Kagineko no Shippo

Shinto, Gunma · 12 mi / 19 km

Cafe L'arc en chats is an adoption-focused rescue cat cafe in Nagaoka, in the village of Shinto at the foot of Mount Haruna, surrounded by fields and countryside views. Its name is a French coinage meaning cat's arch, reflecting its aim of being a bridge between rescued cats and new families. Cats taken in for various reasons live in the cafe while they wait for adoption, and visitors who simply want to spend time with them are also welcome. All visits are by reservation, made by phone with the arrival time and choice of food or drink, and every guest orders at least a drink. The cafe serves home-style lunches, including a Japanese set meal, along with cat-shaped cookies and drinks. It opens on selected days, usually from late morning to around 4 PM, listed in a monthly calendar on its website.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking required

Maebashi, Gunma · 15 mi / 24 km

Marshmallow Panda is a multi-animal cafe and pet shop in Kawaramachi, in the north of Maebashi. One hourly fee covers five areas: a cat room where relaxed adult cats roam freely and greet visitors, a dog area set up like an indoor dog run, a small-animal room with rabbits, hedgehogs, ferrets and chinchillas, an owl corner and a reptile room. A separate kitten room, charged extra, lets visitors hold kittens on their laps. Some of the animals, including kittens and puppies, are for sale, and purchases can be discussed without paying the cafe fee. Canned drinks and snacks from a drink bar are included. Children under three enter free and reservations are not needed. It opens in the afternoon on weekdays and earlier on weekends and holidays, and is closed on Wednesdays unless they fall on a public holiday.

• Walk-ins welcome

Takasaki, Gunma · 16 mi / 26 km

Cat Cafe MOCHA AEON Mall Takasaki is a branch of the MOCHA cat cafe chain on the third floor of AEON Mall Takasaki in Munadakamachi, in the north of Takasaki, reached by bus from JR Takasaki or Maebashi stations or by car. It is aimed at shoppers and families as well as people who want a quiet break, and the resident cats include breeds such as Scottish Folds. The fee is charged per 10 minutes with a daily maximum, slightly higher on weekends and holidays, and includes unlimited drinks, free manga and magazines, Wi-Fi, power outlets and phone chargers. Cats are fed at 10:30 AM and 7 PM, and treats can be bought. There is no age limit; children three and under enter free and those under junior high school age need a guardian. No reservation is needed, and it is open every day with last entry at 7:30 PM.

• Adoptable cats
• Walk-ins welcome

Maebashi, Gunma · 17 mi / 28 km

ONEPET Maebashi combines a grooming salon with a rescue dog and cat cafe on the ground floor of the Maebashi Lilica building in Kokuryomachi, Maebashi, with its own entrance on the outside of the building facing Route 17. Visitors can move between a room of rescued cats and a room of rescued dogs, and the cats include kittens and adults that are used to people and readily come over to be stroked or sit on laps. The animals are looking for new homes, and adoption can be discussed with staff. Visits are charged per hour at modest rates, with half price for children aged three to 12 and free entry for younger children, and payment is by card or cashless apps rather than cash. The business is also a welfare workplace where people with disabilities assist with grooming and care. It is open every day.

• Adoptable cats

Maebashi, Gunma · 17 mi / 28 km

Cat Cafe Coorikuya Maebashi is a branch of the Coorikuya cat cafe chain in Motosojamachi, Maebashi, just off National Route 17 and about 18 minutes on foot from Shin-Maebashi Station. Opened in August 2019, it is attached to the Coo&RIKU Maebashi pet shop, and its theme is an old-fashioned Japanese living room with tatami flooring where visitors sit among the resident cats. The room is fairly small, which keeps people close to the cats. Visits are charged by time with free drinks included, and cat food or treats can be bought to give to the cats. There is a car park for about 10 cars. The cafe is open every day, from 11 AM on weekdays and from 10 AM on weekends and public holidays, until 8 PM, with last entry 30 minutes before closing.

Maebashi, Gunma · 19 mi / 30 km

Maebashi Fureai Zoo & Dog and Cat Adoption Center is an indoor petting zoo in Mitsumatamachi, Maebashi, about eight minutes on foot from Joto Station on the Jomo Electric Railway. Besides a room of cats and an area of dogs that are looking for new homes, it keeps rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, chinchillas, hedgehogs, meerkats, a mara, tortoises, owls, goats, reptiles and exotic mammals such as palm civets, and most of the animals can be touched. The cats and dogs can be adopted after a consultation with staff, with conditions and fees set by the centre. Admission is a flat fee with no time limit, a little higher on weekends and holidays, and visiting only the dog area is free. Being indoors, it works in any weather. It is open every day from 10 AM to 7 PM.

• Adoptable cats