Cat Cafes in Chichibu, Saitama

Chichibu, Saitama

Cat Cafe Nekoasobi is a cat cafe in Miyagawacho, central Chichibu, about five minutes on foot from Chichibu Station, next to a soba restaurant. It opened in 2017 as Chichibu's first cat cafe and applies ideas from animal behaviour psychology to how its cats are kept, and its resident cats are ones that enjoy human company. Visitors can drop in without a reservation, and visits are charged by time. The owner also takes questions about cat behaviour and works as a visiting cat helper who advises owners on problem behaviour at home. The cafe regularly posts photos and videos of its cats on X, Instagram and Facebook, and offers a weekly goods bonus for visitors. It is closed on Mondays unless a Monday is a public holiday, and stays open an hour later on weekends and holidays.

Chichibu, Saitama

Nico Nyanko Okoku is an open rescue cat shelter in Shimoyoshida, in western Chichibu, where more than 100 rescued cats live together without cages in a 500-square-metre space. It is run in the style of a cat cafe so that the cats can get used to people while they wait for adoption, and visitors spend time with them in the shared rooms. It is open every day from late morning to mid-afternoon, and no reservation is needed. Entry is charged per person, with lower rates for children, and children cannot visit without an adult. Adoption begins with meeting a cat at the shelter or an adoption event, followed by screening and home delivery by the representative. The adjoining guesthouse Neko no Shippo offers overnight stays with the cats. Access is by Seibu bus from Seibu-Chichibu Station to Muku Jinja, then an eight-minute walk.

• Adoptable cats