
Videos show off nicer bed and sofa than we have in our human homes.
The Fukuoka Prefecture city of Okawa is home to a pair of interior design companies, Hiromatsu Furniture and Tateno Wood Art Co. Their commitment to craftsmanship is a source of pride for the local community, and so Okawa City’s official YouTube channel recently released a series of videos to showcase the companies’ skills.
The first of the videos opens on a scene of a tastefully appointed bedroom. There’s a wide bed with a pair of pillows. A wooden bedtable with a lamp sitting atop it, a potted plant, and up on the wall, a set of fluffy curtains shuffling subtly in the breeze. Elegantly understated and comforting, it’s a bedroom any person would be happy to have.
Or any cat.
Accompanied by the sound of chirping birds, a kitty creeps into the frame, climbs onto the mattress, and settles in to enjoy its pillowy softness. Much like the water dress photography we were amazed by the other day, there’s no CG trickery at play here, nor are these repurposed toys like Ikea’s doll beds. Hiromatsu and Tateno’s designers simply put together and entire bedroom set sized to housecat-scale.
Of course, you can’t stay in bed all-day long, so the two companies have also produced cat-use living room furniture as well.
▼ That sofa looks legitimately more comfortable than the one in my for-humans apartment.
But why make furniture for cats? The extended, narrated video explains that if Hiromatsu and Tateno can make furnishings that satisfy cats, capricious creatures who generally make fulfilling their own desires their primary priority, they’re confident they can make furniture that will satisfy human beings too.
▼ Without the cat in frame for reference, it’s hard to tell these are miniatures.
If you’re wondering why throwing fistfuls of cash at your monitor has yet to make cat furniture appear in your home, it’s because these items aren’t available to the general public…yet. But thanks to the positive reaction the videos are getting, the companies are looking into the feasibility of producing the pieces for sale, or perhaps as part of Japan’s Furusato Nozei system in which rewards are offered in exchange for voluntary donations to regional municipalities.
While Furusato Nozei literally translates to “Hometown Tax,” the system allows, and is largely designed for, donations from non-residents, so if and when Okawa does decide to offer cat furniture as a reward, it can probably expect donations to start flooding in from cat lovers far beyond just its city limits.
Source: YouTube/大川市役所
Top image: YouTube/大川市役所
Insert images: YouTube/大川市役所 (1, 2, 3)
[ Read in Japanese ]







Japanese design company combines human bed and cat tower, proves felines are who runs the home
Japanese architecture firm creates luxurious “Cat High-Rise Condominium” cat tree【Video】
Snorlax Bead Sofa is the awesomely cozy living room furniture every Pokémon fan needs【Photos】
Clever Japanese pet owners find perfect cat beds…at IKEA! 【Photos】
Turn your kitty into a Japanese sweet with Felissimo’s new Anmitsu Nyanko Cushion cat bed
Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Horse
Mikado Coffee is a 76-year-old coffee chain with a major celebrity connection
Japanese department store rooftop is a secret oasis where you can escape the crowds in Tokyo
That time Seiji called JASRAC to ask why he didn’t get paid royalties for his song being on TV
Five uninhabited Japanese islands you can buy right now
Japanese Twitter user stumbles across legendary deep-sea fish, cooks and eats it four different ways
Brand-new Cardcaptor Sakura Cafe opens in Tokyo this week, with Kero-chan calling the shots
Take it From a Native! Recipe for Delicious Japanese Curry as Found at Coco Ichiban
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Starbucks blends Japanese and Western flavours together in new Frappuccino
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Cyberpunk anime meets traditional culture in Ghost in the Shell gold leaf Japanese changing screens
7 great places to see Mt. Fuji from without having to climb it
Hello Kitty Choco Egg figures are an adorable trip through three periods of Japanese pop culture【Pics】
7-Eleven Japan’s ramen-cooking robot whipped us up a bowl of noodles【Taste test】
We found possibly the quietest Japanese-style hotel in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district
Japan’s otoshidama tradition of giving kids money at New Year’s gets a social welfare upgrade
Sumo Sanrio! Hello Kitty and pals team up with Japan Sumo Association for new merch【Pics】
More Than a Capsule Stay: Why Solo Travelers Choose “global cabin Yokohama Chinatown”
Japan’s oldest largetooth sawfish in captivity back on display in Mie Prefecture
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Cat kotatsu let your feline friends relax through winter the Japanese way【Photos】
Japanese cat owner buys feline futon for his pets, they instantly know exactly how to use it
New interior necessity: Japanese dining table with a hole for your cat right in the middle【Pics】
Watch as these Japanese cats treat their brand new, giant cushion with extreme suspicion
Official Pokémon furniture line launches with Pikachu Sofa and Poké Ball table【Photos】
Give your cat a sleek Egyptian makeover with the help of a piece of everyday packaging
Japanese delivery company tests ideal kotatsu temperature for cats, with live cats
Slowpoke Sofa wants to help you live the slow life of your Pokémon dreams【Photos】
Adorable video shows a bunch of cats tracking a stink bug flying back and forth across the room
Japanese family hears noises at night from room of dead grandma, finds creatures living in walls
Cat Sushi figures return to Japanese vending machines! Our collection (and lives) are complete
Japanese company makes a robot specifically to keep your cat entertained
Japanese company creates scratch and sniff cards that smell like the bellies of cats and dogs
Traditional Japanese inn offers ultimate amenity: A cat companion to spend the night with
Leave a Reply