Cat Cafes in Japan

Nara

Neko ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌⁠Kissa Hanagoromo is a small cat cafe in Nishikitsujicho, Nara, about 10 minutes on foot from JR Nara Station, with one parking space. Its cherry-blossom-themed, Japanese-style room is home to around ten young, sociable cats, including Maine Coons, Somalis, long-haired Scottish Folds and mixes, several of them related as mothers and kittens. Courses run from 30 minutes to free time, stays of an hour or more include a drink, extensions are charged per 15 minutes, and children of elementary school age and under get a discount and must come with a guardian. Beer and chuhai are served alongside soft drinks. The cafe is also registered to sell cats and lists kittens for sale. It closes on Wednesdays and opens until 8 PM on weekends and holidays. Booking by phone is accepted but not required, and a Friday adult-only session with grown cats runs by reservation.

Tenri, Nara

Neko ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​⁠Manma is a rescue cat salon run by the volunteer group Team Neko Manma inside Tsumugu House, a community building in Kuranoshocho in the north of Tenri. The nearest station is Ichinomoto on the JR Manyo Mahoroba Line, 15 to 20 minutes on foot, and there is parking on site. The salon houses cats taken in from the street and from breeders, from kittens to adults, and visitors can spend time with them for an hourly admission fee whether or not they plan to adopt. Cats are rehomed after an application and screening, and the group also holds adoption events from time to time. Opening days are irregular, usually including Thursdays and weekends, and the schedule is posted on Instagram, so checking there or calling before a visit is recommended.

• Adoptable cats

Wakayama

Neko ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌⁠Minka Hidamari no Ie is an adoption-focused rescue cat cafe in an old Japanese house in Yamaguchinishi, in the rural east of Wakayama City near the border with Iwade. It is run single-handedly by a volunteer who takes in kittens from the animal welfare centre and rescues local street cats, and the cafe's income pays for their food and vet bills. The house has been renovated for the cats, who roam freely in a spacious room, and a cafe space is separated from the cat area by an acrylic screen, so visitors with allergies can still watch the cats. Visitors can spend unhurried time with the friendly rescue cats, and the cafe also sells second-hand goods flea-market style. All the cats are looking for permanent homes, and the owner also welcomes volunteers. The cafe closes on Fridays.

• Adoptable cats

Wakayama

Neko ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​⁠no Michikusa is a rescue cat cafe in Enokihara, in the northwest of Wakayama City, with parking on site. It is run by a volunteer who fosters kittens from the animal welfare centre as a milk volunteer and rehomes cats through the cafe, and the open, airy room is full of friendly cats, from confident lap cats to a few still wary of people, along with resident dogs. All the cats in the cafe are up for adoption. Cats needing isolation, such as those with FIV or FeLV, live in a separate shelter nearby, where an adoption event and charity bazaar are held on the third Sunday of each month. On weekdays the cafe opens at noon, or at 11 AM for bookings made by the previous day, and it closes on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

• Adoptable cats

Wakayama

Nekochan ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​⁠no Ie is a small, home-style cat cafe in Sekido, in the south of Wakayama City, with parking. The owner fosters kittens from the Wakayama City and Wakayama Prefecture animal welfare centres as a milk volunteer and rehomes cats through the cafe, and the cats are affectionate, well cared for and quick to claim a lap, even without treats. Visits run in two fixed two-hour sessions each afternoon, at a flat fee per person that is the same for students and children. No food or drinks are served, so guests may bring a drink in a container with a secure lid. Adoption applications are screened carefully. Opening days are irregular, so booking ahead is recommended, and news is posted on the website, Instagram, X and Facebook.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended

Nagahama, Shiga

Nyan's ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​⁠House is an adoption cat cafe on the third floor of a building in Yawatanakayamacho, Nagahama, in the north of Shiga. Its cats were rescued from breeding operations, hoarding cases, pet shops and animal centres, and they include Ragdolls, Norwegian Forest Cats and mixed breeds, with a few permanent resident cats among those waiting for homes. The room is clean and spacious, and many of the cats have been patiently socialised, though some newer arrivals are still shy, so visitors are asked to move quietly. Visits are by reservation only through the website form and are charged per hour with one drink, with extensions in 10-minute steps, lower rates for students and children, and limited cat treats for sale. Adoption requires at least three visits, a short screening and a two-week home trial. The cafe opens Friday to Monday and closes Tuesday to Thursday.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking required

Wakayama

Teraminekoya ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌⁠is a rescue cat cafe in Kusuminaka, in the north of Wakayama City, with parking in front of the building. It moved to its current premises in 2023, and the cafe is laid out as three rooms: a reception room with manga, a main room with shelves and cat towers where most of the cats spend their time, and a back room used for the cats' care. The cafe has a nostalgic, homely feel, and its rescued cats, many of them affectionate and keen to play, are all looking for new families. Visits are charged by the hour with one drink per hour included, extensions are charged per 30 minutes, and cake or ice cream can be added. The cafe closes on Wednesdays, with last entry an hour before closing.

• Adoptable cats

Kashihara, Nara

Wafu ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌⁠Oke Neko Kissa, known as Okeneko, is a rescue and adoption cat cafe in Yagicho, Kashihara, about two minutes on foot from Yagi-Nishiguchi Station and a short walk from Yamato-Yagi Station. Opened in 2014, it is named after the wooden tubs (oke) the cats nap in. The cafe is the base of a rescue operation that has taken in more than 700 cats from the prefectural animal centre, other groups and the public and found homes for over 650 of them, so the cats on site are a changing group of friendly lap cats waiting for adoption after medical care. Visits are charged by time and no booking is needed, but calling ahead to check how busy it is is recommended. Drinks are no longer served, and socks must be worn (no tights). The cafe closes on Tuesdays, with last entry an hour before closing.

• Adoptable cats