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Thinking about visiting Petit Mura Cat Café in Tokyo? Find out what makes this charming cat-themed village so popular, what to expect, and whether it’s worth adding to your itinerary.
Tucked away in a backstreet of Kichijoji, a suburb about 20 minutes from Tokyo’s Shinjuku, is the Ghibli-esque cat cafe, gallery and cafe space, Petit Mura.
Admittedly, it’s a bit hard to work out what’s going on here from their own website. It describes itself as a small theme park – but there are no rides. Viewing the map, you might also think it’s a large complex surrounded by grass – that’s not true.
Instead, it’s a small complex of about four buildings roughly the size of a small apartment block – but despite this, it’s full of fairytaleesque walkways, courtyards containing cute carvings and staircases like you feel might take you up into the Faraway Tree. It’s a joy to discover.
The complex contains a small art gallery, which when I visited was exhibiting a sculpture of rotating doughnuts, there’s a drinks stand that faces the street, a tea room inside, some shops selling cute handmade items, and, the main draw for most people, the cat cafe.
What to Expect in the Cat Cafe
Officially, Petit Mura’s Cat Cafe is called Temari no Oshiro, roughly translating to Temari Castle in English. This phrase is used to describe places in Japan with a fairytale-like atmosphere, and it’s definitely the case in the cat cafe, which is full of human-sized hidey-holes and pawprint-shaped cat sleeping spots, and has what looks like a giant tree growing through it.
And of course there are cats. About 15 of them visible the day I visited.
My furry encounters did have to start with a small identification process though.
‘Are you the bitey one?’ I ask the small grey cat approaching me as I sat down at my allocated table. There’s no response – partly because I’m speaking in English and the cats are Japanese and also because it’s a cat! Extending my hand in the general direction, I’m roundly ignored – phew. I have survived.
Okuge is one of the two cats on the ‘naughty list’ at Petit Mura, and the beautiful grey fellow who has decided that I am his friend for my visit looks a lot like him. A big sign outside the cafe had already warned me that Okuge can get violent when he’s overexcited, and Bonnie, a gorgeous fluffy feline, can sometimes bite hard!
In a way, it made me happy to see that there were two cats you shouldn’t approach here – it means they’re not sending them off to the cat equivalent of the back field of the farm if they don’t behave in a suitable manner for greeting guests because, let’s face it, animal cafes don’t have the best reputation in Japan.
For that reason, I have generally stopped mentioning them on here, but, because of the cute decor and as we keep cats as pets, I wanted to see if Temari no Oshiro might be an exception to the rule – and so far, so good.
This belief was reinforced when I arrived at a gorgeous space full of small rooms and lots of places for the cats to sit away from the main space if they want to. When I arrived at around 3 pm on a Friday, most kitties were asleep and with rules saying you can’t wake up a sleeping cat, that ruled out half the inhabitants.
People were also totally respecting these rules, and no one was prodding or worrying the sleeping cats. Flash photography is also banned, so taking pictures also didn’t disturb them.
About five cats were awake, though and wandering around looking for cat snacks, playing with toys, or waiting for you to open the box the staff give you to put your valuables in. Seriously, leave this box open for more than about 40 seconds and one of the cats will be in it.
You are given a table to sit at when you arrive at the venue, but you don’t need to stay at it; you can wander around. Unlike many other cat cafes, you also don’t need to order a drink if you don’t want to. I had just eaten a huge lunch and didn’t feel like anything, and no one minded.
I stayed for about 40 minutes, partly because I was worried about setting off Okuge’s violent tendencies (if it was him) and partly because I’m allergic to cats and so far had not started sneezing! Plus there was the cool area of Kichijoji outside the door that I needed to explore, and I only had another hour here before meeting a friend!
As animal cafes in Japan go, this one was good. The cats all looked super chilled and well-groomed, and there are lots of places for them to escape if they didn’t want to be with people. I didn’t leave thinking I’d made a mistake paying to visit. And, if it was Okuge who had chosen me that day, maybe he had redeemed himself too by not getting violent for a bit!
How Much Does It Cost to Visit Petit Mura
The complex itself is free, but if you want to visit the Cat Cafe, it costs 1400 yen for adults (1000 yen after 7 pm) and 1000 yen for kids (700 yen after 7 pm) on weekdays,
At weekends this increases to 1800 yen for adults (1200 yen after 7 pm), 1300 yen for kids (900 yen after 7 pm).
