Everyone’s a winner at this Japanese farm.
If you’re looking to unwind and destress from the worries of the world, a cute animal video can be just the thing to make your problems melt away.
Here in Japan, baby goats have become the latest animals to soothe our souls, thanks to a clever new initiative by Mutsuzawa Goat Ranch in Chosei-gun, Chiba Prefecture. The ranch’s unusual campaign offers free admission to visitors who manage to lull their goats into a peaceful slumber in their arms, and it came to everyone’s attention recently through a viral video on TikTok.
▼ Check out the cute video below:
@yagipapa2151
The video charmed close to a million viewers online, who left comments like:
“I’d gladly pay extra to rock a baby goat to sleep in my arms!”
“Look at the goat’s angelic expression!”
“It’s similar to a sleeping human baby!”
“I love its blissful little smile.”
“The ears are adorable!”
“This is too cute! It looks like a stuffed toy!”
This sweet goat really does look like a stuffed toy, but the owner of the ranch, Hideo Kawawa, who goes by the name “Yagipapa” (“Goat Papa“) online, assures us it’s not — in fact, he has five baby goats in amongst the 57 currently on the farm, and they’ve all been known to doze off in the warm company of visitors.
▼ “Goooodnight.”
おやすみなさーい pic.twitter.com/LmOMHJ6qZr
— むつざわヤギ牧場 ヤギ育成士 (@kawawamilk2151) June 15, 2022
▼ “Another ‘cradling challenge’ success.”
抱っこチャレンジ成功 pic.twitter.com/1udmi36QfE
— むつざわヤギ牧場 ヤギ育成士 (@kawawamilk2151) June 20, 2022
▼ “Another success, first in four days.”
— むつざわヤギ牧場 ヤギ育成士 (@kawawamilk2151) June 28, 2022
According to Yagipapa, the “Cradling Challenge” started when one baby goat named “Wakaba-chan” was rejected by its mother. Usually, baby goats sleep with their mother, but every time Yagipapa went to the barn in the morning, he would find Wakaba-chan sleeping alone.
Thinking the baby might be missing its mother, Yagipapa decided to cradle the young goat, and as soon as he held her in his arms, she began to fall asleep. This cradling of the goat had a calming effect on both the animal and himself, and so from that day forth, he decided to give Wakaba-chan all the cuddles she desired.
He was only one man, though, so he opened up the door for others to experience the calming effects of goat-cradling, and if the goat enjoyed it to the extent that it fell asleep, the visitor would be rewarded with free admission.
▼ “Goat Cradling Challenge, first double success!”
— むつざわヤギ牧場 ヤギ育成士 (@kawawamilk2151) June 5, 2022
The experience was limited to four people a day, though, and soon people of all ages were falling in love with the farm’s cute kids.
むつざわヤギ牧場 pic.twitter.com/OApMB68JXc
— むつざわヤギ牧場 ヤギ育成士 (@kawawamilk2151) June 1, 2022
As for Wakaba-chan, Yagipapa says she’s quickly becoming larger and heavier, making it more difficult for her to be cradled like the baby she once was. With all the spring babies now getting bigger, the cradling challenge sadly ended at the end of July, but visitors are still welcome to come and pet the goats, which will always remain like children in Yagipapa’s eyes.
これはヤギ達です pic.twitter.com/SnG7FIEyaS
— むつざわヤギ牧場 ヤギ育成士 (@kawawamilk2151) May 22, 2022
▼ Back from a stroll and a feed on mountain grass.
#むつざわヤギ牧場#ヤギ#goat#goats #goatheris
— むつざわヤギ牧場 ヤギ育成士 (@kawawamilk2151) April 23, 2022
家族で散歩 pic.twitter.com/5ZFOBULaCu
Every year, new goats are born into the herd, and it’s likely that they too will enjoy dozing off in the arms of visitors. So if that sounds like something your world-weary soul would enjoy, be sure to mark your calendar for a visit in late spring/early summer next year, and follow Yagipapa on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter to receive all the latest updates from the farm!
Farm information
Matsuzawa Yagi Bokujo / むつざわヤギ牧場
Address: Chiba-ken, Chousei-gun, Mutsuzawa-cho, Sanuki 955
千葉県長生郡無睦沢町佐貫955
Open: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (Wednesday to Sunday)
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays
Website
Source: Yagipapa Blog, Twitter/@kawawamilk2151, TikTok/yagipapa2151 via Net Lab
Featured image: TikTok/yagipapa2151
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