Japanese apartments are often really small and not suited for pets. Space is a resource that is extremely rare in big cities like Tokyo so people don’t have the capabilities to offer a happy life to a dog or a cat. Of course, having fluffy pets around to cuddle with is something that many people enjoy so in Japan there is an alternative to buying a bigger apartment: cat café (猫カフェ).

In a cat café, customers can enjoy being around cats while drinking coffee or having a chat. The pets move freely through the shop and can be petted, fed and cuddled. Guests pay a cover fee, generally hourly, and can buy small treats for the cats around.
The world’s first cat café opened in Taiwan, in 1998. The Taiwanese cat café eventually became a tourist destination, attracting tourists from Japan as well as all over the globe. Though the origin of cat café is in Taiwan, the concept blossomed in Japan, where the first one was opened in Osaka in 2004. Cat cafés are gaining popularity every year since them, from 2005 to 2010, seventy-nine cat cafés opened across the country.

There are various types of cat café in Japan. Some feature specific categories of cat such as black cats, fat cats, rare breed cats or ex stray cats. Every cat café in Japan is required to obtain a license and comply with the strict requirements and regulations of the nation’s Animal Treatment and Protection Law.

Japanese cat cafés feature strict rules to ensure cleanliness and animal welfare, in particular seeking to ensure that the cats are not disturbed by excessive and unwanted attention, such as by young children or when sleeping. Many cat cafés also seek to raise awareness of cat welfare issues, such as abandoned and stray cats and many often have cats from local animal shelters to help them lose any fear of humans and advertise them for possible adoption. From 2012 the cats could be displayed until 8 pm, but in 2016 the guidelines of the environment ministry state that they may visit and play with customers until 10 pm.
If you’re in Fukuoka, there is a cat café to visit as well! It is located in the Daimyō area of Tenjin! If you’re traveling you probably don’t own a pet so don’t miss out on playing with some cute cats !