GAMAGORI, Aichi -- In addition to the soothing baths, visitors can enjoy a little feline therapy in the Nishiura Onsen hot spring district in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, courtesy of the "Nekoyado Hanahana" cat cafe run by a local inn.
Started with a stray
Eiko Watanabe, 69, is the proprietress of Himeyado Hanakazashi, an inn solely for women in the Nishiura Onsen area. According to Watanabe, a stray cat began appearing at the inn about two years ago. She and her staff named the feline Hana and began taking care of it.
The cat grew friendly toward them and later brought three kittens into the inn, which in turn grew up and gave birth to a total of 10 babies. The inn was full of fun as a result, but Hana one day disappeared, unseen by Watanabe and the staff.
This led them to reconsider the situation.
"Just feeding stray cats could cause trouble for people around this inn. If a cat dies in an accident, we feel bad. We have to take care of them properly, with a sense of responsibility," Watanabe said.
So she and her staff decided to protect stray cats living near the inn.
A room of their own
On the fourth floor of an annex to the inn, there happened to be a vacant soundproof room equivalent to 120 tatami mats. The room was once used for music events and banquets.
Watanabe decided to use the room, thinking, "The sounds [of the cats] will not reach the outside and our guests can play with them."
A tower for cats to climb and a water feeder were installed in the room, and two staff members obtained first grade certificates as operators of a business handling animals.
The cats were checked by a vet and vaccinated. They were also spayed or neutered, and the cat cafe room opened on Nov. 7 last year. Today cats climb up the tower, bat at each other, and enjoy a variety of play.
Some of the cats respond to calls with an interested, alert look in their eyes. Others ignore them and keep lying on the floor.
"My staff members sometimes play with the cats," Watanabe said with a laugh. "I hope as many people as possible can feel refreshed by interacting with them."
The cat cafe room is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is 650 yen per hour and includes a drink. Guests of the Hanakazashi inn can visit the room free of charge.
For more information, call Himeyado Hanakazashi at (0533) 57-5721.
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