The cat's out of the bag: 4 purrfect places in Japan for feline lovers (Part 2)

Welcome back! In the first half of this article, which can be found here, I introduced two cat-related spots where people can observe and play with cats in their natural environment. Today, we shift to Tokyo, where there are also a plethora of cat-themed places to be found. The two spots in this half are both indoors, allowing people to experience the charms of domesticated cats, and what it might be like having them as a pet, in contrast with Onomichi and Tashirojima, where they are free to come and go as they please.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at what Tokyo has to offer cat lovers!

3. Akanasu, Tokyo 

A counter at Akanasu taken over by the cats. Three’s a crowd... (Image credit: Kevin Koh)

Everyone has heard of, or been to, a cat café—there is something very appealing about playing with a few cats and trying to get their attention while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea, and perhaps a light bite, and before one knows it, it has been a few hours since stepping into the café. Cat cafés are a lot of fun, no doubt—but for those who like something a little more substantial in terms of food and drink, a cat café hardly fits the bill, especially considering the relatively steep prices that most places charge. In addition, cat cafés are usually closed fairly early at night, making it hard for office workers who desperately need the comfort of a feline to visit such places during the day. What, then, does one do? 

The answer is simple—one goes to a cat izakaya. An izakaya (居酒屋) is essentially a drinking hole, a standard establishment to be found all over in Japan, ranging from tiny holes in walls which barely fit a few salarymen standing, to huge sit-down places that can host over fifty people in one private room at a time. Unlike cat cafés, which number in the hundreds, there exists only a handful of cat izakaya in Japan, with one of the most established of them all being Akanasu (赤茄子).

Located a mere 10 minutes from the bustling metropolitan of Ikebukuro (池袋), Akanasu is on the second floor of a fairly old building right outside Ekoda Station (江古田駅 Ekoda-eki) on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line (西武鉄道池袋線 Seibu-tetsudō Ikebukuro-sen). At first glance, the exterior appears rather unremarkable—step inside, and you’ll quickly realise a few things that are different from other izakaya. For one, there is an additional gate placed between the entrance and the steps leading up to the store, with a few notices pasted reminding visitors to always make sure the door is closed behind them to ensure that the cats do not escape.

The next thing that reminds you that this is not a regular izakaya is, obviously, the cats. Just like in cat cafés, they are given free reign to roam about as they like, so you might encounter them staring up at you while they laze at the bottom of the steps, or they might look down at you from the top, dashing down to sniff you before running back up again.

One of the cats looking down over her domain. (Image credit: Kevin Koh)

Akanasu is by no means a spacious place—the counter sits a handful of people, perhaps six, while there are less than 10 tables that sit a total of more than 20 people. It is precisely because of this, though, that the izakaya has a cosy, homely atmosphere, and there is no lack of customers every day who come to enjoy the food and the company of the five cats who live there.

As Akanasu is first and foremost an izakaya, visitors are required to make at least one drink and food order; in addition, for the first hour of one’s stay, visitors will be charged a small fee per 20 minutes—however, that adds up to a maximum of ¥450, which is still much cheaper than the entrance fee of any cat café. Upon entering an izakaya, almost all places will charge an otōshi (お通し) fee, basically a cover charge, which includes a small appetizer to begin with. At Akanasu, instead of an appetizer, one will be given a small box containing two kinds of cat kibble which can be freely fed to the cats while they wander about the shop. The cats are very accustomed to people, and definitely do not mind being rubbed and patted—in addition, though they may climb up chairs and walk across tables, they are well-trained, not poking their paws into one’s food or playing with one’s belongings, instead preferring to lounge on the countertop or sleep in their pens.

The Nyapolitan—how can anyone bear to stab at that face? (Image credit: オルカ / nomooo)

While there are daily specials depending on what the owner gets, there is also a list of fixed items on the menu, most of which are made in-house. Recommendations include the Chi-chan Pizza (ちーちゃんピザ)—a thin-crust gorgonzola and whitebait pizza named after one of the cats—as well as the Nyapolitan (にゃポリタン), essentially a napolitan spaghetti, a ketchup-flavoured Japanese-styled spaghetti commonly found in kissaten (喫茶店), Japanese coffee houses. What makes these two so special is how they are decorated to look like a cat’s face with the use of ham, sliced hard-boiled egg, olives, edamame (枝豆) and French fries for the whiskers, making them too cute to eat!

The owner, a burly, long-haired man, might seem intimidating at first glance. But I've had the pleasure of making conversation with him on my visits to Akanasu,, and he is very much a gentle giant, often asking customers if they enjoyed the food, and making sure he speaks with all of them at least once while they are there. With such a hospitable owner and friendly cats, as well as good food and drinks at reasonable prices, Akanasu is the place to go to if you want to experience what a cat izakaya is like! 

Akanasu (赤茄子)
Address: 2F, 1-77-2 Asahi-oka, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, 176-0005
Nearest stations: Seibu Ikebukuro Line Ekoda Station (西武鉄道池袋線江古田駅), Toei Oedo Line Shin-Egota Station (都営大江戸線新江古田駅)
Opening hours: 6pm–12:30am (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
Tel: +81-36-915-3166

Writer’s note: Ekoda Station is less than 10 minutes from Ikebukuro Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, which is in turn connected to JR Ikebukuro Station on the JR Yamanote Line. Shin-Egota Station is 12 minutes from Shinjuku Station on the Toei Oedo Line, which is linked to JR Shinjuku Station on the JR Yamanote and Chuo Lines, to name two of the many that service the station. From Shin-Egota Station, it is a 15-minute walk to Akanasu, or one can take a bus to Ekoda Station. Due to a new set of measures aimed at curbing the further spread of COVID-19, Akanasu will be closed indefinitely again from the 12th April until further notice. (Information correct as of 11th April, 2021.)

