Our first kitty-guided tour is of the scenic Lake Kussharo. Another kitty guides us around sacred spots within a village of the indigenous Ainu people.

See a kitty hard at work guarding a local specialty, dried bonito! Visit a restaurant that uses the ingredient in its curries, then head to the coast with kitty BFFs.

On a historical street in Kawagoe, join a kitty for breakfast in front of a ramen restaurant. Also see hospitable kitties hard at work greeting tourists at local shops!

Amakusa is home to many islands of all sizes. See a kitty get fed fish on an island of 230 cats. Then, visit Sakitsu Church—a UNESCO and kitty site—before heading to a local sushi shop.

On a hot summer's day, a kitty leads us to traditional food near a local shrine. Get cool in a maiko's home with another kitty before enjoying sparklers at night.

In Tokyo's romantic Kagurazaka district, watch Noh rehearsals with a kitty named Torakichi. Then, follow an alley cat to a popular coffee shop before enjoying geisha shamisen performances after dark.

In the Western-influenced port town of Kobe, a kitty seeks attention while its owner makes shoes at a custom shop. You'll meet a popular shopping district kitty that has its own designer T-shirt!

Patrol a pearl farm with a kitty named Pisuke, then meet a pearl shop cat that's got a special talent! Seeing happy kitties enjoy fresh seafood will warm your heart!

One kitty waits near a fisherman for a treat while another helps radish farmers keep pests out of their fields. Get top-notch kitty customer service at a pet fish shop!

Visit the southern island paradise, Taketomi Island, where kitties enjoy climbing great heights! How will they get home once the tide comes in?!

Discover the nature-rich side of Tokyo. Kitties favorite spots include: a small shrine in a forest, a box bed at a horseback riding club, and the top of their owners beloved cars!

Kitties thrive at this town! Enjoy cruising on a boat with a vice-captain kitty, and join a sake shop kitty who loves to go on walks. Wooden cat sculptures are spread across town—can you spot them?

Kitty finds an intruder at a contemporary art museum—will we have a winner? Join another kitty at a traditional crafts workshop lovingly watching its owner's craftsmanship.

Kitties love hanging out by the seaside in Ehime Prefecture's pleasant, warm climate. See a kitty making rounds at an orange farm before finding some beautiful autumn foliage with the help of a kitty-guide.

Enjoy a warm kitty-welcome at the famous hot spring area! After visiting a popular cat duo at a ropeway station, stop by at a restaurant run by a kitty and its owner where you can also bathe.

Kitties work year-round to keep tiger pufferfish from being snatched up by hungry herons! Myojin Pond is a famous place to see kitties—we dare you not to laugh at the kitty napping inside the shrine!

Kitties are always fighting in an otherwise quiet ally in downtown Osaka. You can even spar a brave kitty at a local boxing gym!

Stroll around a World Heritage Site with an island kitty. Then, get your favorite saying written on a lucky rice scoop before playing with kitties in the historical town of Takehara.

Enjoy the coming of spring in northern Hokkaido Prefecture with happy kitties. Visit an art gallery occupied by 11 cats, and do some evening yoga with a kitty at a lodge.

What's it like living with cats in rice-producing Niigata Prefecture? See kitty beds made of straw from beautiful green rice paddies, and enjoy snacks with another kitty at a candy shop.

A Cat's-Eye View of Japan, airing on NHK WORLD-JAPAN, offers a glimpse into beautiful regions of Japan through the eyes of kitty-cats. The show's cameraman, wildlife photographer Iwago Mitsuaki, often finds himself surrounded by the cats he encounters—they seem to understand and listen to him. This special program uncovers the mysteries of Iwago's craft and the secret to a kitty's heart, along with some selected moments from the show. Iwago and the cast discuss their shared love for cats while learning more about the behind-the-scenes stories of the charming kitties living in Japan, and the incredible bond between humans and our feline friends.

Cast: Wildlife photographer, Iwago Mitsuaki / Japanese literature scholar, Robert Campbell / Host, Chiara Terzuolo

Join animal photographer Iwago Mitsuaki as he meets cats around the world! Today: in Val d'Orcia in Italy and Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. On Kitty Trivia, we discover why cats like to ride on shoulders.

Visit two cat islands in Japan's Seto Inland Sea. The kitties on Ao Island outnumber humans. Watch them catch fish on the rocks! Join more kitties on Ogi Island for some sun time on a roof.

Join animal photographer Iwago Mitsuaki as he meets cats around the world! Today: in Barcelona, Spain and Kagurazaka, Tokyo. On Kitty Trivia, we learn what makes for a good boss cat.

Follow a kitty around a World Heritage Site! At a 125-year-old sake brewery, a patrol kitty makes his rounds before relaxing in the adjacent garden next to a lovely fresh water pond.

Visit Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, the setting of several Japanese myths, to meet a mischievous kitty living on a farm near Hii River. Then head to a pottery factory to see a blue-eyed cat hard at work.