Just because cats don’t like to work doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy watching other people work.
You can find cat cafes all across Japan, but Yuzu no Ie, in the town of Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture, is special. That’s because, according to its owners, it’s the only cat cafe in Japan that’s right next to a rice paddy.
What, you’re saying that doesn’t motivate you to visit Yuzu no Ie more than any other cat cafe? Oh, sorry, I should have been clearer. See, being next to a rice paddy makes Yuzu no Ie special for the cats, because the cafe’s feline staff absolutely love the view, as this adorable video shows.
▼ The video was also sent out through the cafe’s official Twitter account (@yuzu_kitty16).
With spring here, the snows have melted and it’s time to start planting the rice for next fall’s harvest. But what’s work for the farmer who owns the field is the highest form of entertainment for Yuzu no Ie’s cats, with over a dozen kitties crowding the windows that face the paddy as the tractor goes by. “It’s like they’re fans at a concert,” remarked one online commenter, while another said “They’re giving the farmer a standing ovation at the end.”
The cute congregation even inspired a bit of fan art…
…which prompted the cafe to share an additional photo, as well as a second video, of the scene, showing things from the tractor driver’s point of view.
Cats aren’t normally thought of as particularly industrious creatures, so it’s unclear exactly what it is they find so fascinating about the field work going on right outside their home/workplace. Still, there’s no mistaking how much they enjoy watching the tractor go back and forth, so should your cat go missing, you might want to consider telling the local strays not only that you’re searching for your pet, but that you’ll let him watch some farming videos online if he comes home.
Meanwhile, if that farmer doesn’t rebrand his crops as “Akita Kawaii Kitty Rice,” he’s missing out on the best grain-based marketing opportunity since Japan’s Self-Defense Force fighter plane-raised rice.
Cafe information
Yuzu no Ie / 柚の家
Address: Akita-ken, Yurihonjo, Ichibanzeki 34-13
秋田県由利本荘市一番堰３４−１３
Open 1 p.m.-7 p.m. (Monday-Friday), 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (Saturday-Sunday)
Official Twitter account
Source: YouTube/猫カフェ 柚の家 via Twitter/@yuzu_kitty16 via Japaaan
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where it’s impossible for him to write about Akita without craving some of the prefecture’s regional Hinaidori chicken.