Why do the Japanese love cats? Japanese and cats

Fact 1 - Together with Buddhist teachings in the VI century AD. the cat came to Japan, by the way, in the Japanese astrological calendar there is a year of the cat, corresponding to Chinese year a rabbit. The emperor of Japan received two kittens from China as a gift, and, according to legend, on the 19th day of the ninth month of 999, offspring were obtained from this cat couple. Considering this a good omen, the emperor summoned two ministers and told them to take care of the welfare of the cats. Even a nurse was placed at their disposal. Subsequently, magnificent kittens were presented to aristocrats as a sign of the highest imperial favor.
But 200 years later, cats were declared demons. An old Japanese legend tells that the tail of a cat was considered akin to a snake. And in connection with this, all cats were cut off their tails. Cats that did not have their tails cut off and cats over 10 years old were considered the most dangerous devils. In the delightful Japanese drawings of that time, almost all cats are depicted with shortened tails. Only in 1602 were cats fully rehabilitated by an imperial decree.

Fact 2 - The first cats brought from China and Korea were white, some were black and there were very few tricolors. Further importation of South Asian cats and subsequent crossing gave the Japanese "tricolor" mi-ke cat, which is respected even in our time. Tricolor cats are especially revered by fishermen, who believe that they have the ability to anticipate the approach of a storm. Cats are taken on fishing trips to ensure safety and a good catch. It is also believed that black cats bring happiness and cure various diseases. White cats, which are more common, are loved for their beauty.

Fact 3 - In Japan, the cat occupies a special, revered position. A special Buddhist temple in Tokyo is dedicated to honoring cats, and here, after the death of their animals, believers bring images of their pets as a gift. Statues or portraits are placed on the altar, and cats are buried on the temple grounds. This custom helps the cat in her journey to nirvana; he frees the human soul, which was imprisoned in the body of an animal on earth, and allows it to achieve eternal bliss. As for the benefit of the owner of the cat, the honors given to his cat provide him with good luck and happiness in life.

Fact 4 - In Tokyo, there is a bridge dedicated to a cat who tried to alleviate her owner's poor existence by stealing small gold items from a nearby pawnbroker. This bridge, Nekomotabashi, is frequented by devout devotees.

Fact 5 - In Japan, in the city of Kagoshima, there is a Temple of Cats. But it was built not in honor of a sacred cat, but in memory of seven very specific cats, which a certain military leader took with him to war in 1600. Cats served the soldiers for hours: the Japanese were able to determine the time by expanding or contracting cat pupils.

Fact 6 – There is a cat museum in Izu-Kogen, Shizuoka Prefecture

Fact 7 - The most common lucky cat in Japan remains the manekiki neko, or "greeting cat." The figurine of this attractive tricolor cat is depicted sitting with one paw raised to her ear, as if in greeting. "Prosperity comes with the greeting of the cat," says an old proverb.
The origin of the figurine is associated with many legends, one of which is about a famous woman from Yoshiwara, whose beloved cat was killed while trying to warn her owner about the proximity of a dangerous snake. Another tells us that in the history of the Goto-kuji temple it is said that in 1615 the abbot of the temple sheltered a stray cat. The temple was in a deplorable state, but there was no money for repairs and worthy maintenance. Once the abbot complained: “Kiska, I don’t blame you for not helping, after all you are just a cat. Now, if you were a man, then you could do something for us.” Shortly after that, the daimyo (prince) Ii Naotaka (1590-1659) passed by the temple, returning with glory from a military campaign. The attention of the daimyo was attracted by a cat sitting at the temple gate, beckoning him with its paw. He stopped and entered the temple, where he was met by the abbot. The wise monk made an impression on the prince, and he gave funds for the restoration of the monastery, which then became the ancestral temple of the Ii family. The temple has survived to this day and holds a ceremony dedicated to its "cat benefactor" in early spring, in connection with which Manekineko are sold in one of the temple buildings.
There are many different versions of Manekineko, made of clay and porcelain, papier-mâché and wood, even old stone samples have been preserved. There are four particularly significant elements: a raised paw, a breastplate, a color, and a coin.
With paws, there is still no exact certainty - which one means what. The most common version interprets the left paw as attracting money, and the right paw as good luck. There is an option - the left one attracts customers, the right one - money. The breastplate, often elegantly ornamented, is associated with the Shinto deity Jizo, the patron of children and travelers. Breastplates, usually red, are put on Jizo stone sculptures when making requests to him. Previously, the colors of the manekineko were not as varied as they are now, but they had a certain meaning. So, the merchants of Kyoto loved black cats, and in Edo (Tokyo) they were considered not very favorable. At the same time, in some places, black variants acted as talismans against diseases, and red ones - specifically against measles. There are stories of a golden Manekineko, as well as of a virtuous cat who stole two gold coins from his wealthy owner for an ill merchant neighbor who constantly treated him to fresh fish. So there was a coin around the neck of the manekineko.
Created by folklore, Manekineko in the hands of folk craftsmen has turned into a very cute symbol toy that brings joy to both children and adults. The difference is that children see her as just a funny creature, while adults, with all their realism, secretly count on her help in prosperity, profits and good luck.

