The destination of this trip is Okutama Town, an area of Tokyo with abundant nature. We went to meet Maru-san and Tama-san, who were originally residents of "Kiyokawa Guest," a guesthouse that uses an old house, and Uzura-san, the idol cat manager of "Yorimichi Chaya Toomawari." Please take your time to enjoy this article, which is like a cat guiding you on your journey.
This time's traveller: Sakura Ishihara
A cat photographer and pet caretaker, he regularly writes photo series for magazines and holds photography classes. He strives to take photos that put cats first, making use of his knowledge and experience as a Devon Rex cat breeder and cat cafe manager. His life's work is to propose a better way for cats and people to live together, through connections with cat lovers around the world.
Instagram: @sakuraquiet
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The two resident cats at Kiyokawa Guest House, a renovated 110-year-old traditional Japanese house
The first place we visited was Kiyokawa Guest House, a renovated 110-year-old traditional Japanese house. It is located just a three-minute walk from Okutama Station and offers a spectacular view.
It's close to the station but has this atmosphere
The owner, Kazuya Nishida, is so fond of guesthouses, which are places where travelers and local people can meet and interact, that he quit his job as a businessman and took on the challenge of running a guesthouse himself. After searching for a property in various places, he came across the land of Okutama and an old house, fell in love with it and decided to open a guesthouse here.
As it happens, there were already two cats living in the building.
Behind the owner, Mr. Nishida...
As soon as I arrived, I found him in the living room.
Maru: "Hello. Are you a customer today?"
Maru-chan is cool with her mask and tuxedo-like fur. She is a girl of unknown age with shiny fur, estimated to be around 13 years old.
Maru: "This is my seat."
A living room where guests, locals, and cats gather together
In a guesthouse, the basic rule is to share the space with other guests.
Kiyokawa Guest House has a bar in the living room, which becomes a gathering place for not only guests but also locals in the evening.
Maru: "I slept well."
When you open the kitchen window, you can see the greenery and the flow of the Tama River.
Maru-chan seems to like the living room, but he takes a nap during the day. Occasionally, he opens the door himself to go to the second floor to eat or to go out to the hallway. And, "he never closes the door after opening it (laughs)," says Nishida.
Sometimes they even ask to be opened.
The other cat, Tama-chan, seems to be a free-spirited wanderer who often goes out wherever he likes and is usually hiding somewhere on the grounds, but every now and then he'll pop up like this and show his backside to us.
Tama: "I'm Tama-chan. I like having my butt tapped."
Tama: "I'm about to leave."
Tama: "I can't open it."
It seems that each guest had dinner the way they wanted, whether it was at a nearby restaurant, cooking in the kitchen, or buying food in the neighborhood. Around 7pm, guests started to gather in the living room and the place started to get lively.
As it gets dark, Tama-chan's eyes light up. She is standing nearby, listening to what people are saying, which is very adorable.
Maru: "It's lively on weekend nights."
Maru-chan looks at the customers.
Maru: "Not only am I wearing a tuxedo, I'm also wearing white socks."
Maru: "Do you want to try playing this?"
As the night at Kiyokawa Guesthouse grew bustling in the living room, I fell asleep before I knew it, surrounded by the comfort of the faint sounds of people talking from the first floor.
After being seen off, we encountered a local cat from Okutama.
Maru: "Good morning. This hallway is lovely, isn't it?"
In the morning, Maru-chan stands in the second floor hallway, greeting the guests as they wake up. Maru-chan's day also begins with some morning stretching.
Nail sharpening stretch after waking up
The morning was still filled with excitement at having met Maru-chan and Tama-chan at Kiyokawa Guesthouse, a warm and open place surrounded by the rich nature of Okutama, but it was time to say goodbye as we headed to our next destination. Just as we were feeling a little sad to leave, Maru-chan saw us off. So cute.
Maru: "Be careful meow"
As we left the guesthouse, we came across some local cats. They looked similar to Maru-chan and Tama-chan, but each had slightly different patterns on their faces.
Nice to meet you, goodbye
Kiyokawa Guesthouse
| address | ： | 186 Hikawa, Okutama-cho, Nishitama-gun, Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| access | ： | From Haneda Airport, take the Keikyu Airport Line to Shinagawa Station (approx. 21 mins) → From Shinagawa Station, take the Yamanote Line to Shinjuku Station (approx. 19 mins) → From Shinjuku Station, take the Chuo Line Ome Limited Express to Ome Station (approx. 59 mins) → From Ome Station, take the Ome Line to Okutama Station (approx. 36 mins) → Walk to Kiyokawa Guesthouse (3 mins) |
| phone | ： | 0428-85-9782 |
| web | ： | https://kiyokawa.okutama.town/ |
Cats featured in this article
The resident cats at Kiyokawa Guesthouse.
