
Besides being cute, these felines also lend a paw in running their respective establishments.
In connection with Japan’s Cat Day on February 22, travel information and news site Jalan News shared the results of a survey it conducted from January 10-12 about cats. It wasn’t about just any cats, however, but specifically the “poster cats” of various hotels, traditional Japanese ryokan inns, and other lodging establishments across the country. Ultimately, 1,078 participants collectively chose the top three cats that site users would most want to meet in real life while traveling. Let’s take a peek at the pawsitively purrfect winners, shall we?
Third place: Choco (“Chocolate”)
Sakihana Onsen Kahan no Yado Hekisuiso (咲花温泉 河畔の宿 碧水荘), Niigata Prefecture
Website
Our third place winner, Choco, enjoys meeting lots of new people every day at Sakihana Onsen’s Hekisuiso. In fact, he’s even tasked with welcoming and seeing off guests at check-in and check-out times. Whether he’s playing with children or posing for pictures, it’s sometimes easy to forget that Choco is a cat!
▼ Choco
Second place: Kiiro (“Yellow”)
Sarugakyo Onsen Dining Ryokan Higuchi (猿ヶ京温泉 料理旅館 樋口), Gunma Prefecture
Website
The older brother of a pair of siblings rescued two years ago, Kiiro is charged with greeting all guests at reception and taking care of them throughout their stays at Ryokan Higuchi. Even better, if you let the staff know that you’d like a personal visit, they’ll even take him to your room. Kiiro wasn’t taught how to do any of these things–he’s just a natural hotel manager at heart.
▼ Kiiro
First place: Rabu (“Love”)
Tsukikage no Oka Hotel Villa Katsuyama Avail (月影の丘ホテル ヴィラ勝山アヴェール), Chiba Prefecture
Website
The No. 1 hotel cat that survey takers would like to meet is Katsuyama Avail’s Rabu! Rabu gets his name from a heart-shaped marking on his back. Besides that amazing charm point, he’s extremely sociable and may try to climb up your legs if you ignore his meows for pets. He has even been known to not allow his favorite guests to check out on more than one occasion. Some guests voice that he’s definitely given them a boost for their love lives.
▼ Rabu
It’s clear from the survey results that Choco, Kiiro, and Rabu are beloved by hotel staff, guests, and locals alike. Why not try to hit up all three on your next travels? Or, if you already have a feline friend of your own, maybe you’d prefer to book a stay in another kind of cat-friendly hotel.
Source: Jalan News
Top image: PR Times (edited by SoraNews24)
Insert images: PR Times
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]




Japanese travelers choose the top five inn cats that they want to meet in the whole country
Japan’s 10 best ryokan inns and top 10 hotels, as chosen by foreign visitors
Japanese travellers give their answers to the Hotel vs. Ryokan Japanese inn debate
2020’s most popular hot springs in Japan, as ranked by Japanese travelers
Traditional Japanese inn offers ultimate amenity: A cat companion to spend the night with
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
Samurai Coffee: Try Edo period coffee once enjoyed by Japanese warriors
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Lipton releases… Pudding Milk Tea in Japan?!?
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Hello Kitty is now a transforming truck robot[Photos]
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
What are the worst things about living in the Japanese countryside?[Survey]
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
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
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
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
Rakuten Travel reveals the top 5 best-rated, off-the-beaten-track Japanese ryokan inns
The 10 best hotel hot springs in Japan, as chosen by Japanese travelers
World’s second-oldest hotel offers new self-service stays to cope during pandemic
This super cheap, super Japanese-looking Tokyo hotel is a hit with foreign travelers
Japan’s top five retro hot springs for a time trip back to the onsen past, as chosen by travelers
Japanese YouTuber seeking last minute hotel lodgings finds room for one that “might be a bit big”