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Cat Alley (猫の細道)

Cat Alley (Neko no Hosomichi) is a narrow alleyway that stretches about 200 meters from the Ushitora Shrine to the three-story pagoda of Tenneji Temple in Onomichi. It is a tourist attraction nicknamed “Neko no Hosomichi” (the narrow path of cats) as the number of Fukuseki Neko, the works of author Shunji Sonoyama, started to increase in this alley. As the number of these cats increased, the area was nicknamed “Neko no Hosomichi (Cat Alley).”

This is located in a residential area,
so we encourage that you visit
during the daytime.

Moment of Joy

The area around Cat Alley is lined with cafés, bars, general stores, museums, and gardens in renovated old houses. It is like a scene from a Ghibli film, with the retro atmosphere of the stores lined up along the winding stone steps of the mountain path. The mossy “Fukuseki Neko” cats scattered along the roadside further add to the fantasy world view. The stores along the “Neko no Hosomichi” (Cat Alley) sell cat-related goods and other souvenirs.