Yahoneko Cat Cafe

Kokubunji, Tokyo · 1.8 mi / 2.8 km

KotaKuna cats is a small, non-profit rescue cat cafe in Nishi-Koigakubo, Kokubunji, run by the KotaKuna dog and cat grooming salon at its foster base, where rescued dogs and cats live while they wait for new families. Visitors share a room with the rescue cats, which are rehomed through the salon's own adoption process, and completed adoptions are announced regularly on its rescue Instagram account. There is no fixed admission fee; visitors are asked for a donation instead. Up to four people can visit at a time and reservations take priority, so booking ahead by phone or LINE is advisable. Slippers are provided and socks are required, and outside food, drinks and cat treats are not allowed. The cafe opens from late morning to mid-afternoon, with last entry an hour before closing, and is closed on Thursdays and over the New Year holidays.

• Adoptable cats

Tachikawa, Tokyo · 2.2 mi / 3.5 km

Cat Cafe Mocha Tachikawa, located in Tokyo's bustling Tachikawa district, offers a welcoming retreat for cat lovers aged 3 and up (children under 12 require adult supervision). Situated on the 6th floor of the From Chubu Building at 2-11-2 Akebono-cho, Tachikawa-shi, just a 2-minute walk from JR Tachikawa Station's North Exit near Bic Camera, no reservations are required. Admission is charged in 30-minute increments (extendable in 10-minute intervals), and an optional ¥350 covers unlimited vending machine drinks. Guests can enjoy a clean, cozy space with a variety of cats, including twice-daily feeding sessions where some munch energetically while others take their time. Limited-edition cat snacks are available for purchase to share with the felines, and rules such as no chasing or flash photography help ensure their well-being.

• Adoptable cats
• Walk-ins welcome

Hino, Tokyo · 3.2 mi / 5.2 km

Hogoneko Hiroba LoveHappy is an NPO-run rescue cat shelter in Hodokubo, Hino, about four minutes on foot from Tama-Dobutsukoen Station on the Keio line. It moved here from Minamidaira, where it previously ran a cafe-style adoption space, and now opens the shelter to the public every Sunday afternoon. No reservation is needed; visitors are asked for a donation on entry and must wear socks, and numbers may be limited when it is busy. The shelter houses many kittens and adult cats rescued in and around Hino, all looking for adoptive homes. The Sunday session is cancelled when the group takes part in outside adoption events, which it also holds regularly at venues in Fuchu, Hino and Takahatafudo.

• Adoptable cats

Tama, Tokyo · 4.2 mi / 6.7 km

Neko Cafe Tamaneko is a cat cafe on the second floor of Park Tama in Ochiai, Tama, about 10 minutes on foot from Tama Center Station on the Odakyu and Keio lines. Opened in 2008, it combines resident Ragdolls with rescued cats; the owner set up an NPO in 2017 and added a shelter in 2022 so that rescued cats can be rehomed. Visitors choose between an unlimited-time plan and a 30-minute plan that switches to free time afterwards, with separate weekday, weekend and child rates, and annual and six-month passes are also sold. Children under 4 are not admitted, younger children need a guardian, and groups of four or more must book ahead. Shoes are removed at the entrance. The cafe is closed on Thursdays, holds regular adoption events and also runs a cat hotel.

• Adoptable cats

Chofu, Tokyo · 5.4 mi / 8.7 km

Cat Space Faz is an adoption-focused rescue cat cafe in Shimoishiwara, Chofu, on the ground floor of the Nagata Green Building beside the old Koshu Kaido road. Opened in October 2017, it takes in ownerless cats, including kittens, and looks for new homes for them, working towards a goal of no unhappy cats. Any cat in the room can be adopted, but visitors who simply want to spend time with cats are also welcome, and regulars often come back to see the same cats. Visits are charged per 30 minutes or per hour with a drink included, and extensions are charged in 10-minute units. Socks are required. It opens in the late afternoon on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and from midday to early evening on weekends and public holidays, and is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, including holidays. Free parking is available on request at reception.

• Adoptable cats

Chofu, Tokyo · 5.8 mi / 9.3 km

Rafu Space is an open-style rescue cat shelter in Fuda, Chofu, on the third floor of a building on Tenjin-dori, about five minutes on foot from the Central Exit of Keio Chofu Station. Run as an information centre for rescued dogs and cats, it houses only cats on site, many of them former breeding cats, cats abandoned as unsellable or cats retired from animal testing, with pedigree breeds such as Somalis and Abyssinians among them. Anyone may visit, whether or not they plan to adopt. Instead of a fixed fee, visitors are asked for a donation per hour, which goes to the animals' care. Because staff are not always present, visits are by reservation through LINE, phone or social media, and about five people can use the room at once. Socks are required. Prospective adopters meet the cats on site before applying. The group also runs a pet food bank.

• Adoptable cats