Public cats of Tokyo: Akai Hana, Nishi-Ogikubo

Yanagi-koji is a bar district filled with eccentric little watering holes, a stone's throw away from the south exit of Nishi-Ogikubo station. This is a drunkard’s paradise – even in the daytime the air is filled with cheerful laughter and the thick smoke from the yakitori stalls. Yanagi-koji is also the home of Miu, our latest named and shamed public cat.

Miu (male, 12 years old)
Charming features: Pretty pink nose – fitting for his work place, named Akai Hana (Japanese for ‘red nose’, a rather appropriate name for a bar), large ears, big paws and a short tail. You can’t help but fall in love with the sight of his furry tail wiggling back and forth!
Personality: Gentle and calm
Favorite foods: Sheba and Japanese cat treats

Miu works at Akai Hana, an izakaya where you can enjoy both Okinawan and Taiwanese cuisine. This two-storey izakaya has a cosy atmosphere, where both first timers and regulars feel at home. However, for some of the regulars, the main reason to stop by Akai Hana is not the food but to meet the local cat-brity. When we stopped by, we were greeted by the friendly owner, one of the regulars and, of course, our chubby hero, Miu.

This business-minded ball of fur came to Akai Hana when the previous owner took custody of him when he was still a little kitten. By now, Miu is a 12 year old veteran, who has been promoting the establishment for about 10 years. He often surprises cat owners with his relaxed attitude towards touching and photographing (he actually poses for the camera!). The owner, who has spent the most time with Miu since the previous owner passed away 6 years ago, hasn’t seen him hiss even once – that gives you an idea of how cool a cat this puss is.

Miu striking a pose for the camera – after all, he’s a serious PR pro!

Miu’s customer-oriented attitude and fan service puts even the most dedicated sales personnel to shame. He turns his head when called and happily jumps on the laps of customers. However, even Miu can’t help his male instinct – he loves women and often prefers the warm embrace of female customers to the one of their male counterparts.

Today he is purring on the lap of a male regular, but usually chooses to cuddle up on the laps of female customers. He shamelessly takes advantage of his special situation – a very cunning kitty indeed. However, this kind of sneaky behavior is often overlooked, since he’s just so darn adorable...

Male customers, don’t lose hope! Miu isn’t intentionally discriminating against males, so definitely do try to approach him.

Conversely, there are also female customers whom Miu doesn’t approach at all. This is not common, but if it does happen, don’t get angry at him. After all, there’s no accounting for taste.

Sometimes, because of its gentle and somewhat slow personality, Miu forgets to lower his leg and just lets it hang mid-air until he remembers that there's still a paw up there. While his sense of balance is quite impressive and awe-inspiring, if you see this, please gently remind him to lower his leg.

Notice the raised back left leg

Miu is the favorite child of Yanagi-koji. He is loved (and often fed, hence the chubby figure) by both the owners of the other bars as well as the customers. The secret to getting friendly with this kitty is to brush his forehead gently. It's what he loves most, so much that when he wants it, he will come and get it by pushing his head against the customers.