
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
Japan releases first official sakura cherry blossom forecast for 2026
Majority of Japanese women in survey regret marrying their husband, but that’s only half the story
We traveled almost 400 miles to get popcorn from this ninja machine, but do we regret it?【Photos】
Heartwarming response to Twitter question confirms that yes, Tikuwa_0913, there is a Santa Claus
Is the all-you-can-eat KFC buffet in Tokyo really as good as they say it is?
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Nephew receives SD card after his uncle passes away, finds treasure trove of gems from the past
Bear attack shelters going on sale in Japan as country experiences record-high number of incidents
Magikarp song’s brand-new English version is full of love for the most pathetic Pokémon【Video】
Racing into our stomachs this winter are motorcycle fuel tank-shaped bento
Massive manga collaboration bringing 100 years of Shueisha manga to Uniqlo T-shirts【Photos】
Visiting Japan’s Gyarados Pokémon park in the city with a special connection to Magikarp【Photos】
Totoro cream puffs and Catbus cookies are finally available in downtown Tokyo
Japan’s kid-friendly ski program is now selling Pikachu snowboards for a limited time only
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Japanese vending machine serves up unique drinks at four Tokyo train stations
McDonald’s Japan releases a Mushroom Mountain and Bamboo Shoot Village McFlurry
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
Japanese beef bowl chain Sukiya’s 2026 Smile Box lucky bag basically pays for itself
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
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
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”
Leave a Reply