Nyan Nyan Ji (猫猫寺) is a cat-themed "temple" in the countryside outside central Kyoto where the head priest is a real cat in a tiny monk's robe. It is not a working Buddhist temple. It is a roughly 100-year-old traditional Japanese house, a kominka, that the Kaya family opened in 2016 as a mix of art gallery, café and craft shop, all built around a playful cat-temple theme.
The name is a pun. Nyan is the Japanese sound a cat makes, the written characters mean "cat cat", and ji is the word used for Buddhist temples, so a fair English version is "Meow Meow Temple". (It is often called a shrine in English, but in Japan shrines belong to Shinto and are called jinja; a ji is a temple.)
What makes the place famous is its feline staff. The resident cat priests sit on cushions in front of a cat Buddha, nap in baskets and accept the attention of visitors. The photos below, shared by visitors and by cat-temple accounts on Instagram and Twitter, show the cats, the art, the food and the reaction online. For the latest news, see the accounts linked to the temple on Facebook and Instagram.
A family art project in an old Kyoto house
According to Tokyo Weekender, the house belongs to the Kaya family. The father, Toru, works as a painter for shrines and temples, and the son, Miyano, is an artist whose works fill much of the building. That background explains why the place looks so convincing: the altars, statues and wall paintings are made with real temple-craft skills, simply turned towards cats.
The roadside sign for Nyan Nyan Ji, painted with a cat face and the words "café, handmade goods, gallery" in Japanese, next to a parking sign. It tells visitors straight away what the place really is: a creative venue rather than a religious site.
The front of the old wooden house, with sliding lattice doors, a red bench and a cat figure in the window. Buildings like this were once ordinary farmhouses and townhouses; many have been restored in recent decades as cafés, guesthouses and galleries.
Meet the cat priests
The head priest is a cat, given the title of jūshoku (chief priest) and dressed in a little black robe with a woven bib, a version of the Buddhist kesa, and a string of prayer beads. A framed row of portraits in the hall shows the succession; the first chief priest is labelled Koyuki, and the white cat in most of these 2019-era photos is widely reported to be her. Tokyo Weekender reported that in February 2022 a cat named Mayo became the fifth-generation chief priest.
The white chief priest sits in her robe on the tatami while a life-size felt figure of a cat monk stands behind her. The pairing is typical of Nyan Nyan Ji's humour: a handmade cat statue and a real cat dressed the same way.
On duty at the altar. The cat poses on a red cloth in front of the cat Buddha, wearing her robe and beads. Visitors often say she sits still for photos remarkably well.
Not every moment is spent working. Here the chief priest sleeps in a basket under a red blanket printed with cat faces, next to a straw pilgrim's hat and a packet of lickable cat treats, presumably her offering.
A stern close-up of the white priest in front of the altar, wearing the black robe and a long string of beads. Her serious expression is a big part of her online fame.
A tabby cat in the same style of brown paper bib. Several cats have helped out at Nyan Nyan Ji, and visitors' own good-natured cats can even be invited to act as "priests" for a day, according to Tokyo Weekender.
A closer look at the tabby assistant, sitting upright in a sunny room. The bib is a simple folded paper version of the rectangular patchwork kesa worn by Buddhist monks.
Three framed portraits of the succession of cat chief priests, labelled in Japanese as the first, second and third generations. The first is labelled Koyuki. Real temples often display portraits of past head priests, and Nyan Nyan Ji copies that custom.
The white priest napping in a round basket in front of the main altar, with offerings, flowers and a bronze singing bowl around her. Cats sleep for much of the day, so this is probably the most common view visitors get.
The priest sits beside a giant red papier-mâché cat holding up one paw. The figure mixes two lucky charms, the round daruma doll and the beckoning maneki-neko, which is said to invite good fortune.
Seen from behind, the cat kneels in her robe on an orange cushion facing the altar, almost as if leading a service. It is easy to see why this photo spread widely.
A visitor gently strokes the chief priest as she sits by a window. Meeting the cat is the main reason many people make the trip, so it is worth remembering that she is a living animal: approach slowly and let her decide.
The priest looks out from a basket placed beside a carved wooden guardian figure with a fierce face. Such muscular guardians, known as Niō, traditionally stand at temple gates to keep evil away.
Curled into a perfect circle in a flat bamboo basket on a red cloth, with a ritual bell-handle and a fan beside her. The composition is carefully staged, as many of the official photos are.
Cat Buddhas and other artworks
Much of the art is by Miyano Kaya. Tokyo Weekender describes statues of a Cat Buddha, a Cat Fudō Myōō and a Cat Bodhisattva in the main hall, ceiling murals based on cat artworks contributed by 44 painters, and a basement gallery with changing exhibitions.
The main altar, with a seated cat Buddha in an orange robe at its centre, surrounded by flowers, candles, lucky cats and bottles of sake. The layout follows a real Buddhist altar closely, which is what makes the cat version so funny.
