The 20th of this month marks the first anniversary of Cat Cafe Calico's opening to the public.

The cafe's 34-year-old owner Takafumi Fukui, having managed to hit on a revolutionary yet simple idea at just the right time, has good reason to celebrate. His cafe is now so popular that on weekends customers have to make reservations in advance if they want to visit. They come in droves to spend time with the cafe's coterie of 17 full-grown felines and kittens — and they pay ¥800 an hour for the privilege.

When I visited Fukui, I found most of the cats there stretched out on the many plush sofas that furnish this spacious room. It was a Monday around 6 p.m., and the evening rush hadn't yet kicked in. There were only two customers: a young man reading a book, apparently happy just to hang out with his furry friends, and a young woman whose attention was totally focused on petting a tiny kitten.