There’s a Cafe in Japan That Only Houses Black Cats So People Won’t Discriminate Against Them

To some, black cats symbolise bad luck.

And to the Chinese, black cats are entities that should not be allowed near a coffin.

But here’s the thing. Despite their colour, black cats are still felines. They are still the same species as this absolutely cute morsel over here:

And so… it’s gratifying to see that somewhere in Japan, there are people who appreciate these often-maligned felines for what they’re worth.

There’s a Cafe in Japan That Only Houses Black Cats So People Won’t Discriminate Against Them

According to World Of Buzz, there is a cat cafe called Nekobiyaka in Himeji, Japan, which only keeps one single kind of cat.

Hint: Don’t bring any coffins inside.

That’s right; the cafe only keeps black cats, and it’s reported to be the only cafe in the whole world to possess such a unique feature.

According to Oddity Central, Ms Yagi, who owns Nekobiyaka, first came up with the idea to help these felines find their permanent homes.

Apparently, black cats are not exactly the first picks when it comes to the adoption process, and many of them end up euthanised.

By opening the cafe, she hopes that the stigma against black cats will finally come to an end, and that these felines will finally get the love and care they deserve.

And to Ms Yagi’s credit, her hard work has certainly paid off. As of April 2020, 321 black cats have “graduated” from the cafe.

The owner will bring another black cat from the shelter every time one gets adopted. There will always be at least ten felines present in the cafe, with each cat adorning a differently-coloured collar around its neck.

There is also a cat menu that supposedly lists all the different cats and their collar colours.

The admission price costs around 1,000 yen (~S$12.8) for the first hour, and 500 yen (~S$6.40) for every 30-minute window after that.

Guests are also entitled to a selection of drinks and reading material during their time there, with most of the manga and magazines cat-themed.

Covid-19

However, Nekobiyaka found itself floundering amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, as the number of visitors dropped drastically.

Apparently, things got so bad that Ms Yagi actually considered closing down the cafe.

However, it would mean the abandonment of the black cats she had strived so hard for.

And so, she started to appeal for help online, on the off chance that something could yet be salvaged.

Thankfully, it worked.

By the end of September, Nekobiyaka had procured over 1.2 million yen (~S$15,373).

And it seems that Netizens are still donating to the cause.

Thank goodness, indeed.

With that said, here are the contact details of the cat cafe:

Address: Mifune Bld.2F, 322, Ekimaecho, Himeji-shi, Hyogo, 670-0927, Japan
Phone number：+81-90-6757-2810

But of course, you can’t head over there now.