Japan’s Cuddle Trend

disneysamuraidisneysamurai
in General

As a spinoff of the recent China Cuddle Thread post, I figured I would make a thread about Japan’s Cuddle Trend.

Japan is a society that is largely adverse to even things like hugging but there are cuddle cafes you can go to. Isolationism has also been a huge issue especially among young students and working professionals.

https://amp.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3293569/cuddle-cafes-japan-let-customers-canoodle-or-gaze-strangers-us6

Comments

  • MrCuddles1548MrCuddles1548

    That's so cool. I've had a few Japanese flatmates in the past and one told me she hadn't had a hug from her parents since she was a baby and the next one will probably be at their funeral! I found that so shocking. She said it's normal there.

  • Phoenix95Phoenix95

    I'm actually visiting Japan next week. Unfortunately, I can't find the address of that Soineya cafe mentioned in the article! It doesn't seem to exist anymore.

  • disneysamuraidisneysamurai

    @Phoenix95 they may have some in Akihabara.

  • CambridgeGuyCambridgeGuy
    edited October 2025

    One of my cuddle friends was Japanese, and discovered cuddling while working in the UK. Having (sadly) returned to Japan, she reports a similar experience to the OP, but only among her fellow countrymen. Plenty of European and American Cuddlers out there as ex-Pats for a few years due to work.

  • disneysamuraidisneysamurai

    This isn’t 100% cuddling but while I was in Japan last year they had an amazing headspa where you can get a scalp massage and have water flow on your head. It was the very last thing I did in Japan before leaving to head home and it was an amazing send off.

    https://lavendia.co.jp/en.html

  • _marC_marC

    Looks like fun, thanks for sharing!

  • MustHugDogsMustHugDogs

    It can take a little more time, by my Japanese friends all quickly converted to be huggers as long as they felt safe. They always hug me, and usually each other unless it's a mixed group (new people who don't yet know the power of hugging). Sometimes they can get over-invested or transfer feelings, like thinking you are catching feels for your massage therapist because they make you feel so good (which is not okay to act on - they're at work - just keep it professional and enjoy).

    Use your words, be intentional, they'll catch on quickly.

    One challenge though is that while Japanese tend to be more conservative in many ways, they're far more open about sex in general while not even being exposed to more affectionate, platonic friendships. The younger generation is slowly opening up and of course they pretty much mainline western movies/media, and some get exposure through exchange students, English teachers, expats, etc.

    Make no mistake - they want to hug and cuddle. You'll even see the most hardened salary man fawn all over his small dog using baby talk the whole time.

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