Our cafe was opened in 2007 in Okuma Town, Naze, Amami City, Amami Oshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, by our owner (representative), who is a native of the town. In front of Okuma Town lies a port thriving thanks to bonito and tuna fishing, with a lush green forest behind it, watching over it with kindness. The sun also shines over the port, sometimes harshly and sometimes gently, shining brilliantly. The cafe's name, "COVO TANA," means "hideaway" or "favorite place" in Italian. At the time of our opening, there were very few establishments that could be called cafes, so we opened with the hope of creating a stylish space in Amami where women, especially, could relax. We offer cappuccinos made with a genuine espresso machine and other creative coffees, as well as smoothies, sweets, and food menus created using carefully selected locally grown fruits and ingredients, all with the motto "Good for Body & Heart!" At the same time as we opened, we also faced a cat problem due to the large number of stray cats around the store. Around the same time, cats' predation of rare wild animals in the mountains was becoming a growing concern. Our store witnessed the tragic reality of outdoor cats - cats losing their lives to traffic accidents, disease, and crow attacks, and cats disrupting the balance of the ecosystem as predators - and decided to start activities as the "Amami Cat Club." We continue to work to solve the cat problem by holding cat awareness events, TNR (Transcription, Regeneration, and Relocation) of stray cats, in cooperation with government agencies, research institutions such as Kagoshima University and WWF Japan, and many experts and researchers. Today, as a way of giving back to Amami and contributing to society, our management policy is "Hospitality that is kind to both body and soul, toward a livable island where people and nature coexist." COVO TANA has an inseparable connection with cats, and a few years ago a customer from Italy told us that "covo tana" also means "an animal's den." Once again, I've resolved to face this strange fate and am working hard at both jobs. However, tackling the cat problem is not only expensive, but it is also a complex issue where many different ideas and intentions intersect, and the physical and mental stress it places on our staff is immeasurable. Furthermore, in order to continue our business in a positive manner despite the COVID-19 pandemic, in October 2020 we opened up the attic, which had originally been used as a cat shelter, and opened Gatti, a small cat shelter cafe on Amami Oshima. As well as providing a relaxing space to spend time with cats, it also helps raise awareness of cat issues and promotes the rescue and adoption of cats, and little by little, it is becoming more well-known. Furthermore, we are grateful to see a gradual increase in demand for our new cat sitting business. Currently, we have received patronage from a truly large number of customers, from local residents to tourists, and from individuals to families, and we are very grateful for this. Amami Oshima was registered as a World Heritage Site in the summer of 2021, but compared to a few decades ago, development and infrastructure have completely transformed it, and many of the beloved white sand beaches, bounty of the sea, and forests can no longer be seen, harvested, or enjoyed. We would like to use this heritage registration as an opportunity to help preserve the precious culture and history for future generations without losing any more of the remaining natural environment and ecosystem. We hope you will continue to support COVO TANA, Amami Nekobu, and gatti, which were started with such a simple and honest attachment to our hometown.