Yufuin Hogoneko Forest (Catete)

Yufu, Oita · 3.1 mi / 5.0 km

Waraneko no Yado is a small hot spring inn on the hillside of Kawaminami in Yufuin, about 10 minutes by taxi from Yufuin Station, with its own cat cafe, Waraneko Cafe. The cafe is home to a group of about seven resident cats, and staff explain each cat's likes and dislikes before guests go in. Overnight guests can use the cat cafe for a flat fee in the evening after check-in and again in the early morning, and the inn's private open-air and indoor baths can be reserved for exclusive use. Visitors who are not staying can book a one-hour daytime cat cafe session, currently held on Sundays only and requiring a reservation by the previous day. Children under junior high school age are not admitted, and payment is cash only. The inn itself is closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the cats stay inside the cat cafe room.

• Booking required

Yufu, Oita · 4.6 mi / 7.4 km

Gallery Alice's Tearoom Cheshire Cat Forest is a cat cafe themed on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, on the ground floor of Yufuin Floral Village, the European-style shopping village near the Yunotsubo street in Yufuin. Every cat here is a Bengal, chosen for their leopard-like spotted coats, and each is named after an Alice character. Entry is a flat fee per person with a lower rate for children aged 6 to 12, who must come with an adult; children under 6 are not admitted. A visit is about 30 minutes and includes one drink from the self-service machine. Tickets are sold at the door for the same day only, and outside food and drink are not allowed. It is run by the same company as the Owl Forest and Mameshiba Cafe in the same village, and closes half an hour earlier from December to February.

• Walk-ins welcome

Usa, Oita · 11 mi / 17 km

The Cat Salon is a cat room in the petting zone of African Safari, the drive-through safari park in Ajimu, Usa, in the hills between Beppu and Usa. It houses a large collection of pedigree and unusual cat breeds, with a petting room and a grooming room built for the cats, and each cat has its own bed. Visitors can stroke the cats marked as happy to be touched, but cats cannot be picked up or fed, and notices explain which cats prefer to be left alone. The salon charges a small separate fee, and park admission is required, since the shops and salons cannot be visited on their own. Visits last about 20 minutes, and entry can close early on busy days. Children under 4 need an accompanying adult. The park is open every day, and the cafe Catnip is next door.

Beppu, Oita · 12 mi / 20 km

Aratama Ryokan is a small hot spring inn in the old Hamawaki onsen district of Beppu, about five minutes on foot from JR Higashi-Beppu Station. Founded in 1923, it is now home to around 80 rescued cats taken in by the owners, many of them with health conditions that mean they cannot be rehomed. The cats live in their own rooms, and guests meet them during set cat sessions in a dedicated cat room, changing into clothes provided for the room and following strict hygiene rules. Overnight guests get cat time as part of their stay, and day visitors can book an early-afternoon cat session together with a private bath in the inn's own spring. One of the cat rooms is streamed live on YouTube around the clock. Booking by phone or online is advised. The inn puts the cats' welfare first and keeps firm house rules.

Oita · 18 mi / 29 km

Hogo Neko Curry-ya 299 (read "nikukyu", paw pad) is a soup curry restaurant and adoption-style rescue cat cafe in Oshino, Oita City, about five minutes on foot from JR Shikido Station. Opened in April 2024, it serves soup curry with cat-shaped rice, desserts and drinks on the ground floor, alongside a corner of cat goods, and some of the cats often wander through. Upstairs is the cat room, where rescued cats waiting for adoption live and visitors can stroke and hold them; many are very used to people. The cat room is charged in short timed blocks, with extra time for diners. The shop also hosts adoption events. It is open Thursday to Sunday and on public holidays, and payment is cash only. Parking in front is very tight, so staff can point visitors to nearby spaces.

• Adoptable cats

Usa, Oita · 21 mi / 34 km

Neko no Heya is a rescue cat cafe in Yamashita, Usa, run by the volunteer rescue group Dog Home Anchan 2271 alongside its bakery Pan no Oto. It opens on Sundays, around three times a month, from late morning to mid-afternoon, and doubles as an adoption meeting: the cats were rescued locally and are all waiting for new homes. Visitors are welcome whether or not they plan to adopt, and can play with and stroke the cats. Entry is charged per hour and includes a drink, with half price for children of junior high school age and younger, and a support membership gives a discounted pass. Booking by phone is recommended, as the room holds a limited number of people. Adoption involves a home trial and a contribution to vaccination and neutering costs, and bakery sales help fund the group's rescue and TNR work.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended