It’s not really practical…. ok, maybe not really even possible, to be a “crazy cat lady” in a city as crowded as Tokyo. Even still, Japan has plenty of people obsessed with cats (do a Google search on “namennayo”), even while living in conditions crowded enough to make ownership of a cat or cats, at a minimum, difficult. No worries though, some enterprising (and maybe a little odd) souls have stepped in to fill the void of feline snuggle time for people in Tokyo who can’t or won’t own their own pet cats. So called “Cat Cafes” charge by the hour for cat overload. It’s kinda weird, kinda cute, and very Japanese. We saw a sign for one near Asakusa, and had to check it out today.
Ashley said she would’ve preferred a “Puppy Cafe,” but we’re pretty sure she still had fun.
We had started out the day at 0430 to get to the Tsukiji fish market which was an interesting spectacle. A fair way to describe the experience of exploring the market is “stressful.” No matter where you’re standing or walking, you’re in the way. All manner of sea creatures are up for sale and things move at really hectic pace. Probably the most visually interesting are the tuna, people carving up these frozen fish as big as livestock. One note on the Tsukiji market that surprised all of us was the complete lack of a “fishy” smell. Markets in Southeast Asia and Latin America can get a little foul at times, and don’t get me started on China….. but this market was just that clean I guess. It really takes work from everybody in a place that big to keep it from smelling awful. It’s probably also a testament to just how rapidly goods move through the place. I recommend a visit to the place during a stay in Tokyo for sure. This is my third time here and I hadn’t made it out before. After today I definitely feel like I missed out. And let’s not forget the sushi there, fresh from the market….. MY. GOD.
After checking out the temple at Asakusa (and of course the “Cat Cafe”), we made our way across town to Akihabara for a little electronics type shopping. Closed out the day in Harajuku at our favorite “cake bar” called “Sweets Paradise.” Had a pretty fun, albeit long and exhausting day.
7 thoughts on “The Cat Brothel”
I really like the idea of a cat brothel, get to play with cats and not have to worry about the maintenance fees and having to clean up cat poop. Although how much was it to get in? was it worth it? did you get to pay extra to have the cats do special “tricks”? after all with it being a cat brothel i’d hope so lol 🙂 Take lots of pictures and i hope you ate lots of cakes for me and Emma 🙂
It was like $10/hr, we just went for 30 minutes…. All “tricks” are included, lol, as they should be at that price. It’s an all-inclusive brothel I guess.
More baby tigers! Oh wait, not quite the same lol. But still cute haha
“But Mike, they don’t have any Tiger petting zoos in Japan”
“Cat Cafe it is then.”
“Wow, this is what it’s come to then.”
=)
A cat brothel!? Somehow it doesn’t really surprise me as this is the land of cafes with young women dressed as maids, cigarettes and undergarments in vending machines, and let’s not forget the tiny “capsule” hotels….
A fish market that doesn’t smell like fish has to be an extremely well maintained….I’m willing to bet that if the fish stay for more than a day, it’s thrown out. Hours after fish are caught and left in the open, they develop that nasty fishy smell. I think the most enticing thing for me is the fresh sushi….Sushi can’t be any fresher than that, unless you filet the fish right after you catch it on your boat…
You are a dirty tramp.
I’m sorry Gato! You know we still love you, right?