Cat Alley (Neko no Hosomichi)

Cat Alley is especially recommended for cat lovers, art lovers and photographers. More than 100 fukuishi-neko, lucky cats painted on stones, are scattered along a stone-paved lane 1–2 m wide and about 200 m long. It is 15 minutes on foot from JR Onomichi Station and 5 minutes from the lower station of the Mt. Senkoji Ropeway.

As you walk on, murals, cat art on the stone steps, the Fukuishi Neko Shrine and other features appear one after another. Guidebook information alone won't help you find them all. There are little surprises everywhere that only people who walk the lane discover.

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Cat Alley is about 200 m long and takes 15–20 minutes to walk from end to end. Even stopping to take photos and hunt for stone cats, plan on about 40 minutes at most.

It is most crowded at midday (11:00–14:00). Where the lane is under 1 m wide, one person has to stop and wait when someone comes the other way. It also gets busy at 10:00–11:00 when tour buses arrive.

Early morning (7:00–9:00) is the best time. There is almost no one around and light falls on the stone paving. It is also when real cats are most likely to come out to sun themselves.

Weekday afternoons (14:00–16:00) are also fairly quiet. When we visited around 15:00, there were only 5–6 people in the lane and we could walk comfortably (measured on a weekday in March 2026).

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One thing people often miss at Cat Alley is the cat art painted directly on the stone steps. Each step has part of a cat, its face, body and tail in turn, so the whole staircase forms a single cat. Murals above you, step art at your feet: there is something to find in every direction.

Many murals are painted straight onto concrete block walls. Mosaics made from tiles and other works in different materials are scattered throughout the lane.

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Fukuishi-neko are lucky cats made of stone. Rounded cats about 10–20 cm across are placed in every corner of the lane's stone walls, walls and steps. Officially there are "more than 100," but they are so cleverly hidden that you will miss some even if you try to count them.

On mossy stone walls, in cracked corners of concrete, at the roots of trees: change your eye level as you look and you will find more.

At the back of the lane is the entrance to the Fukuishi Neko Shrine. A wooden sign reads "Fukuishi Neko Shrine Entrance," and cat-shaped ema plaques hang there. It is rarely introduced as a tourist spot, and only people who walk the lane to its end find it.

Beyond the entrance are a red torii gate and a small shrine. Dozens of white amulets hang there, and local people still seem to come to pray (observed March 2026). It is not presented as a tourist spot, but the everyday culture of the lane is still alive here.

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Partway along the lane is a signpost pointing to the Fukuishi Neko Shrine. A chalkboard sign stands against a rusty corrugated-iron wall, with a white cat silhouette painted on it. It is a handmade guide typical of Cat Alley and a useful landmark as you walk.

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Facing the lane is Neko no Yokocho, a combined gallery and cafe where cat goods and artworks are shown and sold and you can also eat and drink.

It is right at the start of Cat Alley if you enter from the Mt. Senkoji Ropeway lower station side (near the end of the lane if you are coming down from Senkoji).

Entry to the gallery is free (paid events may be held at certain times). Hours are listed as 10:00–17:45, closed Thursdays, but these may change, so check on site.

You can enter the garden at any time of day, even when the facility is closed. A sign near the entrance clearly says, "The facility is CLOSED but please feel free to visit the garden."

When we visited at 5:50 a.m. on April 11, 2026, a cat was sitting right next to the CLOSE sign at reception. It stared straight at us. The facility opens at 10:00, but the cat was already at its post.

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Despite the name, whether you meet a real cat is down to luck. Many stray cats do live in the area, and early morning to late morning is when you are most likely to see them on the steps or in the sun.

On a weekday visit around 15:00 in March 2026, we saw one cat in the lane. It was sunbathing on a wooden bench.

To raise your chances of seeing cats, early morning until 9:00 is best. As the sun gets higher, cats move into the shade and are harder to find.

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Further along the lane is an old house with trees growing over it. There is no sign of anyone, and stone walls, moss and wood mix into a distinctive atmosphere. It is one of the most popular corners of the lane for photographers, and you often see visitors stop to take pictures.

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By train and on foot: About 15 minutes on foot from JR Onomichi Station. From the lower station of the Mt. Senkoji Ropeway it is about 5 minutes; use Ushitora Shrine as a landmark.

By car: There is no dedicated parking for Cat Alley. There are a few coin parking lots nearby, but they are small and often full on weekend afternoons. It is more reliable to park near JR Onomichi Station and walk.

By bike: Bikes are not allowed in the lane. The nearest bike parking is near Ushitora Shrine (free, no roof, about 10 bikes). If you stop by during a Shimanami ride, leaving your bike at the paid bike parking in front of Onomichi Station and walking is the safest option.

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• The lane is about 1 m wide at its narrowest. Carrying a large backpack on your front makes passing easier
• The stone paving is very slippery in the rain. The steps are sloped, so hard-soled shoes are risky
• Homes line the lane. Do not talk loudly or play music
• Feeding the cats is prohibited (notices are posted)
• You may touch the lucky stone cats, but do not move them or take them away

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Cat Alley is at the center of the walking routes in Onomichi's hillside area.

Right next door, Ushitora Shrine has a 900-year-old camphor tree towering over its grounds and is known as a location for the film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. It is less than a minute on foot from the entrance to Cat Alley.

Within 5–10 minutes on foot is the three-story pagoda of Tenneiji. It stands on high ground overlooking the Onomichi Channel, within walking distance of Cat Alley.

Go further up to Senkoji and you will find an observation deck looking over all of Onomichi. Riding the ropeway to the top and walking Senkoji → Cat Alley → Ushitora Shrine → Tenneiji is the most efficient route around the hillside area. It takes about 3 hours (without lunch). See the Onomichi guide for more.

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Q. Does the "cat cobblestone street" going viral on social media really exist? A. The "cat cobblestones" shared on social media are AI-generated images of a place that does not exist. The steps at Cat Alley do have cat art painted on them, but it is not the cat-paved street seen on social media. If you came here searching for where that street is, please note it is not a real place.

Q. Is there an entry fee for Cat Alley? A. Walking the lane is free. Some facilities in the lane (such as the Neko no Fukumori Gallery) may charge separately. Check the signs before entering.

Q. How long does Cat Alley take? A. 15–20 minutes just to walk from end to end. About 40 minutes if you take photos and look for the stone cats. Adding nearby Ushitora Shrine and Tenneiji makes it 2 hours or more.

Q. Can I go with a stroller or wheelchair? A. No. The lane is about 1–2 m wide with stone paving and steps throughout, so strollers and wheelchairs are difficult.

Q. Is there parking at Cat Alley? A. There is no dedicated parking. There are a few small coin parking lots nearby. They fill up easily on weekends and afternoons, so parking near JR Onomichi Station and walking is more reliable.

Q. Can I meet real cats at Cat Alley? A. You may. However, there seem to be fewer cats than before. Early morning until 9:00 gives the best chance. After midday, cats move into the shade and are harder to find.