Cats in Japanese Culture

CATS IN JAPANESE CULTURE

We will take a look at the world of cats, which were brought to Japan in the middle of the 6th century to protect the Buddhism-related inscriptions from rats, which were transported by ship from China, and have accompanied humans ever since.

Even though a survey conducted in October 2020 shows that dogs were the most popular pet among Japanese people, cats are closing in on the popularity as of February 2021. Why wouldn’t be? We see cats around Japan in every corner for centuries.

1. Cats In Japanese Folklore
Bakeneko
Nekomata
2. Cats In Japanese Tales
3. Cats In Japanese Proverbs
4. Wild Cats of Japan
5. Places About Cats
Cat Islands
Cat Bookstore
Cat Cafe
Nyan Nyan Ji - Meow Meow Shrine
6. Cat Magazines
7. Famous Cats of Japan
Station Master Cats
Hachi
Maneki Neko
8. Cat’s Day – February 22nd
9. Cats in Novels
I am a Cat
Hon Wo Mamoro To Suru Neko No Hanashi
Tabineko Report
10. Cats in Manga
Ito Junji no Neko Nikki
Neko to Jiichan (The island of cats)
Neko Neko Nihonshi
Ojisama to Neko
Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko
11. Famous Cats of Anime World
Chi
Miyazaki's Cats
Bananya
Doraemon
12. Cats in the Movies
Hidamari no Kanojo
Rent a cat

Cats In Japanese Folklore

In Japan, the cats that are often associated with death are also frequently seen in Japanese folklore.

The reasons for the presence of cats in Japanese folklore are; the change in the shape of their eyes at different times of the day, goosebumps with static electricity in winter, being more rebellious than dogs, the sharpness and speed of their nails and teeth.

Bakeneko

Bakeneko is a kind of supernatural creature(a kind of yokai). There are legends about Bakeneko in various parts of Japan, but the most famous one is in the Saga region. Although Bakeneko has a variety of talents, they are generally known for transforming into human form, speaking in human language. They dance with a towel or napkin on their heads, curse people,
manipulate the dead, hunt travelers in the mountains with the wolves.

Nekomata

Nekomata, which is often confused with Bakeneko, is also a kind of supernatural cat creature. There are two kinds of Nekomata mentioned in Japanese folklore: mountain nekomata and Nekomata transformed from the domestic cat. While tales of supernatural creatures in Japanese folklore dated back to the Edo period, those of the nekomata legends go way back. Mountain nekomata, which started to be mentioned in the Kamakura period between 1185-1333 in Japanese literature, was described as a creature with a cat face and a body of a dog. Towards the end of the 1700s, it's said that they were the size of lions or leopards and, they harmed people. There are also beliefs about Nekomata transformed from domestic cats. One of them is that as cats get older when they reach a certain maturity, their tails turn into two tails and become nekomata.

Cats In Japanese Tales

Cats have also been the subject of Japanese tales. Junishi No Yurai (Twelve Animals) and
Neko To Nezumi (Cat and Mouse) are examples of these tales.

The tale of twelve animals tells the story of a mouse. It tells of how the mouse tricks the cat from being included in the calendar with the twelve animals. And also of how it becomes the first animal by deceiving the cow as the calendar is being created.

On the other hand, the cat and the mouse is a tale about how a cat's betrayal his good friend, the mouse, and eventually eats the mouse.

Cats In Japanese Proverbs

Kyuso neko o kamu
窮鼠猫を嚙む
"Cornered Rat's Bite of a Cat"
A person who is depressed and helpless can try any option he can find.

Naku neko wa nezumi o toranu
鳴く猫は鼠を捕らぬ
" A loud cat doesn't catch mice."
People who talk too much don't do much. The work of talkative people is not productive.

Neko o ou yori sara o hike
猫を追うより皿を引け
"Rather than chase the cat, take away the plate."
To solve a problem, it is necessary to take permanent measures, not temporary ones.

Wild Cats of Japan

There are two types of wild cats in Japan; Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) which lives on Tsushima Island, and Iriomote cat (Prionailurus iriomotensis), original species from Iriomote Island.

Places About Cats

Cat Islands

As a result of my research, I found 13 islands that are referred to as cat islands. However, today I will talk about Tashirojima and Aoshima Islands, which I have chosen among them.

Tashirojima Island is in Ishinamaki City, east of Sendai City. The cat sanctuary (Neko-jinja)
located in the center of this island represents good hunting and safety for fishers.

Aoshima island can be reached with a 45-minute voyage from Nagahama Port in the city of Ozu in the Ehime region, which is in the west of Shikoku island. Since there are no restaurants, no shops, no food vending machines, and no place to stay on the island, daily tours and bringing your lunch box are recommended.