4. Hiruneko Books, Tokyo

The exterior of Hiruneko Books, with its trademark blue signboard. (Image credit: Hiruneko Books / Kobari Takashi)

The last cat-related place to be introduced in this article lies in a quiet neighbourhood that still retains its old-school charm in modern-day Tokyo. Yanesen (谷根千), an amalgamation of the names of the Yanaka (谷中), Nezu (根津), and Sendagi (千駄木) neighbourhoods in the same area, is somewhat of an oddity—though a stone’s throw from major stations like Ueno (上野) and Nishi-Nippori (西日暮里), the atmosphere there is far removed from the hustle and bustle one would expect of areas in close proximity to such stations. If anything, with its laid-back vibe, old buildings, and numerous temples, walking in the area feels like taking a trip back in time to an era in Tokyo’s past. It is in such an area that one can find Hiruneko Books (ひるねこBOOKS), a small bookshop selling cat-related books amongst others.

Opened in January 2016, the bookshop is a short walk from Nezu Station (根津駅 Nezu-eki) and is located right smack in the middle of a street lined with houses. In fact, it is all too easy to miss it, if not for the bright blue signboard placed outside, as well as the many flags of Nordic countries. Hiruneko Books was started by Kobari Takashi (小張 隆), who previously worked in a publishing house specialising in children’s picture books before branching out on his own.

Despite the name of the bookshop, though, there are no cats to be found within—as Kobari explains, even though he likes cats and used to keep one, he did not want Hiruneko to be a place that people visit because there are cats around. Instead, because he wants people to become more interested in books, he has taken to using the shop as a gallery to showcase works by artists and authors, as well as selling sundry goods from Nordic countries. He believes that such experiences, which lead to encounters with authors and books for those who visit the shop, are things that traditional brick-and-mortar bookshops can provide, unlike online retailers.

The interior of Hiruneko Books, a very cosy bookstore. (Image credit: Hiruneko Books / Kobari Takashi)

While the rest of the collection in his shop contains a wide range of books, it is his corner devoted to cat books that sets it apart from other book stores—from picture books to essay compilations, photo books and magazines, there are all sorts of publications guaranteed to satisfy any cat lover. There is even a picture book from Kobari’s own label, Hiruneko Label, with Kobari planning to release more books in the future.

Even though print media has been on a decline for a while, with many printing houses and magazine publishers either suspending, or closing down entirely, it is heartening to see individuals like Kobari still try their hand at making bookshops succeed in an effort to conserve reading culture. He has expanded  to a larger shop in April this year and is widening the range of books he carries, so hopefully there will be more cat-related tomes to satisfy the cat lovers in all of us!

A cat prowling the steps leading to Yanaka Ginza. (Image credit: Tokutomi Masaki / CC BY-NC 2.0)

As a side note, the Yanesen area is also known for being a cat area, and one is sure to encounter many felines basking in the sun or on their daily prowl while exploring the many back avenues. For those who would like to explore what an old-school shopping street frequented by locals looks like, Yanaka Ginza (谷中銀座) is right up your alley, with its many small shops selling daily necessities and food still frequented by residents, a sure sign that this place is not catering only to tourists. If the weather is hot and you feel like you need something cold, swing by Himitsu-dō (ひみつ堂), a kakigori (かき氷) place known for their finely shaved ice that uses natural ice from Nikko (日光) in Tochigi (栃木県 Tochigi-ken), as well as a wide selection of sauces made in-house and only from the best of fruits! The queues are very long in summer, and queue number tickets are usually all issued by noon, so you will have to plan quite a bit if you would like to enjoy their shaved ice! There is also the YANESEN Tourist Information and Culture Center to visit if you would like to find out more about what can be found in the area, or if you would like to experience traditional Japanese culture such as the tea ceremony (茶道 sadō) and ikebana (生花) flower arranging.

Hiruneko Books (ひるねこBOOKS)
Address: 2-1-14-101 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0001
Nearest station: Nezu Station (根津駅), JR Nippori Station (JR日暮里駅)
TEL: +81-70-3107-6169

Writer’s note: Hiruneko Books has ceased operations at its old address as of 29 March, and has reopened at a new location a stone’s throw away (100m) on 22 April. The new address is: 2-5-22-101 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0001. (Information correct as of 11 April 2021.)

Hiruneko Books is a short 6-minute walk from Nezu Station. Alternatively, it is a 15-minute walk from JR Nippori Station, which serves the JR Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku and Joban Lines, all of which link to Ueno, Shinagawa, and Tokyo.

Closing

It is an understatement to say that the Japanese love their cats—not only have cats surpassed dogs in terms of the numbers of them being kept as pets, there are many, many places in the country dedicated to these furry felines. The four introduced over these two parts are but a small sample of what can be found in Japan—when the time comes when we can all travel to Japan again, and hopefully you will not only explore these places, but also find one or two of your own!

Header image credit: Dakiny / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0