Fact 8 - The image of a sleeping cat, a Japanese symbol of peace and tranquility, adorns many temples. The most famous of them is in Nikko, ancient capital Japan, Toshogu Temple.

Fact 9 On February 22, Japan celebrates a national holiday - Cat Day
The holiday is held on February 22 for a reason: three deuces in a row sound like “nyan-nyan-nyan” in Japanese, which means triple “meow” in Russian.

Fact 10 – In 2001, Japan's largest manufacturer of industrial automation systems, Omron, decided to keep up with the electronics giant Sony and introduced its own home robot - a cat named NeCoRo. Like most domestic cats, NeCoRo does not know how to follow commands and perform various tricks, and she does not know how to walk.
The developers have focused on the "personal contact" of the owner and the animal - NeCoRo purrs when she is stroked, making it clear that she is pleased, with the help of truly feline sounds and movements.
To achieve a high degree of reliability of the robot's behavior, the developers placed tactile sensors behind and under the "ears" of NeCoRo and on the back - that is, in places that are especially sensitive for cats. In addition, the robot is equipped with sound and visual sensors, which allows it to respond to loud sounds, sudden movements and recognize its name. The NeCoRo "dictionary" has 48 cat sounds, and in addition to meowing, a robotic cat can squint its eyes, raise its ears, stretch and squeeze its paws, thus expressing feelings of surprise, fatigue, etc. According to the developers, the most difficult moment in the development of NeCoRo was the creation of "skin" and "wool" that adequately responds to the robot's facial expressions.

Fact 11 In Japan they invented contact lenses for cats. The creators of the novelty from the Manicon company say that their invention was a response to numerous complaints from the owners, whose pets suffer from eye diseases and cannot stand being treated.

The first mention of Japanese cats falls on the era of the reign of the 66th Emperor Ichijo, who became famous for legalizing bigamy, though only for emperors.
He himself would not have thought of this before, he had enough concubines, but his guardian, the first minister and the most influential nobleman Fujiwara-but Michitaka came up with this for self-interest. The fact is that the emperor's wife officially bears the title of Koogoo, "emperor's wife, empress." And there is also the title of Chuuguu, also a wife, but a little lower in rank, literally "the emperor's wife without the right to rule after the death of her husband." Fujiwara decided that since formally Koogoo and Chuuguu are different titles, they may well belong to two different women simultaneously, that is, his daughter and niece. As a result, Teishi (Fujiwara no Sadako, Fujiwara's daughter) became the First wife of Emperor Ichijo, and Shoshi (Fujiwara no Akiko, Fujiwara's niece) became the Second wife. So the unfortunate Ichijo was surrounded on all sides by Fujiwaras alone and suffered from the monotony of life.
Don't worry, this is just a hint. Story from the front...

