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Each time you unlock a new location in Mineko’s Night Market, you need to save cats from agents patrolling it, and the Birch Forest is no exception. This area has seven captured cats to rescue. However, you do have new means of rescuing them. However, I found the tried and true, best method still means dashing up when an agent isn’t looking and setting them free instead.
How to Access the Birch Forest in Mineko’s Night Market
After your first Night Market, the next day Mineko’s father will discuss fixing up the house with paper. This event is also how you’ll learn that the town hunk’s tool store is open again. He’ll only have one item for sale to start: the Paper Axe. If you buy it for $600, the bus will be able to take you to the Birch Forest. I’d made just over $600 at my first Night Market from Kokedamas and Cat Bouquets from Sakura and Plum flowers.
How to Save the Cats at Birch Forest in Mineko’s Night Market
Unlike the Village Gardens, you have multiple options for dealing with the agents at the Birch Forest in Mineko’s Night Market. One is to have Bobo create a diversion. I found this can usually work once, maybe even twice. However, if you use it too many times, the next agent will catch on, you’ll lose a “life,” and you’ll need to go with another option.
Since money is such a precious resource so early in Mineko’s Night Market and you’ll need to save it for additional crafting benches and tools, I recommend not using bribery to get past any of the guards.
In pretty much every case, I suggest going with the “follow me, we’re going for it” option. All of the agents in this section tend to employ a manner which allows you to either walk out of the range of their flashlights to creep up to the caged cats or move left and right so if you time it properly, you can dash upward and save the cat. If you find one or two situations where you find it difficult to judge, you can get away with having Bobo create a diversion to cause the agent to leave their post so you can safely save a cat.
While the agents are gone, you need to take one more step to get the Birch Forest artifact and clear the area so you can start using the Paper Axe on birch tree stumps to get wood. Bobo will find and stand on a circular platform near a shrine once all the agents are gone. Head left, then north. You’ll find a similar shrine and button. Stand on it. The door blocking the shrine at the far northeast corner’s shrine will disappear, and you’ll be able to go in and take the artifact.
With that done, the cats will return to the area. You’ll also be able to visit to use your Paper Axe on stumps for the 10 paper Mineko’s dad needs to repair the house. You’ll also be able to find cat hairballs, sakura flowers, and plum flowers in this location from here on out.
Mineko’s Night Market is available on the Nintendo Switch and PC. It will be on the PS4, PS5, and Xbox One on October 26, 2023.
