A Cat's-Eye View of Japan

Kyoto Prefecture offers amazing seasonal views. Visit different temples to enjoy autumn colors on a morning walk with a black cat and his beloved priest, see a rare calico cat, and watch an avid tree climber!

Mt. Iwaki in Aomori Prefecture overlooks an apple orchard where 5 kitties are born in spring. By summer, they've grown big and strong! Pay them a visit and attend the area's special summer festival!

Tokyo is home to many lucky cats called Maneki-neko! Get your kitty fix at a public bath, a lantern shop and a classical theater. Then, meet them after hours in Shinjuku's Golden Gai bar district!

At the foot of the sacred Mt. Fuji, have breakfast with dairy farm kitties, fish with hungry kitties at a port, and dance at a unique summer festival held by a temple dedicated to cats.

A sacred island with an emerald sea and tropical trees is pure kitty heaven. Scale a wall with rare white kitties, and relax to the sounds of traditional Okinawan music with a black kitty.

Snow piles up in winter along the Sea of Japan. Visit a morning seafood market, play in the snow, admire traditional lacquerware, and enjoy warm mochi rice cake with cute kitties.

Visit Izumo, Shimane, the setting of several Japanese myths, to meet a mischievous kitty living on a farm near Hii River. Then head to a pottery factory to see a blue-eyed cat hard at work.

Follow a kitty around a World Heritage Site! At a 125-year-old sake brewery, a patrol kitty makes his rounds before relaxing in the adjacent garden next to a lovely fresh water pond.

Visit two cat islands in Japan's Seto Inland Sea. The kitties on Ao Island outnumber humans. Watch them catch fish on the rocks! Join more kitties on Ogi Island for some sun time on a roof.

What's it like living with cats in rice-producing Niigata? See kitty beds made of straw from beautiful green rice paddies, and enjoy snacks with another kitty at a candy shop.

Enjoy the coming of spring in northern Hokkaido Prefecture with happy kitties. Visit an art gallery occupied by 11 cats, and do some evening yoga with a kitty at a lodge.

Stroll around a World Heritage Site with an island kitty. Then, get your favorite saying written on a lucky rice scoop before playing with kitties in the historical town of Takehara.

We visit Japan's largest and oldest lake, Lake Biwa. A cat leads us to an overlook with a great view of the lake. We meet another cat hiding among the multitude of wares at a Shigaraki ceramics shop.

We take in Japan's tallest mountain, Mt. Fuji, and meet some cats on the way. A cat named Bond carries out top-secret missions at a peach orchard. Another cat patrols its home—a 100-year-old winery.

Tokushima has long been famed for its indigo. We visit an indigo-dyeing workshop and meet their mascot, Natsu. Next, we make a wish at a shrine that's popular with cats and cat lovers alike.

We meet a cat who fearlessly patrols crocodile enclosures heated by onsen steam. At a shopping arcade, we encounter early rising cats and a tengu statue. We even meet cats who enjoy billiards!

Todaiji Temple is a World Heritage Site. We encounter cats—and also deer—who live at the temple. One cat keeps an eye on his owner's pickle shop. Another cat enjoys listening to flute music.

Cats show off their climbing skills at a spot overlooking the sea. On the island of Mushima, we meet a cat who takes us to a field of daffodils. The cats tease Iwago by hiding among the flowers.

We meet cats whose owner grows plants used to make cloth in a traditional way. Another cat, Lock, lives at a temple. He takes part in sutra reading and is practically the chief priest's assistant!

Cats live near three torii gates in the sea. The beach changes at low tide. We also meet a cat who lives in a pottery production area. She's allowed in all the shops and even inspects the merchandise.

Furano is full of vast wheat fields. For a local farmer's cat, it's the perfect place to hunt or go for a run. We meet two cats who live at an inn and love to play on the exposed hot water pipes.

A cat patrols Ogaki Castle and has a special place where he cools off on hot days. In Magome-juku, a 400-year-old post town, two cats live at a souvenir store. We capture an unexpected interaction!

Yushima is a cat island only four kilometers around. Hungry cats gather at the port for fresh fish, including a talkative kitten. A cat lives at the local school and watches over the eight students.

We meet Kiiro, a cat who draws admirers whenever he goes out for a stroll. Children and adults alike gather to scratch his head. We also visit a beauty salon where a cat provides customer service!