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10 Popular Japanese Pet Instagram Accounts You Should Follow For Kawaii Animal Pictures

Pet Instagram accounts


Enter the fascinating world of Instagram famous pets, where a galore of cute animal pictures will keep you scrolling for hours. Check out these 10 Japanese pet Instagram accounts to fill your feed with fluffy furballs and wholesome kawaii content. 


1. @tamapupu – Tama, Pupu, Kirara, Kuu, and Choko


Pet Instagram accounts - @tamapupu
Choko wearing an elaborate sushi hat
Image credit: @tamapupu

It is pretty much a given that cats don’t enjoy wearing hats. Any attempt to make them wear one will be tolerated at best, or met with resistance in the form of scratches and hisses.  

Pet Instagram accounts - @tamapupu
Pupu craving for some pasta 
Image credit: @tamapupu

That is why the internet has fallen in love with these 5 patient catsTama, Pupu, Kirara, Kuu, and Choko – who put up with their owner’s antics.

Pet Instagram accounts - @tamapupu
Festive Kuu dress
ed for the occasion
Image credit: @tamapupu

Scroll through their account and you’ll find intricately designed felted headgear, from a platter of assorted wagashi (traditional Japanese confectionery) to delectable Christmas shortcakes. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @tamapupu
Image credit: @tamapupu

Modelled by these adorable cats and handmade by their talented owner, the hats are so intricate that they look like real food.


2. @marutaro – Maru


Pet Instagram accounts - @marutaro smile
Image credit: @marutaro

Meet Maru, arguably the most famous Japanese Shiba Inu in Japan. He is so popular that he has over 2.5 million followers on Instagram and an official shop that carries his merchandise. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @marutaro smileImage credit: @marutaro

His internet fame is not without reason – photogenic Maru is always ready to flash a charming smile at the camera. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @marutaro eating hiyoko
Maru eating Hiyoko, a popular baby chick-shaped cake from Fukuoka.
Image credit: @marutaro

The page was first started in 2011 by his owner, Shinjiro Ono, after a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the Tōhoku region. Social media feeds back then were flooded with depressing content, so Maru’s dad started posting cute pictures of Maru to bring happiness and help people cope with their loss.

Pet Instagram accounts - @marutaro at Nezu Shrine
Maru at Nezu Shrine, Tokyo.
Image credit: @marutaro

You probably won’t have the chance to interact with Maru in person, so the closest thing is to visit Maru’s torii gate in Tokyo. According to Maru’s official website, if you upload a picture of yourself beside the gate along with the hashtag #marutorii, Maru will give your post a like. 

This animaldonated torii gate in Japan can be found at Nezu Shrine, a lesserknown shrine in a quiet residential area. Walk down the red torii gate path and you’ll spot one engraved with Maru’s name. 


3. @kabosumama – Kabosu


Pet Instagram accounts - @kabosumama
Image credit: @kabosumama

Kabosu is a Shiba Inu pedigree puppy who was sent to an animal shelter after her puppy mill was shut down. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @kabosumama
Image credit: @kabosumama

Adopted in 2008 by a Japanese kindergarten teacher, Kabosu was named after the Japanese citrus fruit of the same name due to her round face. 

Pet Instagram accounts - doge meme
The dog behind the doge meme
Image credit: Kabosu112

A picture of her first went viral on Reddit after her owner posted it on her blog. Pictures of Kabosu were shared and reposted all over the internet – much to the surprise of her owner – and the iconic doge meme was born. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @kabosumama cats and dog
Ginnan, Tsutsuji and Onigiri (left to right).
Image credit:
@kabosumama

Pet Instagram accounts - @kabosumama cats
Image credit: @kabosumama

Unexpected internet fame aside, Kabosu is just your average cuddly pup who lives with her 3 cat siblings, Tsutsuji, Ginnan, and Onigiri. 


