Kawaii! June is Cat Month, and Nara is the Place for Cat-Lovers

 

 

June is Cat Month, at least in Nara, and Nyaramachi Neko Matsuri (Nyaramachi Cat Art Fest) pays tribute in art to all things feline throughout Naramachi district of Nara City – “Nyara” is a cute pun on the similarity of the city name and the word in Japanese for “meow” (nya). The festival is an ode to one of the characteristic features of the area (move aside historical architecture…!), because Naramachi has long been home to stray cats. They are largely taken care of by residents who spay and find homes for them.

 

 

 

Some of the 51 participating establishments dotting the Naramachi area (mostly in the Mochiidono shopping arcade – see map below) are holding exhibitions of cat-related art, accessories, clothing, stationary, pottery and soft toys. Iyasu Ba-yu (healing and fortune-telling; #39 on map) offers the less-common service of cat-themed Tarot. Special themed foods, sweets, and coffees are on café and restaurant menus. Among them, aka tombo coffee (#20 on map) (run by English speakers) has a cute cat-themed cappuccino.

 

 

 

 

 

And the wonderfully-named “Nara no Sugoi Taoruya-san Toki-doki neko” (“The Amazing Towel Shop of Nara, Sometimes with Cats”) (#17 on map) is a treasure house of miscellaneous cat-themed goods as well as art made by contemporary artists, among it selections from graphic artists Noizm and Sion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Necoco (#13) has a similarly big and varied selection of cat goods. Some of the prettiest art of the festival – and art that ties the Naramachi townscape to cats – is found here in the form of postcards by well-known cat artist of Naramachi, Tadaharu Itoi (pictured at the top of this post). In fact, his distinctive and humorous art (below) is in various forms all over the store, and you can also order a portrait of your cat handpainted by him based on photos, which is a great opportunity to get some original art in (and reflecting) Nara.

 

 

 

 

 

Many of these shops have Manuki-Neko for sale too. This is the ubiquitous paw-waving cat found all over Japan (the Japanese name means “Inviting Cat”). My personal favourites are the papier-mache ones at Fujita Unkotei (#27), a gallery-store that specializes in fine paper and traditional ornaments, but elsewhere you can find ceramic ones, and ones that automatically wave their paw back and forth.

 

 

 

 

There is yet another destination to be highly recommended for cat-lovers (but also for anyone interested in unique private museums, of which Japan has plenty, and for which it is well-known ) is the charming Catship Museum (#47). Located in the owner’s cosy traditional home down an alley near to Todaiji temple, it has a wonderful personal (and very unusual) collection full of curios related to cats, along with a little library, a small furry resident director, and many items for sale.

 

Finally, the wonders of the cat cafe must be mentioned. Cat cafes started in Taiwan, then spread to Japan where they gained great popularity, and began popping up all around the world. They are probably on the Japan bucket list for cat-loving travelers, and Cocone (#5) is a fun (and very relaxing) place in Nara to spend a bit of time with feline friends – and to enjoy an abundance of cuteness.

 

 

 

 

 

The map below – and here, on the festival’s website, shows all the locations where cat-related merchandise and dining are on offer, and it is a nice alternative or addition to the usual tourist trail. No doubt, too, exploring such a route will open you up to the lesser-known streets and sections of the city centre (and their art and shopping), and the quintessential kawaii side of Japanese culture. The map is in Japanese but despite the language barrier the locations are easy to find on it (visually). See below for further details on locations and opening times.

 

 

 

 

Nyaramachi Cat Art Fest, Naramachi area

 

Aka Tombo coffee Y-Building, 2nd floor, 15 Mochiidonocho, Nara, 630-8222

7am-7pm every day except Friday

 

Iyasu Ba-yu

〒630-8382 Nara, Kunodocho, 11 Naramachi Kobo, 2nd floor, 3rd room

Open 11am-5pm every day except Monday

 

Nara no sugoi taoruya-san Toki-doki neko 〒630-8373 Nara, Minamiichicho, 2−3 ２階

Open 11-7pm every day except Weds and Thurs

 

Necoco

35 Mochiidonocho, Nara, 630-8222

Open 11am-6pm, except Mondays and Thursday

 

Fujita Unkotei Shop & Gallery

12 Komyoincho, Nara, 630-8371

11am to 6pm except Thursdays

 

The Catship Museum

53 Suimoncho, Nara, 630-8208

Open: Sat, Sun, National Holidays Only, 12:30-5pm

For 6 year olds and over

Admission: 400 yen

 

Cocone

〒630-8226 Nara, Konishicho, 5 ARTE Building, 2nd Floor