Nestled among the bars and trendy clothing outlets of the “America mura” section of Osaka’s Minami district is a cafe whose primary attraction is not the quality of its coffee but the charms of its somewhat unconventional “staff.”[2]

Believed to have originated in Taiwan, cat cafes are establishments where cats are let loose indoors for customers to interact with. The cafe, named “Neko no Jikan,” which can be translated as cats’ time, is one of the country’s original cat cafes and is home to 21 felines, including a Maine Coon[3], a breed known for its large size.

The overall ambience here is quite relaxed—customers tend to speak in lowered voices, and the soft background soundtrack ranges from vocal jazz to trip-hop.[4] The resident cats seem acclimated[5] to their job of being petted and photographed by admiring visitors.

Many exotic breeds are represented—Norwegian Forest Cats, Ragdolls, Maine Coon cats—and they range from regally stylish to endearingly funny-looking.[6] Cats of all colors and personalities prowl the two spacious rooms, inspecting newcomers and their drinks or looking for a suitable spot in which to nap. The first room is furnished with sofas, low coffee tables and shelves filled with cat-related books and knick-knacks[7]. The other room is more like a cat playground, with trees for climbing, a water fountain and litter-box facilities.

The tea shop is quiet except for cats’ occasional mews. Some of the cats at Neko no Jikan come to customers when called, while others sit or lie on the shelves lining the cafe’s walls. Others still are stretched out on tables. Managed on a time-limit basis, Neko no Jikan charges 840 yen an hour and 1,050 yen with a drink.

The shop is run by Yoko Yoshida, 53, who became the trailblazer[8] for cat teahouses when she opened her first shop in Osaka’s Kita Ward in 2005, when dog cafes were at the height of popularity in Japan. Yoshida originally worked in a pet shop trimming dogs’ hair. “But I felt like I was in a day care center and got tired of being besieged by dogs every day,” she said. She likes dogs, too, and keeps a poodle and a Labrador retriever at home.[9]

At a cat “cafe,” the emphasis is not on food and beverages but relaxing in the company of cats. Yoshida said she wants customers to enter the cats’ “space” in order to achieve relaxation. She also said not all customers are obvious cat lovers who like to play with the animals or feed them. Many come in business suits and appear like patrons[10] of any other cafe.

Shop manager Junichi Sakai, 39, describes the 21 felines in the cafe as his “staff,” adding they take a rest in a separate room on the second floor “when they are tired.”