・Maru (estimated age 13)
Girl in mask, tuxedo and knee-high socks
・Tama (estimated age 12)
A free-spirited wanderer
An idol cat with odd eyes who lives in a lakeside cafe
It's a 30-minute bus ride from Okutama Station, and we pass through several tunnels along the way.
The beautiful emerald green of Lake Okutama
Looking at the map, we can see that we are almost at the border with Yamanashi Prefecture. When we get off the bus at Kotozura, a quiet lakeside stop on the westernmost tip of Tokyo, the first thing that catches our eye is the beauty of the scenery. Looking back, we see a sign for "Yorimichi Chaya and Police Station."
It's right in front of the bus stop
I came here after hearing that there was an idol cat at a lakeside cafe.
Although it is located deep in Okutama, it tends to get very crowded on sunny weekends.
The inside of the shop was a very cute cafe.
The ordering and cashier counter is also cute.
Here is Quail, the cat manager, being held by the human manager, Oguma Yumiko.
It is a truly divine odd-eyed white cat.
Quail: "Your pink nose is one of your charming points."
One day, a veterinarian he knew approached Koguma, saying, "There's a talented cat who will definitely become our mascot in the future. Would you be interested in adopting him?" This was how Koguma and Uzura met.
Through the veterinarian, they apparently adopted the cat from a cat rescue volunteer.
It was only natural that Quail-chan became the store's idol.
Quail: "I'd like the hugs to be kept short."
"Keema Cat Toast" carved into the shape of a cat, and quail-themed goods that can only be purchased here
Quail-chan usually stays in the manager's office, and can enter the office by simply asking a staff member after a meal.
Quail: "Hello, welcome to the manager's office."
Quail: "It's a key tail. It's said to be lucky because it traps happiness."
Uzura's favorite items are lined up in the manager's office.
Most of the gifts are sent by customers of the shop or fans of Quail-chan.
Quail: "They're called odd-eyed, because quails have different colored eyes."
He's so popular...but when he's looked at with eyes like those, I can certainly understand why everyone would want to give him a gift!
Quail-chan loves to play, and she quickly climbed up to a high place, her eyes shining, and entered the Cat Shrine and acted like a sacred object, behaving like a truly adorable idol.
Quail: "Please come and pray."
Quail: "I quite like high places."
After playing with the quail for a while, it was already lunchtime, so it was time for lunch.
There is a cat on it
I was thinking that the dessert the customer next to me was really cute, and the Keema Calais Toast I ordered was just as cute.
I was excited not only by the cuteness of the quail but also by the cuteness of the food.
While I was eating, I heard the voice of a quail coming from the manager's office.
Quails are lonely, so when they are alone they call out to someone like this, says Koguma.
"I often hear people shouting, 'Someone come from here!'"
There are a lot of toys in this box.
"I always get around with this."
Uzura-chan is a natural idol who always looks straight into the camera. She has so many charming points that it's no wonder everyone falls in love with her.
By the way, the shop also sells Quail goods that can only be purchased here, so if you come all the way to Okutama, you'd feel like you're missing out if you don't stop by here as well.
Quail road safety sticker
I discovered another charm of the Okutama area, where you can go from place to place to meet the cats living in these traditional houses.
Detour Teahouse and Police Station
| address | ： | 324-2 Tomoriura, Okutama-machi, Nishitama-gun, Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| access | ： | From Haneda Airport, take the Keikyu Airport Line to Shinagawa Station (approximately 21 minutes) → From Shinagawa Station, take the Yamanote Line to Shinjuku Station (approximately 19 minutes) → From Shinjuku Station, take the Chuo Line Ome Limited Express to Ome Station (approximately 59 minutes) → From Ome Station, take the Ome Line to Okutama Station (approximately 36 minutes) → From Okutama Station, take the Nishitokyo Bus to Kodomeura → The bus stop is right in front of Yorimichi Chaya Toomawari |
| phone | ： | 050-5436-7013 |
| web | ： | https://toomawari.tokyo/ |
Cats featured in this article
Detour Teahouse and the police officer's idol cat.
・Quail (5 years old)
Former rescue cat, current cat store manager.
The mascot cats live freely at Kiyokawa Guesthouse and Yorimichi Chaya Toomawari, both of which are set in old houses. Busy places are fun, but if you want to relax in a place a little away from the hustle and bustle, why not stretch your legs and visit Okutama? Surrounded by nature, such as trees and lakes, and watching the cats spend their time comfortably, you'll find that your mind and body have been completely refreshed.
Domestic Discount Fares Skymate
Limited to ages 12 and over and under 25!
Extremely affordable discount fares available for booking from the day of departure (4 hours before departure)
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The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