All prices also have 10% tax on top.
You can book in advance, but I arrived mid-afternoon without a booking, and there was space for me as a solo visitor. When I left, though, there was a queue, so if time is tight, or you’re travelling with kids who might not want to wait, I would book in advance.
It’s open seven days a week, 11 am to 8 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 8 pm at weekends.
There is no time limit as to how long you can spend in the cafe once you are inside.
Need Extra Planning Help?
Our Japan trip planners can help. You might like our First-Timers Japan Planner, which will help you plan your trip to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka step-by-step, including tips on everything from picking hotels to sightseeing and dining. Or our super-duper Tokyo Disney Planner makes arranging your park trip MUCH easier. Find them in our Planners store – printable and digital versions are available.
Is There an Age Limit?
Children under elementary school age (that’s up to 12 in Japan) must be accompanied by an adult.
Also, their website says they only allow one family with children inside at a time (although I’m sure I saw a couple of families in there). But just in case, that would be another reason to book in advance if you are travelling with children.
What Drinks and Food are Available?
There’s a selection of hot and cold coffees and teas, sodas and alcohol, including beer and cocktails. Most drinks cost between 500-600 yen each.
Food is mostly hot snacks like fries, onion rings, popcorn shrimp, chips and dip. They are all around 500-600 yen; again, 10% tax is added. The only main meal is fish and chips. If you’re more in the mood for something sweet, they have a couple of cakes on offer for around 700 yen.
Is It as Pretty as it Looks?
Yes – both inside the cat cafe and the complex as a whole. This does, however, mean there are lots of people posing for photos on the stairs, etc. The space is very small, so you’re not going to want to spend long exploring if it’s crowded.
What’s the Best Time to Go?
According to Google crowd levels, weekdays are less crowded than weekends.
The first hour of the day is the quietest, and numbers drop off from 5 pm. They do limit the number of people who can go into the Cat Cafe at one time, so it won’t ever be excessively busy inside, but you might have to queue for a slot at busier times.
Also, note that the cats are fed twice a day, 10-11 am and 6-7 pm – this means they will all be out on display, but they might be less interested in you than dinner.
Anything Else to Know?
You do need to remove your shoes when you enter, and once inside the tables you are allocated are low so you sit on the floor. This is good as it brings you to cat level, but might not be the best option for those with stiff backs, hips or legs. I didn’t actually sit at my table for long and wandered around exploring instead.
If you want to feed the cats, you can buy cat snacks for around 300-400 yen.
If you want to know who you are playing with, a page on the website has pictures of all the cats along with their names and any personality quirks you should know about.
There is a similarly named cat cafe nearby called Temari no Ouchi; if you do decide to reserve, make sure you book the right one.
The same people run Temari no Ouchi as the Petit Mura cat cafe, and it has the same storybook look, so don’t be too upset if you make a mistake – just make sure you go to the right one. From what I can tell, the main difference is that it’s not in a whole complex of cute buildings! It’s also a little bit cheaper than Temari no Oshiro.
What Else is Nearby?
The biggest draw is the nearby Ghibli Museum, which is around a 12-minute bus ride or 17-minute walk away.
It’s also a short bus ride away from the pretty area of Jindai-Ji with its temple and soba restaurants.
Other than that, Petit Mura is on a cool shopping street in the lively Kichijoji area. Nearby, close to Kichijoji Station, is the Corn Barley, Ghibli-themed restaurant (book this in advance) and lots of other cute cafes.
You could easily spend half a day, or more, exploring round here, then end your day with a tipple in the cool maze of alleys around Harmonica Yokocho, which is also a must-stop for photographers wanting some more authentic evening shots. I only had a few hours here, but it was enough to make me decide to add a stay in Kichijoji to my next Tokyo visit.
How to Get to Petit Mura?
Catch the train to Kichijoji Station. This is on the Chuo Line, the Tozai Line and the Inokashira Line among others – you can reach it in about 20 minutes from Shinjuku Station.
From here, it’s a five-minute walk to Petit Mura – assuming you don’t get distracted by the shops.
Who Writes This Blog?
My name is Helen Foster, and I’m a journalist and author. My travel articles have appeared in publications including The Australian, Escape, RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, and more.
I’ve travelled to Japan nine times before – solo and with my partner and visited over 50 towns and cities. My last visit was in April 2026, so everything here is pretty up to date.