But we would like to remind you that there is a possibility that you will not be able to visit the island due to the infrequent voyages and the usage of these ferries by the islanders.

According to a rumor, cats started to come to the "cat paradise" Aoshima island when the human population fell below 50.

Cat Bookstore

There is a bookstore named Jimbocho Nyanko-do in Jimbocho, a 10-minute train ride from Tokyo station, where you can find cat-themed picture books, comics, novels, and storybooks published all over the world.

Cat Cafe

If you have been to Japan at least once, you already know that there are cat-themed cafes/shops in Japan. You can pet, play and feed the cats in these cafes for a reasonable fee.

Some shops have more than 30 cats and welcome foreigners with an English-Japanese album with the names and characters of each cat in the shop. Some don’t welcome kids under 12 years old and asks for passports for age approval.

Nyan Nyan Ji - Meow Meow Shrine

If you are still looking for a place to visit with cat-theme, this place in Kyoto is for you. A Shrine full of cats, even the head monk is a cat! The Nyan Nyan Ji was opened in 2016 by painter Toru Kaya. This temple which is a house of seven cats has statues and drawings of cats, a place where visitors can order cat-themed food and drinks, and a shop where you can buy souvenirs.

Cat Magazines

There are many cat-themed magazines in Japan. For example, some feature the works of cat- obsessed photographers, designers, writers, and artists’ interviews meanwhile other magazines feature full of cats posing in costumes. The difference between these magazines and Western animal magazines is that they will be called "kawai", and at the same time, we can say that they are magazines with cats posing only. However, while these magazines look good for the eye, they also do not fail to provide information about cat health care.

Famous Cats of Japan

Cats, who have been the center of attention since they came to Japan, have been the subject of many artists' works; they have been painted or sculpted numerous works.

The Ukiyo-e masters Hiroshige Utagawa and Kuniyoshi Utagawa's paintings of cats in the Edo period between 1603-1868.

Cats became prominent characters with their cuteness over time from being dangerous and scary monsters in Japanese folklore. And they can be seen playing with hula hoops or jumping rope in kimonos in the works of the 1800s. The most obvious example of this is cuteness is Krocchi.

And some of you may ask why I haven't mentioned Hello Kitty. Well, As I recently learned, actually, Hello Kitty is a schoolgirl, not a cat.

Station Master Cats

The cat that attracts the most attention from local and foreign tourists is undoubtedly the cat located at the Kishi train station. The cat named Nitama, who took her place in 2015 after Tama, greets visitors at the station. Also, Six-year-old Yontama (Tama Four) is functioning as her assistant five stations away in Idakiso.

Hachi

In 2015, in a small shop in the Ibaraki district, the thick-browed cat named Hachi becomes the focus of attention with its sign which resembles the Chinese character 8. Visitors go there to buy tickets as eight is a lucky number. They wish to win the lottery. Meanwhile, Hachi is asleep or hiding behind the counter.

Maneki Neko

When talking about the cats of Japan we can't skip the lucky cat Maneki Neko, can we? Located 10-15 minutes away from the Gotokuji station on the Odokyu Line in Tokyo, the
Gotokuji temple is considered the birthplace of Maneki Neko. Dozens of Maneki Neko, which
you can see in one corner of the temple, belong to donors who make wishes.

According to the legend; In the Edo period, while the feudal lord of Hikane was passing in front of a temple in Edo, the cat of the temple summoned the lord through the door of the temple. So He rested there for a while. Just then, the sky was covered with clouds and a storm started. The lord, who survived the storm, was very happy and made a lot of donations for the reconstruction of this poor temple and redesigned this temple as a family temple. This temple in the legend is the Gotokuji Shrine. There is also a cemetery where more than 300 lords are buried.

When the cat in Gotokuji Temple died, a shobyodo temple was built on the temple grounds. Thus, the cat turned into a god called "Shobyo Kannon". And visitors, whose wishes came true, started offering Maneki Nekos, a cat figurine, to show their gratitude.

You can see Maneki Neko drawings on the wish boards in Gotokuji. It is believed that pulling the red rope, which looks like a cat's collar called "Suzu", and ringing the bell brings good spirits (kami) and drives away evil spirits.

At the same time, "Hiko-Nyon" appeared as the mascot on the 400th anniversary of Hikanejo Castle in Hikane (a city located in today's Shiga region), where the Feudal Lord's Castle was located. It is said that Hiko-Nyon was modeled after the cat in Gotokuji Shrine.

Another Legend in Edo (Tokyo) is;

Due to extreme poverty, an old woman had to leave her cat. This was in the Imado Shrine. That night the cat entered the woman's dream and said, "If you make a doll in my appearance, you will be happy."

