Somali, a cat cafe & bar in front of JR Kurashiki Station, opened on Saturday, October 1, 2022.
The shop is marked by a white wall painted with cats and orange lettering that reads “Somali CAT & CAFÉ & BAR.”
You can enjoy drinks and sweets while being soothed by seven cats (15 including the new kittens).
Here, we introduce the atmosphere of the shop and owner Eizo Kusaka’s thoughts about the cats.
The information presented was current when this article was published in June 2024. Please note that it may differ from the current information.
The 15 cats are the Somali family
At Somali, 15 cats come out to greet you.
These cats are all of the Somali breed and are family.
▼The family consists of:
- Mother: Uru
- Father: Eru
- Children: Soru, Maru, Riru, Ruru, Beru
▼Uru is a little small and does not wear a collar.
▼Eru also does not wear a collar, and is distinguished by the long fur around his neck. He has the dignified air of the family’s father.
▼The kittens can be identified by the color of their collars.
- Soru: black and white checkered
- Maru: yellow
- Riru: red
- Ruru: white
- Beru: blue
Owner Kusaka originally had Uru as a pet, then welcomed Eru as her mate.
Soru and Maru were born first, followed by Riru, Ruru, and Beru. It was then that she decided to open a cat cafe as the family grew.
The Somalis at the shop are family, and because all 15 still live together every day, even small changes are noticed. You can interact with the cats as if you were visiting the home of the Somali family.
Kusaka says there are not many “cat cafes with a family of cats” or “cat cafes with only Somalis.”
Somalis are affectionate cats who enjoy interacting with people. This makes it a cat cafe where even people who have never visited one before can easily become friends with the cats.
There are toys at the shop for playing with the cats. If you wave one in front of a cat, you can see it leap for the toy.
Riru likes not only toys but also strings, and sometimes plays with the strings on people’s clothes.
Because I wore a hoodie when I visited for the article, I got to see Riru playing with its drawstrings as a toy.
A full cafe & bar menu
Somali also has a full cafe & bar menu.
You can enjoy not only soft drinks and sweets, but also alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
I tried the “Peach-colored Cream Soda” and “Gorgonzola Cheesecake.”
Peach-colored cream soda
The ice cream on the cream soda is decorated with a cat.
It is so cute that you can’t help wanting to take a photo before eating it.
The peach-colored soda is fruity, and its fizzy texture is very refreshing.
The ice cream has a rich vanilla flavor, and when it melted into the soda, I enjoyed its refreshing sweetness.
Gorgonzola cheesecake
The Gorgonzola cheesecake has a pronounced cheese flavor and is not very sweet.
The cake is very soft, with a texture that seems to melt in your mouth.
It goes well with the whipped cream and berry sauce served alongside it, making it hard to stop eating.
The cafe menu at Somali apparently came about after a staff member who enjoys visiting cafes suggested, “I’d like to offer cafe menu items.”
With the desire to make the staff’s ideas happen as much as possible, they worked on developing the cafe menu, resulting in what is offered today.
Even people who are not particularly interested in cats can enjoy Somali through its food.
The origin of aojiru: Endo Aojiru
Owner Kusaka is also the president of Endo Aojiru Kurashiki, and you can drink aojiru at Somali, too.
You can mix it with apple, orange, or milk, but I drank it straight.
Because this aojiru is made with fresh kale, the kale flavor is strong, as if you were actually eating vegetables.
This is an aojiru that even people who dislike vegetables should try at least once.
Take photos outside the shop
At Somali, the wall outside the shop is a photo spot, so you can enjoy taking pictures outside.
The shop’s pure white wall features a large tree and paintings of seven Somalis.
The wall painting was apparently done by the artist acute.
Artist acute brought to life Kusaka’s vision of a cute painting with a soft feel.
The previous shop at the same location as the cat cafe also had an exterior wall painting by acute. Kusaka says she asked acute to paint it again, thinking, “If we’re going to repaint it, I’d like to have you do it again.”
The painting is not only there to brighten up the shop; it also reflects the wish that customers and passersby can enjoy it from outside.
So I tried taking some photos, too.
In addition, pictures of Somali are painted on the trees and on top of the post.
Why not look for your favorite picture of Somali and take a photo together?
New members arrive
New members made their debut in May 2024. A male cat joined Somali, and kittens were born. As of June 2024, five kittens had made their debut, and two had made their pre-debut.
▼The five kittens who made their debut.
- Rize
- Rion
- Ririi
- Rin
- Rui
▼The two kittens who made their pre-debut.
- Soara
- Sofi
The kittens are curious about everything. They play nonstop without letting go of their toys, or become fascinated by the edge of the carpet.
The kittens are so lively that you never get tired of watching them.
The five kittens who made their debut are already quite small, but the two pre-debut kittens were even younger and walked a little more slowly.
Perhaps because there is still so much they don't know, they walk around looking here and there, and sometimes even fall from high places. They seem to have plenty of mishaps, but their mother and father are close by, so they're safe.
Kittens grow quickly, so they are expected to get bigger in just another month or two. If you want to see their adorable little selves, it seems best to visit soon.
Kittens are available to see in the shop until 8 p.m.
Feed the cats at mealtime
At the two mealtimes each day, you can feed the cats for free. At other times, food can be purchased for 300 yen per serving.
When you feed them, they act just like house cats. If you want to see the cats eating, why not visit around mealtime?
From the Writer
When asked, “What kind of people would you like to visit?” the reply was, “We especially want people who have never interacted with cats to come visit.”
Kusaka says that before getting Uru, she had never interacted with cats, but she came to love them so much that she now runs a cat cafe.
Kusaka hopes that even more people will learn about how affectionate and adorable cats are.
We hope that as many people as possible will visit and experience the charm of Somali for themselves.
Somali Information
| Name | Somali |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-10 Kawanishicho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-436-7544 |
| Parking | Available Only one parking space |
| Opening hours | 11 a.m.–10 p.m. |
| Closed | None |
| Admission (tax included) | Table charge: 100 yen per 10 minutes One drink required Food and drink costs are charged separately Entry permitted for junior high school students and older |
| Payment methods |
|
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Families | Children under 13 are not permitted |
| Website | Cafe & Bar Somali, Enjoy Time with Cats |
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