4. @ponchan918 – Takechiyo and Aoi


Pet Instagram accounts - @ponchan918 otters
Image credit: @ponchan918

Managed by owner Ayako, the account chronicles her daughter Reina’s daily interaction with two small-clawed river otters.   

Pet Instagram accounts - @ponchan918 otters
Image credit: @ponchan918

Followers have fallen in love with the adorable male river otter named Takechiyo and his younger “sister”, Aoi. The account handle, “ponchan, is frequently mistaken for the otters’ name, but it is actually Ayako’s nickname. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @ponchan918 otters
Image credit: @ponchan918

The duo is so popular that they’ve teamed up with publishing companies to release their own calendar and book

Pet Instagram accounts - @ponchan918 otters
Image credit: @ponchan918

Exotic pets like Takechiyo and Aoi are becoming more popular in Japan, but Ayako urges her followers to do proper research before they consider getting one. After all, wild animals are not the easiest pets to take care of.


5. @rojiman – Nya, Muru, and Mugi


Pet Instagram accounts - @rojiman felted hats
Maru (left) and Mugi (right).
Image credit: @rojiman 

Cat owners are no strangers to the woes of having everything they own blanketed in cat fur. Instead of discarding the fur shed by their 3 fluffy Scottish Fold cats, a couple in Japan fashions adorable hats out of it. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @rojiman felted hats
Nya posing for the camera 
Image credit: @rojiman 

The hat frenzy all started when owner Ryo Yamazaki started to save his cats’ shed fur. After accumulating a boxful of fur, Ryo decided to make hats out of it.

Pet Instagram accounts - @rojiman felted hats
Mugi as Sherlock Holmes 
Image credit: @rojiman 

Now, Ryo photographs handcrafted hats modelled by his feline companions while his wife, Hiromi, designs and creates said statement headpieces. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @rojiman felted hats
Maru sporting a simple hat 
Image credit: @rojiman 

The couple has even uploaded a tutorial on how to make a cat fur hat of your own – provided that you can get your hands on a pile of feline fur. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @rojiman line stickers
Line stickers of the three cats
Image credit: @rojiman 

The couple lives with Maru and Mugi in Tokyo. Although Nya passed away earlier this year, a part of him will forever live on in these charming hats. 


6. @itsomamethepug – Kuromame


Pet Instagram accounts - @itsomamethepug with human brother
Image credit: @itsomamethepug

Cabbageloving Omame lives in Tokyo with his younger brother, mum, and dad. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @itsomamethepug with human brother
First meeting with his younger brother 
Image credit: @itsomamethepug

Due to his distinct black bean-shaped facial marking, the pug was aptly named Kuromame (黒豆, black bean). However, everyone affectionately calls him Omame.

Pet Instagram accounts - @itsomamethepug with human brother
Image credit: @itsomamethepug

Originally the only child in the family, Omame was initially confused by the sudden arrival of his human baby brother. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @itsomamethepug with human brother
Image credit: @itsomamethepug

Gradually, Omame grew accustomed to his younger brother’s presence and they have since become inseparable. 


7. @usausausa1201 – Cookie and Kanpei


Pet Instagram accounts - @usausausa1201 bunnies
Cookie (left) and Kanpei (right).
Image credit: @usausausa1201 

It’s easy to go down a rabbit hole when you first stumble upon Cookie and Kanpei’s feed. After all, resisting long fluffy ears and wiggling noses is no easy feat. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @usausausa1201 bunnies
Image credit: @usausausa1201 

Judging by the countless pictures of the adorable bunny duo, Cookie and Kanpei are possibly the cutest pair in the bunny world. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @usausausa1201 bunny and hedgehog
New found hedgehog friend Momo-chan. 
Image credit: @usausausa1201 

The two inseparable bunnies do everything together, from munching on greens to wearing silly outfits. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @usausausa1201 bunny and duck
With Haru the duck
Image credit: @usausausa1201 

Unfortunately, Cookie passed away in July this year. But fret not as Kanpei still has his animal friends, Haru the duck and Momo the hedgehog, to keep him company. 


