While wandering through the streets of Kyoto’s Nakagyo Ward we came across the “Wan Nyan Chu” Cat Cafe. Although I am a self-professed dog-person, I couldn’t pass up the chance to spend time with some cuddly friends.
Cat Cafe in Kyoto, Japan.
Cat Cafes are quite popular in Japan, and for a fee visitors can spend time with these furry felines and are served drinks. 1000 yen bought us a cold drink (I believe mine was peach juice?) and half an hour of play time. From this visit, I would consider the term “Cat Cafe” to be a bit of a misnomer. I had envisioned myself seated at a table, with cats purring next to me and cuddling between my leisurely sips of coffee. In actuality, this Cat Cafe felt more like play time with the drinks (although enjoyable) being largely insignificant.
The “Cat” area of the cafe was a comfy room with rugs, benches, climbing trees and dozens of toys. Cats roamed around, slept in nooks and in typical cat fashion seemed relatively unimpressed by the strangers in the room. On the day that we came, a new kitten was being introduced to the group, eliciting great curiosity (and perhaps wariness) from the others.
I felt a great sense of comfort from my brief hangout at the Cat Cafe, I hadn’t realized how much I miss having a pet. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of cats, I definitely recommend a visit to a Cat Cafe, if only for the unique experience and some heart-warming cuddles.
Incidentally enough, cats were a prominent theme during my first day in Kyoto:
Lucky Cats
A wild cat at Fushimin Inari
And, of course.. Cat donuts (Fun fact: the ears are made of almonds)
Cafe Information
Cafe Website: http://balu.jp/list.html
Maki Mountain 