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Gotokuji Lucky Cat Temple, the Shinjuku 3D Cat and Japan's Largest Cat Cafe in Tokyo

Top rated
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Activity provider: Tokyo Meows
Gotokuji Lucky Cat Temple, the Shinjuku 3D Cat and Japan's Largest Cat Cafe
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Two and a half hours of Tokyo's cat landmarks — a temple covered in a thousand beckoning cats, the giant 3D billboard, and half an hour in a cat cafe with a free drink bar.

Gotokuji Lucky Cat Temple, the Shinjuku 3D Cat and Japan's Largest Cat Cafe: Key Facts

PriceFrom $72 per person
Duration2.5 hours
Group sizeUp to 8 people
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Choose from 1 available option

Cat Temple, 3D Billboard and Cat Cafe Tour

Two and a half hours with an English-speaking guide, train fare to Gotokuji, and thirty minutes in the cat cafe with the...
2.5 hours
English
$72
Free cancellation

Full description

The maneki-neko, the beckoning cat with one paw raised, is on the counter of half the shops in Japan, and Gotokuji claims to be where it started. The story goes that a passing lord sheltered from a storm after a temple cat waved him in, and endowed the place in gratitude. Whether or not that is true, visitors have been leaving cat figurines there for a very long time, and the racks now hold well over a thousand of them, arranged in tiers and ranging from thumb-sized to knee-high. It is genuinely strange to stand in front of.

The tour starts on the other side of the city, in front of the giant 3D cat billboard above Shinjuku's east exit — a curved screen that produces a convincing illusion of a calico the size of a bus stretching and yawning above the crossing. It has been an internet fixture since it went up and is worth the two minutes.

The train fare out to Gotokuji is included, and the temple sits in a quiet residential neighbourhood with a local shopping street attached, where the cat-themed shops and a cat-themed sweet shop are more charming than the phrase suggests.

In between comes half an hour in Japan's largest cat cafe, with the free drink bar included. Timing is deliberate — you arrive during the cats' breakfast, which is the most active they get all day.

The group caps at eight, which suits the small spaces involved. It is an easy, low-effort half-day and it works particularly well with children and with anyone whose Tokyo list is starting to feel like a series of temples.

Tour Itinerary

Itineraries are customisable as per your request

The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.

Meet at Shinjuku east exit beneath the giant 3D cat billboard

Half an hour in Japan's largest cat cafe during the cats' breakfast

Train out to Gotokuji

Gotokuji temple and its racks of a thousand beckoning cats

The local shopping street, cat-themed shops and sweet shop

Finish near Gotokuji station

Includes

  • Guided tour of Tokyo's cat-themed landmarks
  • Train fare from Shinjuku to Gotokuji
  • Admission to the cat cafe for a thirty-minute stay
  • Free drink bar at the cat cafe
  • English-speaking guide

Excludes

  • Personal expenses
  • Food and additional drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Souvenirs and cat figurines

Important information

Meeting point

JR Shinjuku East Exit Station Square, 3-38 Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022 — directly in front of the giant 3D cat screen.

Know before you go

  • Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 2.5 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $72
$72
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more

Traveler Reviews

4.9/5
based on 79 reviews
Guide
5/5
Value for money
4.8/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
J
Jackie
July 15, 2026

The trip was very good, the tour guide Hiro was very knowledgable and also considerate of us in the heat, ensuring we were ok and suggesting a tram ride instead of walk to avoid heatstroke. It was a lovely morning, I would recommend!

5
A
Alexandra
June 21, 2026

Our tour was amazing, Hiro was a great tour guide. He knows his stuff and a lot about cats.

5
A
Amalia
May 31, 2026

What a wonderful tour!! We absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. Our guide Hiro is a gem. He provided great communication and went beyond the call of duty to make sure we had the info we needed for the rest of our stay in Tokyo, and Kyoto & Osaka. Thank you so much!! 😊 This is a 100% must-do for all cat lovers.