8. @suzume0513 – Suzume and Unagi


Pet Instagram accounts - @suzume0513 look alike cats
Image credit:
@suzume0513

Suzume and Unagi are rescue cats who happen to look exactly the same. When Suzume’s mom first saw Unagi – a carbon copy of Suzume – on the website of a rescue centre in Yamaguchi Prefecture, she knew she had to adopt the kitty. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @suzume0513 look alike cats
Image credit: @suzume0513

Like something out of a tale, the two doppelgänger cats met and became brothers for life.

Pet Instagram accounts - @suzume0513 look alike cats
Image credit: @suzume0513

To tell them apart, simply check their eye colour and coat pattern. Older brother Suzume has green eyes and a coat pattern that extends to his arms like a pair of long sleeves, while Unagi has yellow eyes and “short sleeves”. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @suzume0513 look alike cats
Image credit: @suzume0513

Besides looking almost identical, the brothers are also equally talented in giving the most endearing “puppy eyes” look that will give actual dogs a run for their money. 


9. @kotamamefuku – Kota, Mame, and Fuku


Pet Instagram accounts - @kotamamefuku shiba inus in wall
Image credit: @kotamamefuku

Don’t be taken aback when you see 3 Shiba Inus’ heads popping out of a wall in a quiet residential area in Shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture.

Pet Instagram accounts - @kotamamefuku shiba inus in wall
Fuku (middle) sticking out a bit too much. 
Image credit: @kotamamefuku

The 3 dogs in question, named Kota, Mame, and Fuku, stick their head out through the tiny windows in the fence of their home.

Originally, the windows were meant as holes to facilitate air circulation. But upon noticing how the dogs would always peep through the openings, the owner created more windows around the concrete fence. Now, the trio can gawk at passersby whenever they want from the comfort of their backyard.  

Pet Instagram accounts - @kotamamefuku shiba inus in wall
Image credit: @kotamamefuku

The sight of the three peeping dogs first captured the hearts of netizens when a tweet of their heads popping out of a slab of concrete went viral in 2016. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @kotamamefuku shiba inus in wall
Image credit: @kotamamefuku

Now, the residence is a popular attraction for both humans and furry friends. However, visitors should not feed the dogs as they can get upset stomachs easily. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @kotamamefuku shiba inus
Image credit: @kotamamefuku

You can tell Kota, Mame, and Fuku apart by looking at their collars. Kota, the oldest of the 3, wears a blue collar. Mame, the middle child, sports a red collar, and Fuku wears a yellow collar.   


10. @naomiuno – Hacchan and Okomechan


Pet Instagram accounts - @naomiuno cats posing with food
Image credit: @naomiuno

Taking the perfect food photo is not easy. Some carefully arrange the layout of dishes, while others swear by the cardinal rule of using natural lighting. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @naomiuno cats posing with food
Image credit: @naomiuno

A Japanese couple has a unique rule they abide by – they only take food pictures with their feline companions in it. 

Pet Instagram accounts - @naomiuno cats posing with food
Image credit: @naomiuno

It all started when they noticed that their two curious cats, Hacchan and Okomechan, were observing them during meal times. The couple thus decided to invite them to the table for some family bonding time.

Pet Instagram accounts - @naomiuno cats posing with food
Image credit: @naomiuno

Apart from being excellent models, the patient feline duo also seem to have a knack for food critiquing, often taking a good look at the dishes their owner has whipped up and even trying to sneak a bite. 


Popular Japanese pet Instagram accounts


Many of us may love animals, but we can’t all keep adorable furry companions by our side. However, with these 10 Japanese pet Instagram accounts, you too can get the same warm and fuzzy feeling of having a pet sans commitment

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Cover image adapted from (left to right): @tamapupu and @kotamamefuku