When did “neko-yado” become a term? | Researching the history of inns with cats

When and who started using the term “neko-yado”?

To conclude first, based only on the public materials we were able to confirm, it is not possible to definitively determine the first example of the use of “neko-yado” or “neko-yado” as a common noun. On the other hand, the concept of traveling to stay at an inn because there are cats there can be traced back to at least a book from 2003.

In this article, we will not force the origin of the term into a single word, but instead will trace the milestones that can be confirmed in the documents.

Why is it difficult to decide on the “first appearance”?

“Nekoyado” has a variety of spellings and meanings.

• Neko-yado, Nekoyado, Neko-yado
• Inns with cats, inns where you can meet cats, inns with resident cats
• Inns where you can stay with your pet cat, inns with a cat shelter
• Proper nouns as inn names and project names

There are some media, such as newspapers, local magazines, travel brochures, personal sites, bulletin boards, and SNS, for which search engines do not have full text. The earliest date currently found on the web is not necessarily the birth date of the word.

Bibliographies such as those provided by the National Diet Library are useful in confirming the existence of publications, but they do not prove the first word, including conversations and small-scale publicity materials. Therefore, in this article, we will not be looking at the “first appearance”, but will be organizing milestones in which accommodations with cats can be seen as a travel theme.

2003: “Yadoneko, a cat inn” was published.

In the exhibition materials of the Chiba City Library and the bibliography of the National Diet Library, it can be confirmed that “Yadoneko” by Ryosuke Handa was published in September 2003.

The title is not “Nekoyado” itself. However, at this time, there was already a publication that summarized the cats living in the inn as the subject of travel. Cats are treated as a reason for choosing a destination, rather than a supporting character in an inn.

To the extent that I have confirmed this time, this is the earliest record that is closest to the current “cat inn search”. However, this book is not definitively the origin of the word.

2006: To “An inn where cats entertain”

In September 2006, “An Inn Where Cats Entertain” by the same author was published. The title goes one step further from “There’s a Cat” and connects encounters with cats with the hospitality and stay experience of the inn.

In the Rakuten Books bibliography, it is introduced as a travel guide that deals with accommodations and cats in various places. It is clear that editing continued to convey the presence of cats as an attractive feature of lodging, rather than as an item in the facility information.

2009: The role name “landlady cat” is published in a book

In March 2009, “Welcome to the Landlady Cat” was published. “Landlady Cat” is not a term meaning that the cat actually runs the inn, but a nickname referring to the role of a person who welcomes guests.

Even now, there are names such as “cat landlady”, “young landlady”, and “cat staff”. In the 2000s, a culture emerged in publications that not only introduced cats living in inns as pets, but also described them as symbols of the inn’s character.

2015: Resident cat ranking begins

Rakuten Travel’s “Resident Cat Ranking of Accommodations Across the Country” began in 2015 and marked its 10th anniversary in 2024. The 2016 voting page can also be checked now.

The ranking introduced a system to travelers by searching across “inns with cats,” comparing names and customer service stories, and allowing votes. This can be said to be a turning point in the transition from books to online participatory projects for people to learn about inns based on cats.

However, the popularity vote ranking does not guarantee the distance to the cat or the quality of the accommodation. You need to separately check whether the cat will come to the guest room, whether you can meet it in the common area, and whether it is still on staff.

2019: Example of a facility with “Cat Inn” as its name

In Minamichita Town, Aichi Prefecture, “Nekoyado Hanahana” opened in December 2019. The management company’s announcement describes the facility as a place where you can experience living with cats, including a guest room where you can stay with rescued cats.

Here, “Nekoyado” is placed not only in the description but also in the center of the facility name. From 2003’s “Cat Inns” and 2006’s “Inns Catered by Cats”, in 2019, facilities that call themselves “Cat Inns” can now be found in official announcement materials.

Note that Hanahana’s structure differs from a typical ryokan where a resident cat living in the inn freely visits the guest room. Even though the term “nekoyado” is the same, there is more than one type of accommodation.

Confirmed flow

This is not a complete genealogy of the word, but a tentative chronology created from the materials currently available for reference. We will update if we find older travel magazines, newspaper advertisements, or inn brochures.

How does Neko Yado Research define it?

In the current Neko Yado Research, resident cats living in inns are the main characters, and we give priority to facilities where you can meet them naturally during your stay as “cat inns.” This is separated from accommodations that allow you to bring your cat along.

In addition, the distance to the cat is displayed in the following three levels.

• A: Cats sometimes come to the guest room.
• B: Inside the inn or in a dedicated space, you can interact.
• C: You can meet the resident cat, but the contact range is unconfirmed.

This is not a historical or legal definition, but a classification unique to this site for travelers to compare “where to see cats.” For more information, please see Why Neko Yado Research divides distance from cats into A, B, and C.

Summary

It was not possible to determine the first user or year of the term “neko-yado” based solely on publicly available materials. However, the culture of introducing inns with cats as destinations can be seen in a 2003 book, and in 2006 the expression was expanded to “cat-friendly inns” and “landlady cat” in 2009. Web voting has continued since 2015, and in 2019, there were even cases of facilities using “cat accommodation” as their name.

What is important is to preserve the records of each era along with the sources, rather than competing with each other on how old they are. If you know of any examples of the use of “neko-yado” or “neko-yado” in old pamphlets or magazines, please send us the information in a form that shows the publisher and year.

Reference materials

• Ryosuke Handa’s work search results (National Diet Library Search)
• Saitoga Annex Exhibition Materials “Cats, Cats, Cats” (Chiba City Library)
• “Inn where cats entertain” Bibliography (Rakuten Books)
• 10th Resident Cat Ranking of Accommodations Nationwide (@DIME)
• 2016 Resident Cat Ranking of Accommodations Nationwide (Rakuten Travel)
• Announcing the opening of “Nekoyado Hanahana” (Kaiei RYOKANS)

Note: The confirmation date of the document is 2026-08-22. The chronology will be updated if new primary sources are found.