The woman, who started to make and sell ceramic dolls in the shape of her cat, soon became happy with the popularity of dolls.

Today, a male-female couple Maneki Neko is seated at the entrance to the Imado Shrine. This sanctuary is famous among young women who hope to marry soon.

There are many varieties of Maneki Neko, which are often found in souvenir shops in popular tourist destinations such as Asakusa.

If we talk about the most basic feature of Maneki Neko figurines; If his right paw is in the air, it symbolizes money, and his left paw in the air symbolizes getting more customers. You can often encounter Maneki Nekos at the entrances of the shops, which the shopkeepers put for the blessing of their business.

Cat's Day - February 22nd

Because the date 2.22 resembles the words; Nyan Nyan Nyan (meow meow meow), it was decided to be celebrated as Cat’s Day in a poll between cat-keepers by the Executive Cat Day Committee in 1978. It is celebrated with photographs of people with their pet cats and anything that looks like cats. People even cosplay as cats for the day.

Cats in Novels

I am a Cat

Natsume Soseki's novel, I am A Cat, which has an important place in Japanese literature during the Meiji period between 1868 - 1912, is a good example of cats in novels. As being Natsume Soseki's one of the most known novels, I am a cat, tells the daily life of the human world from the perspective of a disliked and unwanted cat.

Hon Wo Mamoro To Suru Neko No Hanashi

The book tells the story of an introverted high school teenager, Rintaro Natsuki, on his journey to save books with a talking cat after the death of his grandfather. In this journey, which takes place in four stages, Rintaro breaks his shell by confronting his feelings and changing his reckless attitude. The sharp-tongued cat and his sociable classmate, Sayo Yuzuki, are accompanying Rintaro on his journey.

Tabineko Report

Hiro Arikawa's novel was adapted into a movie in 2018.
This movie tells the story of a young man, Satoru, and his smart cat, Nana's journey to find a new home for her. Meanwhile, we learn more about the past of Satoru.

Cats in Manga

İto Junji No Neko Nikki

This manga is based on the famous horror mangaka, Ito Junji's personal experiences with cats. It was serialized from January 2008 to February 2009.

Neko to Jiichan (The island of cats)

The manga Neko to Jiichan was first published in 2015 and it was adapted into a movie in 2019. The story is about an elderly widower who lives with his cat, Tama, on a small island. After his close friend’s death, he starts to worry about his health, and that starts to change his lifestyle.

Neko Neko Nihonshi

This manga tells Japanese history using cat figures. It was also adapted into 32 episode anime series for kids in 2016 and broadcast till 2017.

Ojisama to Neko

This manga is about the joyful life of an elder widower named Kanada and Fukumaru, a not very likable cat he adopted from a pet shop.

Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko

It is a slice-of-life, one-shot manga about a young single woman and her cat. We learn the story from the cat's point of view.

Famous Cats of Anime World

Chi

In this anime, we watch the exciting daily life of a troublemaker, adorable kitten, Chi, who was taken in by a family from the streets.

Miyazaki's Cats

When talking about famous cats, it is impossible not to mention the characters created by the famous director Hayao Miyazaki.

Nekobasu is a cheerful-looking bus cat with 12 legs. It is from Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro movie, but it is also featured in the 13-minute Ghibli Museum special movie, Mei and Kittenbus.

Miyazaki's second famous cat character is called Baron (Baron Humbert von Gikkingen) which appeared in the movies Whisper of the Heart(1995) and Cat's Return(2002).

Bananya

This anime is about a species called Bananyas that lives on a faraway planet from earth. They look like cats living in bananas.

Doraemon

This anime is about adventures of a robot cat, who came from the future and the boy, who lives with it.

Cats in the Movies

Hidamari no Kanojo

This movie is about a young salesman who meets his middle school friend after a long time. They fall in love and get married, but his wife has a secret.
I don’t want to be a spoilsport, so I amnot going to say which part cats will appear, but I have to mention this movie contains a huge surprise in it and with Jun Matsumoto leading actor, it is a movie that must be-seen.
This movie is also an adaptation of a novel by Osamu Koshigaya.

Rent a cat

This festival movie is about Sayoko, who rents cats to lonely people. The story focus on four people who wants to rent cats from Sayoko.

Search Cats in CDJapan & Share It!

This list may go forever if I try to make a full-list of cat-themed novels, anime, manga, and movies. That is why, if you are interested in this theme, please check out more from the CDJAPAN search engine.
Which cat is your favorite? How many of these cats have you known?
Let us know on social media, and tag us like #CatsInCDJ

About the Author

CDJapan Ambassador Project (Your passion is wanted)