Cat Cafes in Japan

Tomigusuku, Okinawa

Coorikuya ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌⁠Plus iias Okinawa Toyosaki is a branch of the Coorikuya cat cafe chain on the third floor of the iias Okinawa Toyosaki mall in Tomigusuku, one floor above Cat Cafe MOFF. It is attached to a Coo&RIKU pet shop, which sells puppies and kittens, and shares its reception and phone line. The cafe room has a wood-toned, Western-style interior where a group of cats of various breeds roam freely and visitors can play with them using toys and treats. Visits are charged by time, with extensions in 10-minute steps and a free-time option, and a drink order is required. Children are welcome when accompanied. The cafe opens daily until 8 PM, with last entry shortly before closing, and visitors can use the mall's shared car park.

Chatan, Okinawa

Puchi ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​⁠Marry Okinawa Chatan is a kitten-focused cat cafe on the second floor of Seaside Square in the American Village shopping area of Mihama, Chatan, about 2 minutes on foot from Sunset Beach. It is the largest branch of the Puchi Marry chain by floor area, with an open, bright room where around 20 young cats of many breeds, including Munchkins and hairless cats, play and nap. Visits are charged for a first 30 minutes with an all-you-can-drink bar, then in 10-minute extensions, and there are free-time passes with unlimited drinks at different weekday and weekend rates. The cats are fed at noon and 7 PM. Wi-Fi and phone chargers are available. The cafe is open every day until 10 PM, with last entry at 9:30 PM, and has parking.

Naha, Okinawa

Nekomaru ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌⁠Chaya is a rescue cat cafe on the fifth floor of a building on Kokusai-dori in Makishi, Naha, about 4 minutes on foot from Makishi Station on the Yui Rail. Running since 2017, it is home to a large group of rescued Okinawan cats, many of them looking for adoptive families, and it works to improve conditions for the island's stray cats. Visits are charged by length of stay, from 30 minutes up to 90 minutes, with daytime and all-day packs for longer stays; prices are higher on weekends and holidays. Socks are required and can be bought on site, and hands are washed and disinfected before entering. Young elementary school children need an accompanying adult. The cafe also serves sweets such as cat-shaped pancakes, and it can be booked for private parties. Last entry is one hour before closing, and closing days are irregular.

• Adoptable cats

Urasoe, Okinawa

NyanderLand ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌⁠is a small rescue cat cafe and cat hotel in a renovated detached house in the residential Gusukuma area of Urasoe. Opened in May 2024 with the aim of ending the culling of cats, it feels like visiting a relative's home, and every opening day doubles as an adoption session for its rescued cats. To keep things calm, it admits only six or seven visitors and around ten cats at a time, so booking by Instagram message or phone is recommended. Visits are charged by time from 30 minutes, and drinks and shaved ice are served. Socks are required and are sold at the door. Children are welcome with a guardian, but chasing or forcing cats into a hug is not allowed. The house is barrier-free and accessible by wheelchair, and there are four parking spaces. Hours can change when cats are unwell.

• Adoptable cats

Nishihara, Okinawa

KAULA ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌⁠is an adoption-focused rescue cat cafe and cat hotel on a hillside in Onaga, Nishihara, in central Okinawa Island. Opened in November 2024, it is home to rescued cats of varied personalities, from playful youngsters and kittens to lap cats and shy ones, and the cats living in the cafe can be adopted after the cafe checks the home environment and the match. Entry is charged by time and drinks are available, and socks must be worn in the cat room. The reception room sells cat-themed goods, baked sweets and handmade items. Cat care is partly done by members of an adjoining welfare workplace where people with disabilities work with the rescue cats. The cafe also offers cat boarding and pet sitting. It is closed on Mondays, Thursdays and public holidays, and the access road is easy to miss, so directions are posted on Instagram.

• Adoptable cats

Yonabaru, Okinawa

Cafe ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌⁠& Bar PATRA is a cafe and bar in Yonabaru, in the south of Okinawa Island, where five resident rescued cats named Patra, Mitarashi, Jiji, Debi and Anko roam among the guests. The cats are used to people and can be stroked up close, and there is no separate entry charge; visitors simply order food or drinks. Lunch is served until mid-afternoon, with plates of small side dishes and a choice of main such as shrimp, fish, hamburg steak or pineapple pork, followed by a cafe time with sweets such as pancakes and a bar menu in the evening until midnight. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and Thursdays are by reservation only. There are three parking spaces beside the building.

