ANELLA CAFE Wakayama Hashimoto Ekimae

Sakai, Osaka · 11 mi / 18 km

Neko no Ouchi Nyan Meet is a cat house inside Sakai Midori Museum Harvest Hill, a farm park in the hills of Minami Ward, Sakai. The park is reached by Nankai bus from Izumigaoka Station on the Senboku Line, a ride of about 20 minutes, and has its own admission charge. Inside the cat house, small groups of up to 10 people spend 15-minute sessions with the resident cats, which can climb onto laps but may not be picked up. Sessions run several times each afternoon, with numbered tickets handed out at the entrance from park opening until they run out, and there is a small separate charge per person on top of park admission, payable in cash. It is open to visitors aged 7 and over, and children aged 7 to 9 must be accompanied by an adult. The cat house closes on some days each month.

• Walk-ins welcome

Sakai, Osaka · 15 mi / 23 km

Cat Cafe KiKi is a cat cafe on Route 310 in Kusao, Higashi Ward, Sakai, about 2 minutes by car south of the Fukuda intersection and roughly 12 minutes on foot from Kitanoda Station on the Nankai Koya Line; it has a 15-car car park. The building is split into a cafe area and a separate cat room, and diners can watch the cats through a large glass window while eating. The menu includes spaghetti, curry and cat-face pancakes. Time in the cat room is charged by the hour with a one-drink order, and it is booked by phone, while cafe-only tables can be reserved online. Some of the cats were taken in after being abandoned near the shop. The cafe is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, opening instead when a public holiday falls on one of those days and closing the following day.

Yamatotakada, Nara · 16 mi / 25 km

Cat Cafe SHANA is a small, homely cat cafe on the ground floor of a building in Kitahonmachi, Yamatotakada, about a minute on foot from Kintetsu Yamato-Takada Station. The room feels like a living room, with floor chairs and a kotatsu in winter, and seats around four groups at a time, so it suits visitors who prefer a quiet visit. Its calm, people-loving cats, some of them rescues, are known for settling on laps soon after guests sit down. Visits are charged by the hour with one drink included, and light meals such as sandwiches are available. Booking is possible, but walk-ins are welcome when there is space, and weekdays are usually quieter. The cafe is open until 8 PM, which makes it an option after work, and closes on Tuesdays.

Kumatori, Osaka · 16 mi / 26 km

Neco Republic Osaka Kumatori is a rescue cat cafe and open shelter in Noda, Kumatori, run by the Neco Republic group, which works to end the euthanasia of cats in Japan. It is a short walk from the Kumatori Yakuba-mae bus stop, about 10 minutes by bus from Kumatori Station on the JR Hanwa Line, and has an 11-car car park on the ground floor. The facility serves as a base for community cat work, combining a shelter, a clinic for rescued cats, a space where visitors can spend time with the cats, and a shop selling cat-themed goods. All the cats are rescues looking for adoptive homes, and adoption and volunteering can be discussed with staff. Visits are charged per 30 or 60 minutes, and private hire plans are available. Opening days vary, and the cafe opens on public holidays.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking required

Izumi, Osaka · 16 mi / 26 km

Neko Neko is a rescue cat cafe in Fuchucho, Izumi, a short walk from JR Izumi-Fuchu Station on the Hanwa Line. Opened in March 2024 on the second floor of a residential building, it is home to around ten rescued cats who are waiting for adoptive families, and visitors can play with them, offer treats sold at the counter and ask staff about adopting. Visits are charged per 30, 60 or 90 minutes, with a short extension rate after that; children of junior high school age and under pay half, and children aged three and under enter free. Visitors may bring their own drinks, socks must be worn, and young children play under a guardian's supervision. The cafe is closed on Wednesdays and on the second and fourth Saturdays. It also offers cat boarding, and paid parking is available nearby.

• Adoptable cats

Tadaoka, Osaka · 16 mi / 26 km

Cat Cafe Ikarus is a small cat cafe in the detached annex of an old house in Kitaide, Tadaoka, the smallest town in Japan by area. It holds only five guests at a time, and visitors spend time with its 12 cats in a single quiet room. The cats include Lambkins, Singapuras, Norwegian Forest Cats, a Ragdoll, a Chartreux and a Tonkinese. Visits are charged by time, and on weekdays the room can be booked privately with a drink and cat treats included. Reservations by phone are recommended, and calls from withheld numbers are not accepted. Guests must wear socks, so bare feet or tights alone are not allowed. The cafe can be reached by bus from Tadaoka Station on the Nankai Main Line or on foot in under 20 minutes; there are two parking spaces.