Meow Meow! There’s A Feline Temple In Japan; Its Monk & Workers Are All Cats!

What we’re going to tell you might sound a little weird. But we promise you that it’ll be worth your while! Okay here we go, Japan has a temple where the monk is a cat. 

According to Business Insider, cats are thought to be able to bring good fortune and possess protective powers in Japan. This explains why there are shrines in the country that worship cats as gods. This folktale belief has been going around for ages among the Japanese.

Nyan Nyan Ji (Meow Meow Shrine) is a famous cat shrine located in Kyoto, Japan where cute felines play the role of monks. As explained by Bored Panda, this temple was first opened in 2016 by a Japanese painter, Toru Kaya, based on his favourite cat. Aside from featuring cat-themed decorations, customers also get to enjoy food and beverages served inside the temple.

This is definitely the right place for all cat-lovers! Moreover, customers get to play with these adorable felines after worshipping them.

What adds to the uniqueness of this place is that it actually has a head monk by the name of Koyuki, which is, of course, a cat. Koyuki is not the only cat in the temple as there are several other cat assistants. However, Koyuki is the most popular feline thanks to its grumpy face.

It even has its own Instagram account with 10.9k followers!

Speaking to World of Buzz, the owner said,

“Koyuki is very mature and can stay in the same place for a long time. This makes her a suitable model for picture-taking purposes. Moreover, she is not afraid of lightning or earthquakes.”

“Koyuki used to be a stray cat until she was about one year old. So up till now, her estimated age is around seven years old,” the owner added. 

You can find Nyan Nyan Ji at 520 Yasekonoecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 601-1253, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Cat lovers should definitely add this place to their bucket list!

Also read: Meet Ryusei Imai, A Japanese 10-Year-Old Who Can Probably Kick Your Butt With Ease