When wild cats appeared on the Japanese islands is unknown. On the southern islands, they have survived to this day and have lived there for more than one thousand years. Now the whole world is trying to save the last specimens from complete extinction, which runs counter to the interests of local residents, whose insolent people are strangling poultry instead of carrying out an honorary guard duty for catching mice.

But domestic cats arrived to Emperor Ichijo at the end of the 10th century along with a diplomatic mission from China. Monks of the Tendai sect carried many Buddhist manuscripts from China to Japan by ship. To protect their precious cargo from mice and rats, they took a cat with them. And for the fact that this red cat helped the scrolls arrive intact in Japan, thereby contributing to the spread of Buddhism, she went down in history as the "Golden Cat". The monks brought with them several more cats and cats, which they presented as a gift to the emperor for the further preservation of the sacred Buddhist scrolls from mice.

The emperor, tortured by the Fujiwaras and mice, was incredibly delighted with the gift, and the kote who arrived were immediately assigned to members of the imperial family. Each was given a name and a court title, such as "Honored Mouser of His Imperial Majesty". By decree, it was strictly forbidden to force them to catch mice (only voluntarily), not to mention causing them any harm.

An entry dated September 19, 999 has been preserved. On this day, the cat Myobu no Otodo, which means "Senior Court Lady in the Inner Chamber", gave birth to five kittens. The happy emperor immediately granted each kitten a name and a court title of the fourth rank, distributed the duties of upbringing and care among his children, and assigned a whole staff of courtiers to each kitten. These dear pets were groomed and cherished and led around the palace on special leashes made of gilded threads so that they would not get lost. According to the description, the tails of those imperial cats were long.

Since Japan was isolated from the outside world, the cats that settled in the imperial palace interbred with each other, which led to mutations and the appearance of short-tailed bobtail-type cats, of which there are now a great many in Japan. But if you believe the ancient Japanese legend, perhaps such a breed was deliberately bred.

One winter, the imperial cat sat in the inner chambers of the palace next to the brazier. The long tail of the cat accidentally fell on the coals and the fur caught fire. Mad with pain and fear, the cat began to rush around the palace, waving its blazing tail, and then jumped out into the street. Half the city burned down. After that, the annoyed emperor ordered the tails of the palace cats to be cut off.

Cats were rare and expensive, enjoyed great honor and were a symbol of the high status of the owner. It was believed that the cat radiates such power that rodents disappear from its mere sight. Those who did not have enough money to purchase a live cat bought ceramic and porcelain figurines that served as a talisman against rats and mice.

This picture intrigued me a lot. But I don't understand what it shows. I think that the girl urgently needs to go somewhere, and in order not to disturb the cat's sleep, she cuts off a piece of her kimono on which she sleeps.

The heavenly life of imperial cats ended in 1602, when the foundation of the entire Japanese economy - silk production - was threatened due to the invasion of mice that destroyed the cocoons of silkworms. The statues of cats placed everywhere did not cope with the task of intimidating mice - the mice became impudent. By decree of the emperor, all cats were released to carry out public service - the protection of silk cocoons from rodents. Unfortunate cats thrown into the streets of cities quickly turned from palace sissies into clever hunters, petty thieves and favorites of the common people.
It was strictly forbidden to cause any harm to cats, but it was allowed to feed, and some remained to live where it was more satisfying. After some time, the descendants of the imperial cats could be found in the homes of the Japanese of all classes. It was then that among the wealthy cat owners there was a fashion to tie a collar for cats from the flowers of the red Japanese camellia hitirimen, often with a bell, in order to find a cat by sound. Well, those who didn’t have hichirimen were limited to a strip of bright red silk.

Here is how one of the most famous Japanese cat-lover artists Utagawa Kuniyoshi depicts cats.

Since the middle of the 18th century, most cats in engravings and figurines are depicted with short tails. One of Utagawa's most famous prints depicts the cats of the 53 stations on the Tokaido Road that connected Kyoto and Edo.

