Amuse Park Ishinomaki Cat Cafe

Ishinomaki, Miyagi · 1.6 mi / 2.6 km

Goronyan is a small cat cafe in Kadonowaki, Ishinomaki, close to the Ishinomaki Minamihama Tsunami Memorial Park. The room is about 13 tatami mats and is meant to feel like visiting a friend's home; a dog sometimes joins the cats. Visits are charged for one or two hours with extensions in 15-minute steps, payment is cash only after the visit, and guests keep track of their own time. Inexpensive bottled drinks and cat treats are sold, and only capped bottled drinks may be brought in. Cats may be held gently, slippers or socks are required, and all cats are vaccinated. Older cats or those unsuited to group living retire to adopters after a trial. Opening days vary, so check the calendar on the website or Instagram before visiting. Parking is available in front.

• Adoptable cats

Tome, Miyagi · 18 mi / 30 km

Nekoan is a small cafe with resident cats in a residential area of Hasama, Tome, in northern Miyagi. It moved to its current location in January 2022. Around ten cats live here, mostly rescues, along with kittens at times, and some of the cats are looking for new families. Visitors wash their hands on arrival and can choose a 60-minute visit without a drink or a 70-minute visit with a handmade drink; stays are strictly limited to 70 minutes. Cat treats can be bought. Elementary and junior high school students cannot visit without an adult. The owner also runs trap-neuter-return work for local cats and posts the cats' daily life on YouTube. The cafe closes on some days without notice, so check Instagram for the latest schedule.

• Adoptable cats

Sendai, Miyagi · 19 mi / 30 km

The cat cafe at Amuse Park Sendai Port is part of a large indoor amusement center near Sendai Port in Nakano, Miyagino Ward, which also has a batting center, indoor fishing ponds, a game arcade and a gem-hunting area. Opened in 2015, the cafe has about 15 cats with distinct personalities that greet visitors in a dedicated room. Visits are charged by time, and cat treats can be bought. The cafe runs regular events, such as birthday sets for the cats, seasonal costume goods, periods with free treats and a visitor vote that chooses the cafe's cat manager. It is open every day, from noon on weekdays and from 10 AM on weekends and holidays, until 8 PM with last entry at 7 PM. Hours can change during school holidays.

Osaki, Miyagi · 20 mi / 32 km

Coorikuya AEON Town Furukawa is a branch of the Coorikuya cat cafe chain at the AEON Town shopping center in Furukawa, Osaki, attached to a Coo&RIKU pet shop that sells puppies and kittens. The cafe room has cat walks and steps that the cats use to climb and play, and in the late afternoon they often bask in the sun from the west-facing windows. Visits are charged per 30 or 60 minutes or as free time, with an all-you-can-drink drink bar included, and children under three enter free. Outside food and drink are not allowed. The shopping center has its own parking, and the nearest station, Furukawa, is a long walk away. The cafe opens at 11 AM on weekdays and 10 AM on weekends and holidays, closing at 8 PM with last entry at 7:30 PM.

Tomiya, Miyagi · 21 mi / 33 km

Nyanz Company is a large cat cafe in Hiyoridai, Tomiya, north of Sendai, in a blue building on National Route 4 with seven parking spaces. Its spacious room is home to around 25 cats, including kittens, each with a profile and a chart of how the cats get along posted on the wall. Many of the cats are friendly and will sit on laps, and holding them is allowed within the cafe's rules. Visitors buy a ticket for their chosen time from a machine at the entrance, and longer stays are charged automatically as extensions. Drinks are included, and light food and cat treats are sold. The room has massage chairs, a television, computers, manga and magazines. The cafe is closed on Mondays; when Monday is a public holiday it opens and closes on Tuesday instead.

Sendai, Miyagi · 21 mi / 35 km

Happy Cats is a cat room in Takatamamachi, Izumi Ward, Sendai, next to the Sento animal hospital, which arranges adoptions of the cats. It is a place simply for spending time with cats: no food, drinks or cat treats are sold, and visitors may bring their own drinks in capped bottles or flasks. Many friendly cats, a large share of them rescues, move freely between three rooms, and many will settle on laps. Visitors put on slippers, wash their hands, buy a 30-minute or one-hour ticket from a machine that takes only 1,000-yen notes, and pay for extensions the same way. Socks are required and are not sold on site. The cats take 30-minute breaks at quiet times, entry may be limited when busy, and booking by phone is recommended. The room is closed on Thursdays.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended