Paid Companions: Human-Nonhuman Animal Relations in Japanese Animal Caf?s

摘要

Animal cafes, a type of business where customers pay by the hour to spend time relaxing with nonhuman animals and other animal lovers, became popular in Japan during the late zooos as part of the iyashi, or healing, boom. Young Japanese customers in need of positive affective experiences to address feelings, economic and social precarity turn to businesses like these to meet their emotional needs, engaging socially with animals in a commodified space. This article explores the kinds of intimate bonds that are created between the human customer and animal "staff" in these contexts, where customers engage with animals on their own terms, enjoying their companionship without any long-term responsibility for their care, and the effect this has on the lives of the cafe animals.