“In Ryogoku, they say there is a nagaya terraced house inhabited exclusively by cats.”
The Edo Cat Café was created just outside Ryogoku Station based on this concept of an Edo-era nagaya in which only cats live, but which can be visited by travelers from across the nation looking for a way to relax and enjoy themselves.

Designed as a replica of the Edo townscape, featuring such locations as a terakoya (temple school), a public bathhouse, pleasure quarters, Ryogoku Bridge and teahouses, all based on ukiyo-e woodblock prints, this small slice of history also featured alleyways, staircases and cushions strewn about for the comfort of the 50 real cats free to roam its length and breadth. This limited-time event was a true delight for any cat lover.

Furthermore, all of the cats in the Edo Cat Café were originally abandoned cats brought there from animal shelters. More than just a fun cat café event, it helped highlight the plight of such animals and solicit new owners for them.

Covered by over 500 different media outlets, including major television programs such as TBS’s “King’s Brunch,” TV Asahi’s “Good Morning” and NHK’s “Mofumofu Mofumofu,” the Edo Cat Café’s run was extended twice due to popular demand, eventually seeing some 70,000 customers pass through its doors.