Onsen Minshuku Kaifuso
Ito, Shizuoka
Kaifuso is a small family-run hot spring guesthouse in Usami, in the north of Ito, about three minutes on foot from Usami Station on the JR Ito Line and from Usami beach, that bills itself as an inn with cats. Five resident cats, former rescues, wander freely through the lobby, corridors and garden, and guests who leave their door slightly open may get a visit in their room; the cats go back to their own quarters at 10 PM. Guests are asked not to keep a cat in their room for long so that everyone gets a chance to see them. The inn serves home-cooked meals built around local seafood and has a natural hot spring bath that can be booked for private use at check-in. Several of the cats have appeared in rankings of Japan's best-loved inn cats. This is an overnight stay, not a drop-in cafe.