Maneki-neko, translated as beckoning cat but also known as lucky cat or welcome cat, is recognisable internationally, often found behind cash registers of restaurants and retail outlets – and also in ...

Cats are beloved in Japan, as they have been for thousands of years. From old mythological tales of feline yokai like the smart shape-shifting bakeneko to the Hello Kitties and lucky maneki-nekos of ...

Introduction ; On cat tails -- 1. A short history of Japanese cats -- 2. Bakeneko - the changing cats ; The vampire cat of Nabeshima -- 3. Nekomata - the split-tailed cat ; The nekomata and Ifu Koto ; ...

Their influence is evident in every corner of society, the imperial family owns some, and Tokyo even has its own ‘cat town’ Feline features stare out from the covers of umpteen novels, they have an ...