The cats here are very different, and with different length tails, but there are many more short-tailed ones. The picture shows a variety of color variations.
White cats are a symbol of purity.
Black - scare away evil spirits (as opposed to European beliefs that black cats are evil spirits themselves)
Redheads - attract wealth (similar to the color of gold)
Tricolor cats of "mike" (or "kimono") colors - a combination of white-red-black - bring good luck in everything and are considered a talisman to attract wealth and prosperity. Tricolor animals are almost always cats. Cats with this color are extremely rare, and therefore the rarest color "kimono" was of great value.

On Utagawa's engravings, cats are depicted in a variety of poses, but there is not a single maneki-neko - a cat with an inviting gesture of a raised front paw. Such images appeared much later, around the middle of the 19th century. According to an old belief, a cat washes its muzzle and ears with its paw for rain. In the rain, people run to hide somewhere under the roof, for example, to the nearest coffee shop or shop, which means that a washing cat predicts guests and buyers. The movements with which the cat washes its ears resemble a Japanese gesture when they want to call someone (we often say goodbye with a similar gesture - they bend and unbend their fingers with an open palm at ear level). It turns out that a cat washing its ears invites guests.

A washing cat is a symbol of good luck.

There is a legend about how a washing cat became a good luck talisman for the Japanese.
Tokyo's Goutokuji Temple, known for its opulence since the late 15th century, fell into disrepair and decay by the mid-17th century. The abbot, who lived in the temple, kept a cat named Tama, whom he loved very much and to whom he often complained about his hard life: “Here, Tama, you are sitting here, doing nothing, and life is getting more expensive ... Nobody goes to us, and therefore our temple is falling into disrepair, and soon you and I will have to leave these ruins..."
One evening, the cat Tama was sitting in front of the gate of the temple and washing his ears. Suddenly, storm clouds began to thicken, and it became clear that it was now raining. And then, at the gates of the temple, a certain influential nobleman Naotaka Ii stopped, returning from Edo to his place in Hikone. He began to discuss with those close to him where they could hide from the impending rain. Then they noticed the cat, which clearly invited them to enter the temple. As soon as they entered the gate, lightning struck right where they were standing.
In the temple, the guests were met by the rector with all possible honor and respect.
In gratitude for the hospitality and saving lives, Naotaka restored the temple and contributed to its prosperity, and the abbot immortalized his pet Tama in the form of a talisman that brings good luck.

Another legend is a little more prosaic.
In one of the districts of Edo lived a lonely old woman, the last of all big family hereditary potters. The old woman had a cat, as old as herself, and whom she dearly loved as the only close creature. When the cat died of old age, the grief of the old woman was immense. At night, she dreamed of her dead pet, who told her to make a ceramic figurine of a cat according to his description and sell it. The old lady did just that. Suddenly, the figurine became so popular that more and more people wanted to get it. The old woman quickly got rich, ending her days in prosperity and contentment.
According to the description, it was a ceramic figurine of a sitting cat of a "happy" color with a hole on its back, into which all good things fly, bringing prosperity and good luck to the owner. She is called Marujimaneko.

In the early 70s of the 19th century, the sale of ceramic figurines of the cat Hattatsu-san, dressed in a kimono, with a raised front paw, began to be sold. There is a belief that if you collect 48 figurines of this cat within four years, then any wish will come true. Kittens are sold only once a month. On odd months it is necessary to collect cats with a raised right paw, on even months - from the left. With the right paw, Hattatsu calls for good luck in business, with the left paw - health and well-being in the family.
The first mention of Hattatsu appeared in a newspaper in September 1876, in which a "fortune cat" with a raised paw was called "Maneki-neko". From that day on, the cat woke up famous. By the beginning of the 90s, there were countless variations of maneko-neko, of all sizes, all lucky colors, made of wood and ceramics, in the form of figurines and piggy banks.

The Europeans and Americans who flooded Japan contributed to the rapid spread of maneki-neko.
The fact is that at the end of the Edo-era, every self-respecting town had its own red-light district. At the entrance to each brothel there was a shelf with talismans for happiness and good luck, among which a statuette of an erect male organ in life size, which, according to ancient Shinto belief, is considered a talisman that promotes good luck in business and fertility. It is quite logical that in a brothel it is appropriate to depict what it exists for.
But since the stiff Europeans were shocked by such "liberty", a special government decree was ordered to remove everything that could be "misunderstood." Indecent talismans have been removed from sight and even canceled most of the Shinto festivals in honor of this symbol of fertility, so that the ancient symbol is almost forgotten these days. His place was taken by a cute "cat of luck", which turned out to be much more attractive than its predecessor.

