History of Cats As Told By a Cat: Japan

Kathy Enriquez
Sep 4
5 min read

Konnichiwa hoomans! You can find these articles on our Patreon and Substack. But why not bring them here too? After all, me, Nezuko, am the co-business owner, should be posting here too. This is our whole brand, cats, horror, stories, etc.

So, let's talk cat history! How did different cultures view us as a whole?

So let’s hop into my little DeLorean and go all the way back to 500 A.D. Japan!

Pawprints of My Ancestors

My ancestors first stepped foot into Japan during the Asuka and Nara periods (592 CE - 794 CE), where we instantly proved our worth. I mean, did we really need to try? Emperor Tenmu was huge into something called Buddhism. So, in order to get these scriptures, he needed to import them from China.

There was only one way to import things back then. Ships! And do we know what ships carried? Rats! These bloody bastards naturally started munching away at these purrecious scrolls. Not that we care about the scrolls, but we won’t say no to fresh meat when it crosses our paths.

Anyway, the monks had to think of a solution and alas, they brought in the best answer to their purroblems—us! And just like that, we became the protectors of homes and valuable books.

During the Heian period (794 CE–1185 CE), we started appearing in various scriptures and even made our way to the imperial court! As you know, our status was quite high because of all this.

By the Muromachi period (1336 CE - 1573 CE), we moved up in the world. At this point, we started to become more common. This led us to become prized pets. No longer having to hunt for rats, we were treated like kings and queens. Before you ask, only the nobility were able to afford us and we were usually living in private pagodas while looking down on the rest of the peasants.

Yokai and Folklore—Yes, Fear Us!

In modern days, we step on your keyboard (like what I’m doing down). Back then, it was ink and fancy paper. And you guessed it, we left our mark through the tales that were told and recorded throughout time.

In Japan, across all kinds of folklore, mythology, literature and art, there was one creature that appeared regularly: the yokai (妖怪).

Yokai is a term used to describe any supernatural being in Japanese folklore. That includes ghosts, monsters, and even fairies! Now you may be asking, doesn’t that make us evil? No. Yokai are not necessarily good nor evil. They can be whatever (like us). Among the stories about them, there are many yokai that are catlike. When in doubt, picture a cat!

But two of the most influential yokai are the bakeneko (化け猫, monster cat) and the maneki neko (招き猫, beckoning cat).

Bakeneko

A mighty cat, not one to mess with. Generally, they are evil and know magic! They can also shapeshift, speak and even bring back the dead! Some legends say the bakeneko is simply a regular cat that has grown older and larger. Others say they were created when a dumb hooman kills a cat, they come back from the dead and curse the person (as they damn well should)!!!

Either way, these stories dating back centuries, have helped cement cats as beings who should be cautiously respected and highlight how Japan has always viewed cats as mysterious creatures that possess unusual abilities. Basically, just don’t f*** with us!

Maneki Neko

The complete opposite of the evil bakeneko is the maneki neko—a symbol of good luck and fortune.

Legend has it that during the 17th century, a rich samurai was out hunting near the Gotokuji Temple, when a storm blew through, causing him to look for shelter under a tree. Lo and behold, he had noticed a cat waving its paw at him from the steps. He approached the cat, and as he did, a bolt of lightning struck the tree where he was hiding. He believed the cat had saved him. The samurai ended up purrchasing the temple, and restored it for the cat and its owner to express his gratitude.

When the cat passed over the rainbow bridge, the samurai built a statue on the temple grounds to honour it. Since then, the image of the waving cat has become associated with good luck and fortune.

Also, during the Edo period (1603 to 1867), there was a rarity of real cats. Some artists made paintings of us to sell to silk farmers as talismans to ward off rats. That talisman—the maneki neko.

We Are Muses for Artists—Rightfully So!

Not only are we immortalized on the pages of history or through good luck charm, but also as paintings! A famous ukiyo-e artist named Utagawa Kuniyoshi loved us so much that he often included them in his self-portraits. If you don’t know who he is, he made the Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre. And if you still don’t know what that is, here’s the painting.

Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

In his artwork, you sometimes see us appear as human pets, sometimes as kabuki masks and even fully clothed. He drew us into activities like dancing, soaking in hot springs, drinking, chatting and basically being hooman.

Purroverbs

Japan’s love for us goes beyond art and literature. How much more can one love us, you may ask? Easy, add us into the language you use! I think you call them idioms and proverbs, right? Well, here are some popular expressions that are used in the Japanese language.

Neko ni koban - "Gold coins to a cat":Like the phrase "pearls before swine," this implies that valuable things are wasted on those who don’t appreciate them. We do prefer a cardboard box over whatever is in it!
Neko wo kaburu - "Wearing a cat" :This is used to describe someone who is pretending to be nice or quiet. We’re quiet until provoked!
Neko no te mo karitai - “I’d even borrow a cat’s hand":This is used when someone is desperate for help, even willing to seek aid from us—someone who you know definitely doesn’t offer help.

Cats in Modern Japanese Media

Nowadays, everywhere you look in Japan, you see us. There are islands full of us, movies, anime, art, books, and mascots. We’re on just about anything you can own!

Some famous cats are Hello Kitty, Doraemon, Jiji, the Catbus, and even the calico that’s on the Shinjuku 4D billboard! No matter where you turn, you cannot escape us. We have been hard at work since 500 A.D. to have an entire nation wrapped around our little, furry paws.