan, as a nation, is fascinated with anything that is cute, cuddly, and adorable. Nowadays, it’s not rare to take an early morning visit to one of the country’s various animal cafés. Patrons are invited to come in, enjoy a hot coffee, and get acquainted with the myriad of fuzzy creatures that live at the business. Usually, it’s bunnies or kitties. In the past few years, however, the cafés have been expanding in scope. Now, owl cafés are common— and we’ve discovered the most adorable friendship in this one.
Welcome to the Hukulou Coffee Shop in Osaka, Japan, home of our favorite cross-species friendship— that of Marimo and Fuku-chan.
Fuku-chan is a 5-year-old owl who lives at the Hukulou Coffee Shop. He is a full-grown, feathered fellow who spends most of his days socializing alongside his best friend, an adorable kitten named Marimo.
Fuku-chan originally lived at Hukulou Coffee Shop, an owl cafe, by himself. Eventually, however, Ritsuko Nagaraha, the owner of the shop, realized the owl seemed a bit lonely and would probably enjoy having a friend.
Nagarahara picked out Marimo, a 2-month-old Scottish fold kitten, as a companion for Fuku-chan. And although the two seem very different, they immediately became the best of friends.
Marimo is the perfect playmate for the tiny owl, and Nagaraha says the two are inseparable.
When photos of Marimo and Fuku-chan were shared online, Japanese news outlets immediately picked up the story. From there, and with the help of the internet, the two became bona fide viral celebs.
People can’t seem to get enough of their friendship. It’s adorable on so many levels! Their cuteness in general, their interactions, and the idea that a cat and bird can get along all make this story totally amazing.
As mentioned, Fuku-chan and Marimou are very best friends, and they love doing everything together. They do have a few favorite hobbies, however, such as sleeping, cuddling, and giving fur-feather kisses.
Since these two went viral, some animal activists have been raising concerns regarding Japan’s owl cafes. For example, some people are concerned about the fact that owls are wild, nocturnal animals that don’t like to be touched.
If you have to ask though, these two look pretty darn happy to me!
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