Later this month I’m heading to Japan with some friends with a bit of a cat itinerary (outlined below).
We originally were looking at going to either Okishima / Lake Biwa’s “Cat Island” (outside Kyoto) or Enoshima (outside Tokyo), however both seem to have minimal resident cats and varied reviews.
Can anyone vouch for either destination, or any others in the area/s?
Our current Itin, with a couple of days in each location.
* Arrive Tokyo (visit the cat temple, of course)
* Tokyo to Tashirojima ‘cat island’
* Tashirojima to Nara
* Nara to Shodoshima
* Shodoshima to Ainoshima ‘cat island’
* Ainoshima to Kyoto
* Kyoto to Nagoya
* Nagoya to Tokyo
![[Trip MEGAReview] Mie + Shimane + Hiroshima + Okayama (Kurashiki + Okayama) + Hyogo (Himeji+Kobe)) / Kyoto + Tokyo + Osaka, aka "how I travelled six cities in seven days."](https://www.lonelyjapan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/fX9B8mkT0L0i-BcyiDrQVg5oO-c6D3E_7UMCPQCFIVE-380x220.jpg)
13 comments
You do realize that Tashirojima to Nara is about 8½ hours trip.
The list is missing eg. Enoshima (near Kamakura), Sanagishima (near Kanagawa), Okishima (on Lake Biwa), Manabeshima (Okayama) and Aijima (Fukuoka).
Ainoshima is definitely not an overnight location and unless you speak at least an intermediate level of Japanese – you will probably not have a fun time.
You’ll need a snack somewhere, does this in Osaka fit the scope? Rescue/adoption cafe.
https://www.savecatcafe.net/
Maybe easier for you to fit in a trip to Kishi to see the [cat station master?](https://wakayama-dentetsu.co.jp/en/) You get to Kishi via Wakayama. Though might be a long day-trip if you depart via Kyoto rather than Osaka.
I just discovered a train line with a cat as the station master!!! It’s on the Wakayama Electric Railway, the Kishigawa Train Line! I haven’t been there and it might be a bit out of your way though! I did befriend a stray/ neighbourhood cat at the Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto in 2018… You might have some luck there? I remember there being several cats around. Good luck and have fun! 🙂
There were lots of friendly stray cats at Fushimi Inari
When you’re in Tokyo head to the Ono Terusaki Shrine in Nippori. There is a huge crowd of adorable and friendly stray cats that live in the shrine.
https://www.railway-cats.com/?lang=en
https://youtu.be/Xos-FwYVK0c
A catcafe combined with a train diorama
Yanaka Ginza, in Tokyo, for a bunch of cat themed shops.
My favourite cat cafe: https://www.asakusanekoen.com/index_2.html#english It’s barely a cafe at all (you can buy drinks from a fridge in the corner), it’s all about rescuing and rehoming street cats. A lot of cat cafes suck for the cats, but not this one.
Puchi Marry in Kyoto is one of the best cat cafes I’ve seen. Nice vibe and tons of cats that all seem well taken care of.
Also this one might be luck based, but I encountered numerous cats at Fushimi Inari. The shopkeepers feed them but they just roam around. Fun to find them hidden and sleeping in some Buddhist shrine from 700 AD and such.
Spoiler: I’m not going to be helpful. But:
“Cat itinerary”?
I think you mean “Catinerary”.
Am I right? 😁
Do you know about the cat ryokan in Yugawara, Kanagawa? They have an accommodation service that lets you pick a cat from their cat cafe to stay with you in your room for the night.
When you visit the lucky cat temple in Tokyo make sure you look into when the cat train is running. IT IS WORTH IT! If you miss it and have time you can wait for it. About every 5th train is a cat train.
In Tokyo, Gotokuji Temple (in Setagaya) and Imado Shrine (in Asakusa) both claim to be the home of the “beckoning cat” statue. Both places have an overwhelming number of cat-themed decorations. There’s also a cat themed bookstore called Anegawa Nyankodo in Jimbocho, Tokyo. And Yanaka has a ton of little cat-themed shops and cafes. You can get cat tail donuts and cat paw cakes. If the main street is too busy, the resident cats are probably chilling in Yanaka Cemetery.
In Kyoto, there’s Nyan-nyan-ji Temple (a cat cafe/gift shop/temple with cats dressed in priest costumes). Shonenji Temple honors a cat that helped save the temple, and you can get charms for the health and safety of pet cats.
Not sure when you’ll be in Nara, but the whole month of June is the “Nyaramachi Neko Art Festival.”