Diary of a Cat

by Mayumi Nagano, Yui Kajita (Translator)

The perfect cosy read for 2025 - cats and food come together as the seasons change.

Meet Chimaki and Norimaki - two young cats lost in the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo, sniffing out cat-lovers who might be kind enough give them a ride or place to sleep for the night . . . Until they find a new home with the Hōrai family, an eccentric assortment of artists, dreamers and caterers who have one thing in their love of good food.

Inspired by the bougie magazine column written by Madam Hōrai, Chimaki decides to keep his own diary, inviting us in to share the family's meals and activities, his younger brother's comical scrapes, and the movements of a mysterious stranger around the house. His journal follows the change of the seasons from early spring to midwinter, with each entry featuring all kinds of delectable dishes and a wealth of Japanese culinary lore.

Playful, gentle and curiously addictive, Diary of a Cat offers intriguing glimpses into Japanese culture on every page, recipes to follow and characters to fall in love with - all through the eyes of an endearingly curious cat.

Genres: Fiction, Japan, Japanese Literature

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 2012

About the author

Mayumi Nagano [長野 まゆみ (ながの まゆみ) ] is Japanese author. Graduating from Joshibi University Of Art And Design. Therefore, She is also an illustrator that draws covers etc for her own works.

Reviews

[Shona · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 starts rounded up. It’s a shame this book has such low ratings on Goodreads, and I think that’s likely because people look at the front cover and make assumptions about the plot. The blurb is a more accurate representation of the story. This is a really quirky book where the cats are observers of family life. There are lots of insights into Japanese culture and society, with a sprinkling of cat-specific plot. I enjoyed it for what it is: an offbeat look into family life in a culture very different from mine.

[Silke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little bit of a disappointment, wanted more cat stories but it was mostly about food.
Also not really a storyline going on

[Mark Warmby]

A fun read, lots of food references and hints of contemporary Japanese life today. uplifting basically and it helps if you like cats 😊

[Martin Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read anything like A Diary Of A Cat. My initial reaction was one of puzzlement but I'm glad I gave it a chance as I thoroughly enjoyed the read. If like me you have an interest in Japanese culture, cats and cooking you're sure to find this enjoyable.

[Daniella · Rating 2 out of 5]

No plot - just lengthy descriptions of food...

[Tairachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Diary of a Cat 🐈

A book that's more about Japanese cooking and culture than cats, this one rides the recent wave of cat-related cosy Japanese books.

Diary of a Cat is a slice-of-life novel that's dedicated to the fine art of Japanese cooking, nutrition, food, the ever-changing culture, traditions, mannerisms and history of Japan. It's all told from the perspective of a boy cat, Chimaki, who after getting separated at the airport from his previous owner, a woman named Mademoiselle Rocco, lives with his brother Norimaki, and the Horais, an eccentric family obsessed with food.

Inspired by Madame Horai's newspaper column, Chimaki keeps a diary with the entries segmented by the changing seasons and seasonal Japanese dishes.

A must-read if you're a Japanese food foodie, or simply obsessed with the finer details of Japanese linguistics and way of life.

[Elentiyana · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I expected a book about a cat, it didn't seem that the cat was the main focus of the book. I finished it but it became close to a DNF for me. The book is heavily on describing food/meals and how they are prepared which eventually bored me out. It is interesting if you want to learn more about Japanese food and culture but it's definatly not a book that has a title of "Diary of a cat".

Sadly, I expected more cat stories then food in this book, there also is no storyline but I also had no expectations of this book having a plot or storyline because well it's about cats. All this book did for me, was making me hungry. Must say I do adore the cover.

[Jo Fitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually DNF'd this book which I hardly ever do... I get that the blurb indicates that this book gives insights into Japanese food and culture but it is nothing to do with cats in the way similar Japanese novels tend to be and it also has zero storyline. Not a fan.

[KLCreative · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amazing if you want descriptions of food. I found the characters really hard to get my head around, as they come and go between paragraphs of food.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

it took a little for me to get into, specially adapting to the style of it. if you're not a fan of food blogs then I can see why you'd hate it. its not based around cats, its more using them as a unique narrator to funnel some side stories around a collection of food facts and recipes. Its a pleasant novel when you get into it and see it for what it is, but understandably some people were very disappointed in it.
I plan on rereading it with a notebook at hand just to jolt down all the recipes to try.
I did have some difficulty distinguishing human from non-human characters based on names (which someone with better Japanese might not struggle with) but I felt all the characters served their purpose and I appreciated that the translator would keep the japaense terms and kanji to make explanations easier and ensure the japaense setting remained perfectly intact.
Edit: Upon reflection and selected rereading the use of a cat as the narrator of a cooking blog is actually very fun and cute, as its stated he wanted to write like his mother does. How adorable.

[Nicki]

Pains me to DNF this, least of all because I paid full price for it. 2026 is going to be the year I stop buying books because they have cute covers!
I like Japanese cosy books probably more than most, but this just didn’t do it for me. It’s a cat talking about food and that’s pretty much it. There were so many family members they were hard to keep straight too, not that it really mattered because nothing much happens anyhow.

