Tokamachi, Niigata, Japan
Guest House Yamaneko
Guest House Yamaneko is a small guest house in an old farmhouse in Funasaka, a tiny village in the heavy-snow hills of Tokamachi, run by a couple working to keep the village alive. It invites guests to spend slow days with its resident cats, five cats including a black cat, a ginger tabby, a tortoiseshell, a white cat and a shy brown tabby, which wander the shared rooms and often climb onto futons at night. It offers simple dormitory accommodation without meals, with separate shared rooms for women and men, and a communal living room where guests, neighbours and hosts often share a potluck dinner. Visits are by overnight stay only and must be booked in advance; the house closes on some days in summer for farm work and village events, and snow covers the area from mid-December for about five months.
Reviews
Cat Cafes Nearby
Yuzawa Catwork Cafe
Yuzawa, Niigata9 mi / 15 km
Yuzawa Catwork Cafe is a cat cafe and remote-work space in the shopping arcade about two minutes on foot from the east exit of Echigo Yuzawa Station. Opened in July 2025 by Taiwanese owners, it combines a quiet workspace with fast fibre Wi-Fi and a power outlet at every seat with a bench area where five resident cats spend their days. Seating is compact, with six table seats, two counter seats and the benches closest to the cats, and large windows look out on the mountains. Visits are charged by the hour or as a three-hour block, each visitor orders one drink from a menu of specialty coffee, tea, juice and soft drinks, and a portion of cat food is included on weekdays. Niigata residents get a discount, and rates rise in the ski season. A small manga library is available. Walk-ins are welcome, but booking is recommended at weekends.
- Booking recommended
Cat Cafe Coorikuya Nagaoka
Nagaoka, Niigata27 mi / 43 km
Cat Cafe Coorikuya Nagaoka is a branch of the Coorikuya cat cafe chain attached to the Coo&RIKU pet shop in Kitamachi, on the west side of Nagaoka, about 15 minutes by car from JR Nagaoka Station. Opened in 2022, it has a bright, open room where a group of friendly cats of various breeds relax, play and often roll over for attention. Visits are charged per 30 minutes with unlimited drinks included, cat treats are sold for feeding, and the pet shop next door sells kittens and puppies. The cafe is open every day, opening an hour earlier at weekends and on holidays, and last entry is 30 minutes before closing.
Neko Cafe & Neko Sakaba Latte
Nagaoka, Niigata27 mi / 43 km
Neko Cafe & Neko Sakaba Latte is a cat cafe and bar on the fourth floor of a building at the Otedori crossing, about five minutes on foot from the west exit of JR Nagaoka Station. The cats like to sit at the large windows and watch the street. Around a dozen cats live here, a mix of breeds that have been with the cafe since it opened and rescued cats taken in through rehoming, including a family of white cats. Instead of a timed charge, entry works on a free-time basis with one drink order, though stays may be limited to two hours when it is busy at weekends. It was set up to feel like an ordinary coffee shop with cats, serving drinks, light meals and alcohol. It is often run by one member of staff, so phoning ahead is advisable. There is no dedicated parking.
Kagineko no Shippo
Nakanojo, Gunma34 mi / 54 km
Kagineko no Shippo is a small cat cafe in Nakanojo, a hot spring and arts town in the Agatsuma area of northwest Gunma, about 10 minutes on foot from JR Nakanojo Station on the Agatsuma Line. It opened in May 2026 in the premises of a former cafe, and combines a cafe menu with a space where visitors can play with the resident cats, with seasonal drinks such as cream soda served in summer. The building is in a residential area that car navigation may struggle with, so the cafe posts walking directions from the station; there is parking for about three cars. It opens on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 11 AM to 4 PM, and occasional closures are announced in a monthly calendar on its Instagram account, which is worth checking before a visit.
Rescue Cat Cafe Nekomachi
Mitsuke, Niigata34 mi / 55 km
Nekomachi is a rescue cat cafe on the second floor of a building in Imamachi, Mitsuke, recognisable by the large cat illustration on its shutter. It takes in cats from the Niigata Prefecture animal protection centre and other rescues and looks for adopters for them, and visitors who cannot adopt support the cats simply by coming. The room is quiet and calm, with some shy cats as well as friendly ones, so it is not suited to children looking for a play space; children of elementary school age and under must come with a guardian. Visits are charged for 60 minutes, 90 minutes or free time, with drinks extra, and visitors are asked to wear socks. Closing days are irregular and shown on the cafe's online calendar, and it may close for vet visits. Free parking for three cars is opposite the shop.
- Adoptable cats
Rakkuraya Rescue Cat Cafe
Sanjo, Niigata40 mi / 65 km
Rakkuraya is a rescue cat cafe tucked into a street of bars and restaurants in Ijima, central Sanjo. Its name comes from a Niigata dialect word for feeling at ease, and it describes itself as a shelter where rescued cats can live calmly while visitors get a feel for life with cats. Around a dozen cats live here, including resident staff cats, and the cafe looks for adopters for its rescues; adoption involves screening, conditions and a fee, and kittens under two months are not shown. It runs as a simple self-service cafe with packaged drinks and snacks rather than a kitchen. Opening days and hours change each month and are announced on its website and social media, and bookings are given priority, so reserving by phone or direct message is advisable. There is no dedicated parking; use the paid car parks nearby.
- Adoptable cats
- Booking recommended