Moreover, there is an ancient legend about the courtesan Usugumo, a great cat lover who lived in a brothel in the Yoshiwara quarter with her cat. Once the cat began to behave very strangely, he began to grab his mistress by the skirts of her kimono and rush, preventing her from entering the bathroom. The owner of the brothel, thought that the cat was mad, drew his sword and cut off the cat's head. The head flew off and landed on the bathroom lid, killing the poisonous snake. The inconsolable Usugumo was reassured only by one of her wealthy visitors, who presented her with a figurine of her favorite carved from wood.

There are quite a lot of maneki-neko cats in our time. There is only one thing in common - one or both paws raised. If you are going to buy a maneki-neko, you need to know the following:

All maneki-neko are cats! not cats.
Raised right paw attracts good luck in business.
The left calls for personal well-being.
There are two mutually exclusive opinions about how high the paw should be raised:
- the higher the paw is raised, the greater the luck that the cat will lure.
- the higher the paw is raised, the longer this luck will have to wait.
Which one is correct is up to you. You can choose by color:
A tricolor cat, white with red and black spots - for special good luck in business.
White is a symbol of purity, although there is an opinion that the manufacturer simply saved on paint.
Black is a talisman against evil spirits, popular among lonely old women as a protection against thieves.
Red - protection from diseases and evil spirits.
Golden or red - beckons big money.
Pink - invites love.

If you come across a cat whose raised paw is turned back side, so the cat was made for foreigners or for sale outside of Japan, because it is customary to call someone in Western countries with such a gesture.
In addition to the bell around its neck, the cat can hold in its paws the ancient Japanese gold coin ryu, which was in circulation in the Edo era. The coin says "ten million ryu", which is an absolutely fabulous amount. Apparently, a cat with such wealth in its paw or around its neck should beckon even more wealth for its owner.

Werecats.
In Japanese folklore, there is a bakeneko monster cat that has magical powers.
To become a bakeneko, a cat needs:
- reach a certain age
- grow to a certain size,
- have a long tail.
In especially harmful ones, two tails grow in old age, and then such a bakeneko is called nekomata, which can be translated from Japanese as “a cat with a forked tail.”
It turns out that any cat that has lived for more than 13 years, or weighing 1 kan (3.75 kg), or having a long tail, can become bakeneko. The Bakeneko can shoot fireballs, walk on its hind legs, and even eat its owner and take on their form. It was believed that if such a cat jumped over a fresh corpse, it would revive it. Therefore, cats were not allowed near the dead in order to prevent them from occupying the body of the deceased and dragging him to hell.

Werecats most often take on a female form, and those who betrayed or offended a defenseless woman become their victims. The one who died or suffered from the deceit or infidelity of a man turns into a werewolf in order to use the full power of feline magic for revenge. And then the reprisal will be terrible - the werewolf will simply devour the insidious. In traditional kabuki theater, there is a whole genre with similar plots called "cat rush".

On Setsubun on February 3-4, cats gather in their cat palace on the top of the "cat mountain" - Nekodake volcano (almost like our "bald mountain"). There werecats, who took the form of heavenly beauties, persuade travelers to bathe in a mountain spring, and then his fate is decided - his tail will grow, and he will forever join the cat tribe.

But like all Japanese werewolves, cats are sure to do good deeds and fight other werewolves. There is a Japanese fairy tale "The Boy Who Draws Cats". Once upon a time there was a boy who was very fond of drawing cats, but he, as the future assistant to the rector of the temple, was supposed to study sacred texts, and not paint shoji with mustachioed muzzles. As a result, the old mentor got angry and kicked him out. One night, the boy was brought to an abandoned temple, where evil spirits were in charge. He did not know anything about this, but before settling down for the night, he could not resist and drew a cat on the wall. In the middle of the night there was a terrible noise, and when dawn broke, the boy saw that a dead werewolf rat was lying on the floor of the temple, and the muzzle of the painted cat was all smeared with blood.

