"Giant" cats pounce on mini villages in purr-fect restaurant

Osaka, Japan – Diorama Restaurant in Osaka, Japan, houses meticulously built scale models of landscapes and towns with a delightful miniature train running through it all. And also, "giant" cats.

A giant cat paw towers over an unsuspecting miniature town at Diorama Restaurant in Osaka, Japan.
A giant cat paw towers over an unsuspecting miniature town at Diorama Restaurant in Osaka, Japan.  © Screenshot/Instagram/@daiorama_restrant

Japan has faced the likes of Godzilla and Mothra, but "giant" house cats? That’s a new one.

This one-stop shop for food and cats is home to model villages and trains, and also doubles as a cat shelter.

As we’re sure you can imagine, hijinx ensue.

Cat owner leaves pet with her boyfriend and she can't believe the video he sends her
Cats Cat owner leaves pet with her boyfriend and she can't believe the video he sends her

To take in the action from the POV of a tiny model villager, a small camera has been attached to the model train and records the seemingly gigantic cats on their adorable "rampage" through the countryside.

Most adventures involve a playful feline prancing after the train until it pounces, and the camera falls onto its side.

The results have kicked up some hilarity via the Dioramas and Cats account on YouTube.

The origins of Osaka's Diorama Restaurant cat café

Even Kaiju the cat gets sleepy at the Diorama Café in Osaka, Japan.
Even Kaiju the cat gets sleepy at the Diorama Café in Osaka, Japan.  © Screenshot/Instagram/@daiorama_restrant

The restaurant's website is challenging to navigate for those who can’t speak Japanese, even with its option to switch users' language to English. But luckily enough, kittens attacking model trains is a universal language!

The site also seemingly asks locals to consider fostering the cats in a sweet "Adopt a Foster [Parent]" section.

"We have been saved by a family of stray cats we sheltered when we were in financial difficulties [due to] Covid-19," the restaurant owners wrote. "This time, as a way to return the favor, we would like to save as many cats as possible and create a society where humans and cats can coexist in harmony."

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Animals Scientists can't believe this Burmese python swallowed a whole deer!

According to the locale's Instagram post from July, it has accepted over 300 cats to shelter since opening and has placed over 200 with families. There are about 100 cats currently living in the space, with plans to open another restaurant pending a crowdfunding campaign.

Diorama Restaurant is currently reservation-only, but you can check out their Twitter to check for same-day openings. Profits go back into the shelter, so it's a win-win.

Cover photo: Screenshot/Instagram/@daiorama_restrant

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