[Manaksh Bhanushali · Rating 1 out of 5]

There’s no plot???? There’s no story???It goes nowhere???
Its just random description of food!!!!!
Literally just food
It really has no story!!!!

[Bookworm Denz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diary of a Cat
Author : Mayumi Nagano
Translator : Yui Kajita

Entertaining and quirky at the same time!

It all started with Chimaki the cat, who after getting separated at the airport from his previous owner Mademoiselle Rocco, a columnist writer, was inspired to keep a diary full of notes about people's characteristics, behavior and ordinary lives. While looking for a warm place to stay and for cat-loving people willing to take them in, he and his sibling Norimaki stumbled upon the Horai (written with the kanji characters for treasure and come) family, a large idiosyncratic bunch who all have a single thing in common : their obsession with good food (although in Kagami's case, he's more of a nutritionist than a foodie. 🤷‍♀️)

This eight-chapter slice-of-life novel has no plot, but is rather full of snippets and vignettes of the two star cat characters, Chimaki and Norimako, and their POV of everyday life. Since it is based on the cats' thoughts, observations and insights, the narrative of the family's mundane life was playfully and amusingly written.

This took a full turn though since the central point is focused on the historical art, culture, and tradition of Japanese cuisine, with each entry embracing cooking traditions, expanding throughout the changing seasons.

As a foodie and cat-lover, reading this did make me "crave" the delectable delicacies throughout the heavy and detailed description of the various dishes mentioned in the book.

On the contrary, it made me think more of a recipe book though with every ingredient written down to the last minutiae detail, which in my opinion, took the spotlight rather than the cats' input itself. Plus, there was just too much information that it became longdragging and didactic. Probably more of a target book for nutritionists and dietitians-to-be. 😅

Moreover, if it wasn't for the family tree on the front page, I would have been lost due to the multiple characters mentioned in the book. 😅

Somehow I was expecting more depth on the feline perspective on human interaction, behavior and the like than an in-depth and exhaustive description of food. 😮‍💨

Beautifully written, appealing and enjoyable, yes, but it lacked that charm that I was expecting and looking for. Could have been better if it was a balance of both worlds. 🤷‍♀️

Special mention for the English translation. It was smooth and easy to read. 👌

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

P.S. If anyone wants to follow my book reviews I am on Instagram & Goodreads (bookwormdenz), as well as Threads (denz.kaye). Let me know so we can connect! 📚

[Bella Azam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Diary of a Cat followed a cat named Chimaki as he chronicled his daily life in this new home of a large family with his baby brother, Norimaki. Chimaki as inspired by his master or whom he called his mother, Madam Horai, a columnist writer decided to keep a diary detailing each and everything of his life from the foods, the family members and the daily mundane stuffs happening around them. With each entry following the different seasons, they featured varieties of different delectable dishes described in details for the reader to salvage.

For a starter, this book does not have a plot as it mostly followed the cat's POV on the daily life but even this was not the central focus of the book. This book was heavily descriptive on foods and meals prepared painstakingly described in minutiae details that gets me bored halfway through. Its more like a recipe books for food lovers wanting to learn on Japanese food and culture rather than reading a diary from a cat. Rather than having the charms of a cat navigating its life in this new home with a very large cast member, it mostly focused on the foods as its main story which took back the charm. I found this a tedious read at some point that I honestly just skimmed through the rest of the book and barely missed anything from this. Another thing is since the book has so many characters, it does get confusing and hard to connect to each of them. Since I'm reading an early reader copy, there was no character list but I believe a family tree list is supposed to be in the book which might help to get familiar with the character. As far on the relationships go, there is one particular relationship dynamic that I'm not so onboard with and I dont know if its me or its just doesn't vibe well with me.

As a book itself, its not a particularly bad book but it doesn't work for me because it doesn't exactly fit the narrative of story book for my liking. I wanted the charm of reading from Cat's POV like I am a cat by Natsume Soseki that is charming and hilarious. While Chimaki is an adorable character, its a shame when we are too focused on describing the foods itself rather than giving more spotlights to the cat's antic and how it viewed its human counterparts.

Thank you to Definitely Books for the review copy.

[Megan Carr · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly don't know how the tried and tested formula of Japanese translated cosy fiction about cats and food has missed the mark so hard here. 'Diary of a Cat' is narrated by a young cat taken in off the street by a family of (supposed) foodies, so it really sounds like it's going to be another hit, doesn't it? Yet somehow both the narration through the voice of a cat and the descriptions of food just fall flat, especially compared to other translations that have the same elements.

If you're a fan of Japanese cat books, you know that having the narrator of the book be a cat can be an absolutely brilliant way to tell a story, as in both 'The Travelling Cat Chronicles' and 'The Goodbye Cat'. However, it just doesn't work in 'Diary of a Cat' and it reads as juvenile and yet somehow at times it's extremely difficult to follow. You could argue it reads as juvenile because the cat has barely grown out of kittenhood and this style is supposed to reflect the young age of the narrator, but if that is the case it's just been clumsily done and doesn't make for an engaging read.