An entry from Fujiwara-no's diary from 1233 has been preserved: "A nekomata appeared in the south, and either seven or eight people died in one evening ..."
Nekomata is a type of bakeneko. The nikomata is slightly smaller than the baneeko, has two tails and a nasty disposition. Stories about nikomata were very popular during the Edo period. Here is the most famous image of a nekomata from a collection of stories about evil spirits in 1781. See the two tails?

And here is a funny picture where two nekomats in blue scarves are dancing next to the older bakeneko.

The sacred books say that a thousand-year-old fox can turn into a beauty, a hundred-year-old mouse into a witch, and an old cat can become a werewolf with a forked tail.
It was the superstitious fear of the nekomata that brought popularity to the Japanese bobtail breed - they have nothing to split in two) But in this picture, the cat found a way to become a nekomata by tying a scarf to its tail)

used illustrations

If there is a place in the world where cats are loved more than on the Internet, it is in Asia. The Japanese, and more recently the Chinese, are crazy about purring pets. They build trains for them, fill up tofu stalls, and make them sushi with chicken instead of rice. "Lenta.ru" plunged into cat madness.

Luck and Werewolves

Cats occupy one of the central places in Japanese mythology. It clearly reflects the dual nature of this cute animal with sharp claws. On the one hand, cats bring good luck, but they can also turn into nightmarish bakeneko - werecats. Not every cat can become a bakeneko (and a cat cannot at all). To do this, she must meet at least one of the criteria: live more than 13 years, weigh exactly 3.75 kilograms, be tricolor or have a very long tail. The owner should keep an eye out for such a cat: it can eat the owner and take on his appearance. Historically, the main sign of bakeneko was their consumption of lamp oil.

In art, bakeneko most often personified the image of a wife who died at the hands of her husband or another offender. In kabuki theater, there is a whole genre of plays called cat tumult. In them, cats act in packs, hatch plans at night gatherings in abandoned houses and, as a result, devour offenders. In modern anime culture, the animal form of bakeneko is practically not remembered, but the human form - nekomusume, or cat girl - is especially popular. There is practically nothing left of the gloomy heritage of werewolves in it - only ears, a tail and a playful disposition. box#2201978

In every Japanese institution, there is always a maneki-neko porcelain figure - an alluring cat with a raised paw. Locals believe that the talisman brings good luck: if the cat has its left paw raised, it should attract customers, and if the right one - money. One of the legends says that one day during the rain, a daimyo (prince) returning from a military campaign drove past the Gotoku-ji temple. The ruler hid under a sprawling tree and noticed a beckoning paw above the church gates.

As soon as the prince approached the cat, lightning hit the tree, and he decided to thank the animal for saving him. Since then, every spring, a ceremony dedicated to the feline benefactor has been held at the temple. And a coin around the neck of the maneki-neko perpetuates the story of the virtuous cat. A resourceful pet stole a couple of gold coins from his rich owner so that a poor neighbor who treated the animal with fresh fish could buy medicine for himself.

cat islands

In August 2017, Nippon columnist Kita Yosuke officially acknowledged the existence of a "cat boom". According to his research, over the past 10 years, the country has doubled more books with the word "cat" in the title than with the words "Buddhism", "baseball" and "sake". He explains the explosive growth in the popularity of cats by the fact that there are fewer and fewer children in Japanese families and people are concentrating their care on pets.

In turn, cats are replacing the once more popular dogs. The reason is banal - the population is simply too lazy to walk with them. Yosuke also notes the great influence social networks, filled with photos of cats, and admits that he himself got a pet thanks to the dominance of pictures. However, the cat boom also has a negative side: not all owners are ready to take care of their pets and throw them out into the street. Animal shelters in Japan are not so common, so the local authorities have to destroy the animals. In 2015, 67,091 cats were killed - 80 percent of all abandoned animals in the country.

