Inside a Japanese owl cafe

Hello! I am an owl!

For more fun pictures, continue on!

For the full story behind the owl close encounter, check out Who wouldn't want to visit a Japanese owl cafe? Who?

Like so many cool places in Japan, you could pass by the entrance and not even know it was there.

Most of the owls chilled on their perches. Some hopped or flew around a little.

You're only supposed to pet them, gently, with the back of your hand. They're exceptionally soft.

Some, like these guys, aren't fans of hands and are best left untouched.

This one kept hopping around between the sections, so I wasn't sure if he was pro-touch or anti-touch. Everyone else petted him, so he was probably fine.

This owl seemed unimpressed that it was nearly Halloween.

The ones who were OK to pet seemed totally unfazed by it.

Some of them just looked grumpy, but it seems that was just ORGF: Owl Resting Grumpy Face.

The big one (a Great Gray) moved around a lot, sometimes hanging out on a nearby bench, or hopping up here and annoying the little one.

Here's me and my new friend. I named him Okii.

A friend named this one Gus (not sure of his species). He seemed worried. Though all the owls I saw had tethers on their legs (as you can see here), most of the tethers weren't actually clipped to anything.

Not all owls are nocturnal. This one sure was. A Barn owl I believe.

Statler and Waldorf here (my names) were in the no-petting zone. Great Horned owls, I believe.

The slow one-eyed wink is eerie.

Impossibly cute. I really wanted to take this one home. Look at those eyes!

As big as her eyes were, she didn't really seem to pay much attention to us. I believe she's a Barred owl. The blue LEDs strung all over really made photos a challenge.

I posted this to my Instagram and people said it was fake. He didn't move much, but was definitely real.

Look at that!

OK, no, I'm positive that's not a bird nor a plane.

I am not amused by your toys, human.

They aren't horns. They're not even ears -- just feathers.

The eyes on the Great Gray were easily the most human. Eerie.

I feel like she's judging me.

They stare into your soul one moment...

...and are shocked by something else the next.

Gus again. Because.

The fact that you could fit him in your pocket, and that he was a little disheveled, just put this one over the top.

This one, on the other hand (a Pygmy owl I think), didn't seem amused about anything.

This owl wants me to question my life choices.

Owl Forest also had some non-owls, like this deadly baby dragon. Quite fierce.

For the full story behind the owl close encounter, check out Who wouldn't want to visit a Japanese owl cafe? Who?