My much larger gripe with this book is how the food is described. The blurb says the story contains 'delectable dishes' which may be true, but more time is spent talking about their calorie content and nutritional information than what they actually taste like. I'd honestly say this book needs a soft trigger warning for those with eating disorders because some of the discussion about calories and limiting your intake starts to descend into a territory akin to pro eating disorder message boards. I want to be clear that I don't think this is at all the intention of the story, but it completely took the joy out of the food for me, which I've never experienced before with Japanese fiction.

I've said this about a few recent translations and I think it applies to this book too- this is a weak story that has been translated to jump on the hype train of Japanese translated cosy fiction. It promises the elements you're familiar with from the genre but it completely undelivers and was such a disappointing read. If, like me, you have this in your TBR list because you read every new cosy Japanese fiction translation, I strongly recommend you give this one a miss.

[_booksagsm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diary of a Cat surprised me in the gentlest way. I went in expecting cosy cat antics and instead found a quiet, seasonal slice-of-life that leans heavily into food, routine, and the rhythms of a bustling Japanese household. The cat’s voice frames the story, but the heart of the book lives in kitchens, dining tables, and the small rituals of everyday life. It’s less “plotty” and more like sitting by a window and watching a year go by.

That shift won’t work for everyone. If you’re looking for mischievous feline drama, you might feel the narrative drifts into long, affectionate detours about meals and domestic habits. For me, that was part of the charm—meditative, unhurried, and oddly comforting. The translation reads smoothly, and the cultural texture adds warmth, even when the cast of characters gets a little crowded.

On a personal note, I’ve been on a mini mission to collect cat-themed books, and this one fits neatly into my growing “cat shelf.” It’s not what I expected, but it’s a lovely addition for readers who enjoy calm, atmospheric storytelling with a side of culinary coziness. Thank you to Hachette for sending this copy—this one earned its place in my collection.

[Periplus Bookshop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yuk, temani Chimaki dan Norimaki, dua anak kucing yang tersesat di Tokyo … hiks! hingga menemukan rumah hangat bersama keluarga Horai yang begitu doyan makan. Melalui jurnal harian Chimaki, kita diajak menikmati momen-momen sehari-hari keluarga, kekonyolan sang adik, hingga misteri sosok asing yang berkeliling rumah. Setiap halaman memadukan perubahan musim dengan hidangan lezat dan pengetahuan kuliner Jepang yang menarik. Kisah ini memikat dengan kelembutan, humor ringan, dan kehangatan keluarga yang terasa nyata. Bagi pencinta kucing, makanan, dan kisah nan hangat, novel dengan sudut pandang anabul ini menawarkan pengalaman membaca yang tak terlupakan. https://blog.periplus.com/2025/09/15/...

[lina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a gentle and emotional story told from the perspective of a cat. Through small daily moments, the cat observes its owner’s life, emotions, and quiet struggles.
The book focuses on simple details, love, and companionship. Its calm and warm tone makes the story feel comforting and heartfelt.
Overall, Diary of a Cat is a soft and touching read. It is perfect for readers who enjoy cozy stories, emotional depth, and books told from unique perspectives, and readers who prefer easy and simple english

[Hailane Salam · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter bought this book, and I only meant to flip through it out of curiosity, yet somehow, I found myself still turning pages an hour later. Diary of a Cat is quiet, tender, and disarmingly simple, but simplicity can be a doorway to depth.

This isn’t a story to rush. It’s one to settle into, like a purring cat circling a cushion before sleep. A cosy read, yes, but also a gentle meditation on belonging, gratitude, and the quiet poetry of ordinary days.

[Claire Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read this yet (so my rating is provisional) as was just given for Christmas, but scrolling thorough the comments, I wonder if anyone else has read Soseki's 'I am a Cat'? It's a classic of Japanese literature and I feel sure must have inspired this book as a more modern update. Will review Diary properly when I've read it but wanted to signpost readers to 'I am a Cat' if they were interested!

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover? Totally inviting. Who can resist cats?
The premise? Intriguing, especially being told from a cat's POV.
The experience, though? Meh. The execution fell short. It was hard to find a common thread or figure out where the plot was headed. There were too many dizzying details. Even as an ailurophile, I ended up skimming from start to finish.
The original recipes included by the author might be a plus for those who love to cook.
It’s not that the book is bad. It’s just not my cup of tea.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This to me had more of a ‘cosy mystery’ feel than other Japanese authors. The main focus was on cooking with the cat being the narrator. Lovely relaxing reading, however, lacking (I think intentionally) the deeper meaning and understanding I do love from Japanese authors.

[angel · Rating 2 out of 5]

highkey got bored 😭 it wasn’t really what I expected and lowkey felt like a chore to finish. even though i liked seeing the story from the cat’s perspective, it just didn’t stand out to me or leave much of an impression.

cute idea, just not for me.

[Spike · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet, innocuous and calming. the cats are sweet, but the story went no where. however, i suspect that was the point

[watermelonreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf at pg 128
nothing much happens and it got quite repetitive. might be the case of wrong book, wrong time.

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is so silly and fun and makes me want a cat more than I did before.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very wholesome with a surprise background gay relationship that was fun also included some recipes that seemed like good soul food.