The Japanese are trying to draw attention to the problem of homeless animals by all possible means. For example, in September 2017, the first cat train was launched between Gifu and Mie prefectures on the island of Honshu. This is an ordinary train, where more than 30 homeless kittens live, which you can take home if you wish. All conditions have been created for cats on the train, they are regularly examined by a veterinarian, pets do not experience stress. Cat toys are scattered all over the train, and passengers enjoy playing with the animals.

Lenta.Ru - articles

There are also 11 cat islands in Japan, many of which have more cat populations than humans. For example, only 15 people live permanently on the island of Aoshima, and about 100 cats live permanently. However, can these islands, where stray cats are not touched, be called a cat's paradise? Hardly. In April 2017, a Metro correspondent found that overcrowding was bad for cats' quality of life. They die early, get sick often, and have violent fights over food. Far from all the cat islands, the authorities attended to the vaccination and sterilization of animals, but the situation is gradually changing for the better.

Cat sushi and hats

Keeping a cat in Japan is expensive. However, pet owners seem to be willing to do anything for them. Pet prices are inflated, and their owners spend a large part of their salary on pets. Often a cat in an apartment is given much more space. While the pet sleeps peacefully on a huge staircase to the ceiling, its owner huddles on the floor in a corner, with his face buried in the wall.

Jun Yoshizuki, a popular Japanese video blogger, specializes in cooking videos, but his videos featuring cats get many more views. And this is not surprising: the combination of skillful cooking and fluffy pets watching the process simply cannot leave the audience indifferent. In addition, at the end of the video, the cats are rewarded - they get special cat sushi with chicken instead of rice.

The Japanese love dressing up their cats in crazy outfits. By the way, the first cat fashion store appeared in the Land of the Rising Sun - it was opened by pensioner Takako Iwase. In an interview with Vice, the woman admitted that there is no end to clients. Her main model, Scottish Fold cat Prin, has been living with her owner for nine years and never wakes her up, even if she is very hungry. Iwase divides his goods into three levels, depending on the nature of the cat for which the new thing is sewn. Worst of all, according to her, cats are hats, as they often have to tuck or tuck their ears under the hat.

The cat industry is following in the footsteps of the dog industry. Ophthalmologist Toshiko Horikoshi told The Guardian in 2012 about spending on her pets, the Tinker Bell Chihuahua and Ryzhik the poodle. The dogs live in a separate room with their own wardrobe full of designer clothes: sweaters, dresses, jackets, hats and even small shoes. Horikoshi admitted that she updates her dog wardrobe every season. On average, a designer pullover for a poodle will cost about 27,000 yen (14,000 rubles). Dogs also regularly visit hot springs, yoga classes and restaurants with organic food.

China is catching up

In 2016, China was recognized as the second largest country in the world in terms of the number of cats. Researchers counted 53 million furry pets in China, and these are only officially registered cats. In some regions of the country, it is not safe to be a cat - you can get into the kitchen of a restaurant, and not as a pet, but as a rare and expensive dish.

However, in recent years, attitudes towards cats have changed so dramatically that the Xinhua news agency sounded the alarm about the strange hobby of young people. Journalists learned that young Chinese people have become addicted to spending hours stroking their pets and sniffing their tummies instead of starting a family and children.

"I'm an old cat sniffer, and if I don't get my dose, I feel absolutely terrible," admits one of the animal lovers from the Zhihu forum. Another cat owner, an employee of the Shanghai financial company Du Fang, said that he spends 20 percent of his salary on his passion: he orders cat food straight from Canada, and puts tofu in the tray instead of filler.

Favorite AniDUB. com with might and main strive to fill you fascinating facts from life and history Japan! This time I will pay tribute to all cat lovers and together with you I will figure out why these exploiters of the home sofa are so much liked by the inhabitants of the distant Japanese islands.

Each of us at least once in our lives has dealt with fluffy eaters (no, not death) of delicious fresh fish. However, not everyone knows where, how and why cats appeared in Japan.