A many-armed cat deity framed by a halo of pink paw prints, holding ritual objects in its hands. It parodies images of the thousand-armed Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, a favourite subject in Japanese Buddhist art.
A round calico cat figure stands above a wooden sign that reads, roughly, "I put on weight even if I only drink water." The joke is a familiar Japanese complaint, here given to a very well-fed cat.
A quiet tatami room with sliding doors painted with a striped cat, and a small red cat daruma in the corner. Painted sliding doors, fusuma-e, are a classic feature of temple interiors.
Cat priests on outings
A few of the shared photos show the white priest away from Nyan Nyan Ji, posing at other temples and historic sites. They were shared on social media alongside the photos taken at the house.
The priest sits on a stone in front of a temple building, next to a small sign that reads Chōsen-ji (長泉寺). Her robe and beads make her look like a visiting monk.
In a basket beside a wooden hall built out over a lake, the white cat raises one paw like a beckoning maneki-neko. The setting resembles the famous floating hall, Ukimidō, at Katata on Lake Biwa, though the photo itself does not name the place.
The same outing, a moment later: a huge yawn instead of a blessing. Photo series like this one show why the cat's accounts are so popular.
Dressed in a patterned kimono, the priest lies on a wooden bench under a red Japanese paper umbrella, mouth open mid-meow. Paper umbrellas, wagasa, are a common prop at traditional teahouses and temples.
The café, the food and the shop
Part of the house works as a café with low tables on tatami mats, and the menu is themed to match. Visitors have shared photos of set lunches and desserts served with cat-shaped details.
The café room, with visitors kneeling at low tables and large cat paintings on the walls. Seating on the floor is traditional, so wear socks and clothing that makes sitting comfortable.
Guests chat on the tatami while a cat rests on a cushion in front of the altar. The café and the main hall share the same relaxed space.
The gift shop, packed with handmade cat figures, cards and accessories. Tokyo Weekender reports that the shop sells crafts by around 150 artists.
A dessert plate shaped like a fish holds a caramel pudding, ice cream, fruit, a cat-tail biscuit and paw-print cookies. It is the kind of playful café sweet the place is known for.
A closer look at a pudding dessert decorated with little cat-shaped biscuits and a cookie spoon. Custard pudding, purin, is one of Japan's favourite café desserts.
A set meal with rice topped with bonito flakes, miso soup and small side dishes, photographed with a visitor's soft toys. Rice topped with bonito flakes is jokingly called "cat rice", neko-manma, in Japan.
Another lunch set on a fish-shaped plate, with tofu, salad, simmered vegetables, rice with seaweed and miso soup with a cat-shaped garnish. Menus change, so check current offerings with the venue.
What people said online
When photos of the cat priest went viral in 2019, the comment sections filled with jokes about converting to a new feline faith. A selection of public Facebook replies follows.
One commenter announced a new religion and promised to pray to "neko-sama", using the respectful Japanese title for a cat.
Another imagined the cat speaking in old-fashioned English, demanding tuna in return for eternal blessings.
A short tribute to "my cat lord". Cat owners will recognise the feeling.
A reader decided this cat was more deserving of worship than most, signing off with a long meow.
A joking near-conversion, quickly followed by "just kidding". Most comments were in this good-humoured spirit.
The inevitable question from the dog lovers: is there a version for dogs? Japan does have dog-themed cafés, though not, as far as we know, a dog temple.
Someone asked how to join. The honest answer is that there is nothing to join; you simply visit, have tea and meet the cat.
A simple compliment on how pure the cat's face looks. The white priest's calm expression was the star of most of the shared photos.
A final pun, "meow down before me", playing on "bow down". Wordplay like this kept the posts circulating for days.
Tips for visiting
- Check before you go. Opening days, entry arrangements and which cat is on duty change; the official social-media accounts are the best guide.
- Allow travel time. The house is in a wooded area outside central Kyoto (Tokyo Weekender locates it in the Yasekonoecho area), so plan transport in advance.
- Treat the cats gently. Do not pick them up, use flash or wake a sleeping priest. Calm visitors get the best encounters.
- Remember what it is. Nyan Nyan Ji is art and affectionate parody, not a place of worship, so its relaxed style is part of the fun.
Japan has a long love affair with cats, from the beckoning maneki-neko to cat islands and cat cafés. Nyan Nyan Ji adds something of its own: a working artist's family home turned into a gentle joke about temples, run by a cat who takes her job very seriously.
Sources: Tokyo Weekender: The Nyan Nyan Cat Temple in Kyoto; nekojizo on Instagram; Tripadvisor: Nyan Nyan Ji. Photos: individual credits shown under each image (hotokeYK, nekojizo, yunhomania, hellochiwakey, pastlivesofthenearfuture, osamutabuchi, nosmama, kstagram15, shiratama_tsubuan, Tripadvisor); comment screenshots from public Facebook replies.
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