With colder weather approaching, many cat lovers are finding themselves with more time to bundle up indoors and warm up with their feline friends. In Japan, some cat-conscious companies like Neco Republic have aided that transition by releasing items such as kitty-friendly kotatsu to help hunker down during the upcoming deep fall and winter.

One cat-friendly such company Neco Labo, who has teamed up with long-established textile manufacturer Miyata Orimono to release a traditional Japanese coat with a pocket that allows you to stylishly snuggle with your cat.

Their collaborative release is called the Nenneko Hanten. It's a cat lover's dream modification of a hanten, a traditional short winter coat that can be worn over kimono or yukata, or simply used as a comfortable layered jacket to bundle up in during colder weather (particularly in Japanese housing that lacks central heating).

The double-layered front of the hanten has an inside pouch that can hold your cat tightly and connects directly to the coat's side pocket, giving your cat a pocket to rest in and cuddle up to you, and also a "tunnel" to burrow through.

The Nenneko Hanten was developed in part in response to more and more people in Japan working from home nowadays, and having to deal with the newfound distraction of their cat prowling around their computer. The kitty-accommodating coat robe provides a warm space to keep your cat close while you work with no obstacle.

The 100% cotton layered coat also looks quite stylish on its own and can work just fine as an outdoors winter coat as well.

The Nenneko Hanten is available to order from Neco Labo's online store for 29,800 yen in three different colors (one size fits all).


By - grape Japan editorial staff.