Ginowan, Okinawa

Nouvelle ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​⁠Vague is a rescue cat cafe and shop on the fourth floor of the Believer Building in Uchidomari, Ginowan, near the Ojana intersection on Route 58. Around 20 rescued Okinawan cats live here, and all of them are looking for adoptive families; adoption consultations are possible on any opening day. The cafe presents itself as a model room for living with cats, where visitors spend time with the cats in a home-like space with hammocks and toys. Visits are charged per 30 minutes, with lower weekday rates, and include a drink that can be swapped for cat treats; a limited number of treat sets are sold each day. Sales from the cafe and shop help pay for the cats' food and care. It also offers cat boarding. The cafe is closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays except public holidays.

• Adoptable cats

Ginowan, Okinawa

Wannyan ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌⁠58 is a rescue cat and Chihuahua cafe on the seventh floor of a building on Route 58 in Mashiki, Ginowan, with views of the sea. It is run by the Okinawa branch of the NPO Nyaild Heart as a donation-supported shelter cafe, and is home to around 40 rescued cats and six Chihuahuas rescued from a breeder that closed down. Cats are split between a room of livelier young cats and a room of calmer adults, and staff stay nearby to explain each animal's character. The animals are looking for new homes, but visitors who are not planning to adopt are welcome. Visits are charged per 30 minutes plus a one-drink order, and desserts are served. Socks are required and are sold on site. Take the elevator to the seventh floor; there are three parking spaces on the second floor.

• Adoptable cats

Nanjo, Okinawa

Neko ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌⁠Kissa Kedama is a long-running small cat cafe in Maekawa, in the Tamagusuku area of Nanjo in southern Okinawa Island, about 45 minutes by car from Naha Airport. Started by an owner who loves both coffee and cats, it has been open for around 18 years and keeps a household of adult cats, from playful young ones to calm seniors, with clear guidance on which cats prefer to be left alone. Several cats are rescues looking for adoptive families, and visitors can get to know them before applying. Each visitor orders a drink, and coffee, light meals and waffles are served. English is spoken. The cafe also runs a cat-only hotel and pet-sitting service. It is closed on Thursdays, with occasional extra closing days posted on its blog.

• Adoptable cats

Chatan, Okinawa

Cherubim ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌⁠Cat Shelter is a no-kill rescue shelter run by the NPO Doubutsu-tachi wo Mamoru Kai Cherubim in Sunabe, Chatan, on the west coast of central Okinawa Island. It cares for a large number of abandoned and rescued cats, from kittens to older cats, while they wait for new homes. The shelter opens to the public on Saturday and Sunday afternoons as cat adoption sessions, when visitors can come in to meet and play with the cats, ask about adoption or volunteer. Many of the cats are friendly and climb onto visitors' laps and shoulders. The shelter's website is in Japanese and English, and foreign residents can also adopt. There is no cafe service, and donations of cat food and supplies are welcome.

• Adoptable cats

Yomitan, Okinawa

Hogo ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌⁠Neko Shokudo Noraya is a rescue cat diner in Nagahama, Yomitan, run by the NPO CCC to fund its cat shelter and trap-neuter-return work. Diners eat home-style lunches, mostly fish dishes with daily side dishes, while watching the cats through the glass of the neighbouring cat rooms. To go in and play with the cats, visitors book the necotto cat room in advance; a visit of about 70 minutes includes a drink and treats for the cats, and all room fees go to the shelter's running costs and the cats' medical bills. The room is meant for cat owners, people who cannot keep a cat and people thinking about adopting, who can get a feel for living with cats. The cats are very used to people. It opens on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking required

Uruma, Okinawa

Neko ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​⁠no Mahou Gakkou les liens is a rescue cat room in a quiet residential street in Kinaka, Uruma, run by a small volunteer cat rescue team formed in 2022. Around 30 cats live here, some as permanent residents and others looking for adoptive families, and visitors can sit with them in the room for a time-based fee. Staff stay with visitors throughout and explain each cat's name, personality and background, and they are happy to talk about cat care. It is closer to a small shelter than a cafe: no drinks are served, but drinks with lids may be brought in. Hours can change or the room may close at short notice when the cats are unwell or because of the volunteers' work, so checking Instagram before visiting is advisable. It is closed on Tuesdays and Fridays.

• Adoptable cats