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We take a cat yoga class at a Japanese rescue cat cafe

Oona McGee Jun 22, 2019
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Stretch and relax with some friendly felines just a short train ride away from Tokyo.

Our Japanese-language reporter Momo is a woman who’s currently living the single life and celebrating every single moment of it by taking part in a seemingly endless variety of activities in and around Tokyo.

After spending the night alone at a love hotel and joining a host club bus tour with handsome hosts, Momo decided to seek out some feline company for her next solo adventure. And when she heard about a rescue cat cafe offering yoga classes with cats, she knew she had to pay them a visit.

She called to book herself into one of the cat yoga classes, which are held on the third and fourth Saturday of every month. Called Neko Shiki, the cat cafe is located a short eight-minute walk from Mizonokuchi Station in Tokyo’s neighbouring prefecture of Kanagawa.

When the day of the cat yoga class arrived, Momo headed out to the cafe and got there ten minutes early, which gave her some extra time to get acquainted with the animals she would be stretching with. The furry felines were sleeping on shelves…

▼ Scratching their scratching posts…

And quietly sitting on mats, waiting for the instructor to arrive so they could get started with the yoga class!

Momo usually feels a little reserved in a group setting like this, surrounded by people she’s never met before, but the cats made it easy for everyone in the class to chat naturally with each other. Cooing over the cute felines together helped to cut the tension in the room so that by the time the yoga class started, Momo already felt at ease.

When the yoga class started, the first thing Momo noticed was that instead of relaxing music, the sounds she heard in the room were gentle cat meows and the tiny pitter-patter of feline feet as the cats trotted gracefully around the room.

She also noticed that one of the cats had taken such a liking to her, or her mat, that it wasn’t even bothered by her movements.

The cats were so friendly that one of them even started playing with the raised leg of one of the class members in front of Momo.

The instructor told everyone that it was fine to interact with the cats, as long as you were doing a yoga pose at the same time. This really made Momo feel at ease, because the cats were so darn cute and friendly that it was impossible for her to stop herself from reaching out to them.

After stretching her body out with the felines, Momo felt relaxed and refreshed, and immediately decided to book in for another class again. Not only was it one of the most laid-back and enjoyable yoga classes she’d ever attended, she was also helping to support rescue cats, which is a cause close to all of our hearts.

The one-hour cat yoga class cost 2,990 yen (US$27.80), and Momo highly recommends giving it a try, even if you’re based in Tokyo, as the train ride to the cafe is only a short ride away.

It’s a great alternative to sipping tea at a cat cafe, and allows you to interact more playfully with the animals. And if you time your visit right, you’ll be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the annual penis festival nearby as well.

Store information
Neko Shiki Vasara Kimono Rental Asakusa Flagship Store / 着物レンタルVASARA 浅草本店
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Kawasaki-shi, Takatsu-ku, Mizonokuchi 1－20－10 Toho Building 3F
東京都台東区浅草1-1-1 神奈川県川崎市高津区溝口1－20－10　東方ビル3F
Cat Yoga held on the first and third Saturdays of the month, from 10:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m. (lesson from 10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m.)
Website

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[ Read in Japanese ]