On Massages, and a Massage for Cat Lovers!

Japan’s got cat cafes, cat train masters, cat capsule hotels, cat feudal lords… cat everything. So of course there’s are going to be shops & restaurants - especially if they are individually owned - that may have a pet cat, or a “cat manager” so to speak.

I love massages and I’ve been basically all over hotpepper beauty (a booking website for esthe-related things) looking for good massages. I’ve been to Raffine several times and their sister parlor which is more upscale. Their massages weren’t terrible, but depending on who you get, most of your massages are going to be very scripted. I had a few that would really try to focus on parts of your body that are sore or in pain, maybe add in a few stretches here and there - but most masseuse will just go through the motions & call it a day.

Also since Japan is quite infamous for the “happy ending” massages, if you walk around just going to a random shop, you’ll never know if you’ll just walk yourself right into one of those kinds of massages. If you know what I mean.

Of course, pretty sure if it’s on hotpepper beauty, it’s probably legitimate. So it’s just me being extra silly about I guess.

When I used to frequent Raffine, a masseuse told me that a lot of Japanese customers don’t really like having “strong” massages. She guesses that most customers only want some time to be feel pampered, relaxed, to sleep/nap - not actually doing the massage for any relief with muscle tension. Point is though, the reason I can’t settle for a massage place is because a lot of masseuse don’t apply enough strength into the massages - probably because they are used to their normal clienteles not asking for strong massages.

Fortunately, I finally found a completely private studio (great to have a massage without other customers in the same room!) where the masseuse really applies strength. Like the massages in Vietnam that I had leaving your knots untied and refreshed - this one does the same!!

This place is call Nyangri-La! And yes, there is a cat!

The masseuse happens to love cats, and supports adoption - do the small massage business she owns also has a cat called "Koume".

Here's a ton of cat pictures for you!!

Koume-chan is the sweetest girl. Very vocal cat too. Her owner keeps her at home with her after "work", so she doesn't get lonely and too hot/cold.

But it looks like Koume-chan doesn't get along with the owner's other cats, so they are kept separate from each other when they're all at home.

She likes getting pets and if you get a thai massage at floor level with our cute shop manager, you can play with her and give her some attention.

Speaking of massages. You can get a Thai Massage or an Oil Massage here.

There are add-on options for you such as foot massage (not reflexology), hot stone massage, steam hot sauna (early reservation required) and even cupping. The reason I came across this listing was actually because of the cupping. Many Chinese acupuncture places obviously do this, but I don't want to be roped into acupuncture ever again (my parents used to force me to do it to get rid of acne... it sucked), but I like cupping. So an oil massage with cupping is sort of a good marriage of the two, in my opinion!!

So if you are looking for cupping in Osaka with a massage, definitely book & check this place out!

I've also done foot massage there, which is not bad. It's not painful at all even here with added pressure (a good thing!), since it's not reflexology where they really try to press into every pressure point to make it painful. No pain no gain, I guess.

I've done both thai and oil here. I prefer the oil massage since I don't mind being unclothed and touched with oil and being pressed on. The masseuse also works in a few stretches, so it's nice! Thai massage is mostly just stretches with some pressing - think of it as lazy yoga, if you will. I quite enjoyed it as well but it's mostly just personal preferences, and what you're comfortable with.

As this is a one-man business, you'll have the space all to yourself. You don't have to worry about other customers and things like that. You have plenty of space to play with the cat, change into the outfit provide for you for the massage (your clothes can stay untouched!).

As you can see from my pictures, it's a small cozy one-room shop.

The only bad thing is that the shop is right by a busy intersection, so you can still hear the traffic from outside. I suppose if you lived in Japan long enough (thin walls and all) or even any big city for a time, you're probably used to this sort of set up. I personally am not so bothered by the noise, but if this is something that bothers you, then perhaps this isn't a good place for a massage.

If you're interested in this massage place, I highly recommend booking off HotPepper Beauty to collect points and get first-timer discounts. The other way is to book via LINE message if your Japanese is good enough.