Research has me finding the coolest stories today. First, I read about a bunch of seahorses found living in the Thames. Then, I read the headlines “Sheep Replace Lawnmowers In Italy” and “Canoe Built From Disposable Chopsticks.”

A more familiar one: “Product Service Systems: Japan’s Cat Cafés” on TreeHugger. These cafés have been all over the web, from Reuters to Japan trend blogs. Seeing the stories give me greater joy now, though, because the café they keep mentioning is the one I visited! It’s called Calico and is located in Kichijoji (on the outskirts of Western Tokyo).

Here is my photo of the cat pictured in that TreeHugger post, Choco:

Cute, right? “Product service systems” is a cool spin on the concept of cat cafés. I guess they’re right, aren’t they.