Do you like cats? Do you also like cafes? What about trains? If you like all three, what if I told you that your love for all three could be combined into one experience, where you can play with kittens in a train diorama cat cafe in Osaka?
Osaka is home to some of the most unique and wonderful cafes. It’s only a matter of stepping outside your door and exploring, whether it be places like Namba, Nakazakicho, or even Fukushima. There’s always something to do and somewhere to go.
That’s why Diorama Shokudo in Teradacho, Osaka, is such a special place.
Diorama Shokudo is a cafe that combines cats with miniature trains, all in one space. Just picture huge cats all around tiny city and train dioramas. It’s like the cats are towering over them like Godzilla! The cats are also known to play around with the scenery and their environment, so it can be very entertaining.
I was lucky enough to speak with the owner and hear the story of how the cafe came to be. This cute, railway-themed cafe opened back in 2005 as a ramen train restaurant, but it wasn’t very popular. Like fate, one rainy day, a cat wandered in and started destroying the diorama displays. Some people passing by found it entertaining, and from there, the owner had the wonderful idea to change the cafe.
In 2018, the location in Teradacho became a cat shelter cafe that is now home to over 174 kittens. What could have looked like a bad situation, with cats destroying the displays, has now become a home for so many cats and an opportunity for guests to come and play with them.
Location: 〒543-0045 Osaka, Tennoji Ward, Teradacho, 2 Chome−5−1 石村ビル 1F
Price: ¥2,000
What you get: One drink and one hour of playing with cute kittens.
Reservation: Not necessary.
Entering
My friend and I arrived and were greeted by the staff. At the entrance, you spray your hands with hand sanitizer and change into slippers. From there, we went inside, paid ¥2,000, and got our drinks.
Two Floors of Cats
There weren’t many people, so it wasn’t crowded. The cafe consists of two floors. On the first floor, you’ll find the train dioramas and cats wandering around. If you take the stairs to the second floor, you’ll find a room full of kittens, hundreds of kittens, walking around just waiting for you to play with them!
Allergy Meditcation
Don’t be like me, and remember that if you have a cat allergy, take your medication. I completely forgot and definitely felt the aftereffects of not taking my allergy medication.
The Owner
I was lucky enough to visit when the owner had a bit of time, so I was able to speak with him. He speaks English, so I recommend that anyone who goes there talk with him and hear about this cafe.
Not to mention, the owner was also kind enough to take us into this secret room, where we got to see special kittens. (To know what I mean, you’ll have to go to the cafe and see the owner yourself! ;))
The Staff
The staff were also very kind and interacted with my friend and me on the second floor. They even let us smell one of the newborn kittens’ stomachs (newborn kittens have that new-baby smell!).
The staff were really kind and more than happy to talk with my friend and me about the cats.
Overall
As a whole, I had so much fun and really enjoyed this experience. If you’ve ever been to an animal cafe, then you know how you sometimes have to sit and wait for quite some time to actually play with an animal. Here, you never run out of cats to play with since there are over 100 cats!
Hands down, this is an experience you won’t want to miss!
I hope this article finds all the cat lovers out there, or anyone who is hoping to adopt a cat. The fact that there were so many cats to play with made the hour spent at this cafe worth it for sure! If you’re in Osaka and looking for something fun to do, why not play with a kitten while visiting a diorama cafe?
For other fun Osaka adventures, check out my other articles here:
Until the next article, please stay happy, healthy, and excited for cats in Japan!
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