5
J
Julia
May 30, 2026

Great! We had wonderful tour guides that gave us lots of extra information. We hadn’t taken public transportation in Tokyo and they helped us navigate that also. Highly recommended

5
J
Jill
May 28, 2026

Hiro and Momo were excellent guides who care deeply about the experience! they share history and humor! we enjoyed every aspect of the tour

5
S
Sylvia
May 28, 2026

Great tour for cat lovers, guide was full of great information and excellent, friendly and helpful.

5
M
Mindy
May 27, 2026

Loved every single second of this tour!! If you are thinking of booking - do it. You won’t regret it. 🩷

5
A
Andrew
May 12, 2026

Hiro was an excellent guide on a very fun and informative tour!

Frequently Asked Questions

JR Shinjuku East Exit Station Square, 3-38 Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022 — directly in front of the giant 3D cat screen.
The price does not cover personal expenses, food and additional drinks, hotel pickup and drop-off and souvenirs and cat figurines. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Yes, if you tell us when you book rather than on the day. Vegetarian and vegan are routine; allergies need naming specifically so the host can shop differently.
Tokyo Meows. We book with them directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can confirm your place with the operator before taking it as final.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice outside India. Once it is confirmed you get the meeting point, the time and a contact number for the day. If the operator cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Guided tour of Tokyo's cat-themed landmarks, Train fare from Shinjuku to Gotokuji, Admission to the cat cafe for a thirty-minute stay, Free drink bar at the cat cafe, English-speaking guide
The duration of the Gotokuji Lucky Cat Temple, the Shinjuku 3D Cat and Japan's Largest Cat Cafe is typically 2.5 hours. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
Late March to early April for cherry blossom, or late October to early December for autumn colour and the clearest skies. Contrary to most advice, October is Tokyo's wettest month (234.8 mm), not the June rainy season. Full month-by-month figures are in our best time to visit Tokyo guide.
Get a Suica or Pasmo IC card and budget ¥1,000–¥1,400 a day. Do not buy a JR Pass for a Tokyo-only trip — it costs ¥50,000 and excludes Tokyo Metro and Toei entirely. Note JR East raised Tokyo fares on 14 March 2026, so Metro is now cheaper than JR on several routes. See getting around Tokyo.
Shibuya Sky releases tickets only 14 days ahead at 00:00 JST — it cannot be booked months in advance. teamLab Borderless tickets drop at 12:00 JST on the 1st of each month. Our 3-day Tokyo itinerary lists every booking deadline.
Yes — a Japanese licence or an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. 1968 Vienna Convention permits are not valid in Japan. Licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan need an official JAF translation instead. Arrange it before you fly; see the Tokyo go-kart guide.
Yes — the highway bus from Busta Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko takes about 1h 45m for ¥2,200. But manage expectations: Fuji is visible on 84% of December mornings and only 23% of July mornings, and cloud builds through the day, so go early. Details in our Mount Fuji day trip guide.
Edomae sushi (the Tokyo Bay style, where curing began as a workaround for having no refrigeration), monjayaki — a runny griddle dish unique to Tokyo with 80+ specialists on Tsukishima's Monja Street — and soba. Also worth knowing: Tsukiji Outer Market never closed; only the wholesale auction moved to Toyosu. See the Tokyo food guide.
The crossing itself takes about ninety seconds. What makes it worth an evening is one street back — Nonbei Yokocho, a lantern-lit alley of tiny bars a minute away that almost nobody who photographs the scramble walks into. Note street drinking is banned in the area 18:00–05:00 year-round, though the ordinance carries no fine. See the Shibuya Crossing guide.
Yes, some. Japan's cashless ratio reached 58% in 2025, so over 40% of payments are still cash — and card refusal is most likely at small independent izakaya, ramen ticket machines and market stalls. Tipping is not expected anywhere.
Starting from$72