This story starts from in the 6th century(and to be quite precise, in 538), when the clawed ones were brought to Japan. At the very beginning of his stay as inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun cats lived mainly in the palace of the Emperor and temples. This circumstance eventually turned into the transformation of this animal into a symbol status and wealth. well and first written reference about representatives of the cat family refers to the diary of the emperor ( somewhere around 884) Ouda(宇多), who, by the way, became a Shinto deity (not every ruler can boast such a rich biography).

At first, only two colors were common among cats - black and white, but over time and the intervention of pheramones, the famous tricolor cat- Japanese short tail bobtail or " mi-ke" in Japanese (三毛 which means "three furs"). This scratch is real calling card the birthplace of manga and anime and has appeared in all sorts of legends, tales and other expressions of Japanese folklore. But such tricolor cats are especially revered by fishermen - it is believed that they can predict the approach of a storm.

Exactly mi-ke became the prototype maneki-neko(招き猫) - figurines cats with a raised foot, which is often painted in exactly three colors bobtail. It is believed that such a sculpture made of porcelain or ceramics brings good luck to its owner (by the way, there is no unequivocal opinion which paw should be raised up). An old legend says: With the cat's greeting comes prosperity». Maneki-neko has four special symbols - a raised paw, a bib, a coin and a color. Together, each combination of these elements can bring one or another good thing that the owner needs (why in our country all problems cannot be cat solve?).

Maneki-neko literally translated means "Alluring cat(although there are quite a few variations). Such interpretation associated with one of the most famous Japanese legends(and now get ready to listen to an interesting and instructive tale).

Once upon a time on the side of one of the old grassy roads, in the cool shade of mighty trees, a majestic temple was built. His image was so beautiful that many people flocked to this forgotten place to visit the sacred abode of peace and tranquility on earth. But as time went on, more and more monasteries appeared, which were easier to get to, and the temple in the shade had to be forgotten. Only one old monk, who honored the traditions of his ancestors, was left alone with the once visited region. His only friend and companion was cat, accidentally wandered into the monastery. The monk gave her milk to drink and told about the troubles of the once luxurious temple. Then cat began to run out onto the road every day, raising her paw up and, as it were, "inviting" travelers. As time went on, more and more for the news of the "welcoming cat” quickly spread around the district. So the temple in the shade again became a visited and popular place.

One more legend, much more violent (I warn you in advance) tells about the complex relationship between man and animal(sit back, for another unusual legend awaits you).

Period history edo(1603-1868) keeps memories of the "red light district" in Tokyo - the so-called Yoshiwara(吉原, where 吉 is "luck"). The women of the brothels of that time were divided into geisha (芸者 – « man of art"") - professional performers of male desires and yujo(遊女, 女 means " woman") - simple girls without education (although even without special skills, such a young lady could make good money). The most noble and beautiful geisha wore proud titles thaiyu(太夫 - "performer") in Kyoto and oiran(花魁) in Tokyo. Yes, in a brothel Yoshiwara lived oiran by name Usugumo. She loved very much cats and constantly surrounded herself with them (although the beauty was in the prime of her life). Once, waking up in the middle of the night, Usugumo wanted to drink water. But beloved cat clung to the mistress's kimono with such force that she could not move. At an incomprehensible noise, a guard appeared in the room (just give him a reason) and chopped off cat head. The severed head flew up to the ceiling and bit into the snake lurking there. So life Usugumo was saved and cat- the altar became her patroness.

Meanwhile, in 1987 in the Country of Mountain Routes, it was decided to hold an annual cat day, and the date of the holiday was chosen February 22. On this February day, people thank their pets for all their merits and arrange a bright festival. Indeed, in ancient times, the aforementioned fluffy ones served on ships and protected the sacred Buddhist books transported from China to Japan from all kinds of rodents. And we in Russia we just love these fluffy ones for what they are, and, by the way, we also celebrate a day that is dedicated only to them ( March 1- very soon).

Each of us at least once in our lives has dealt with fluffy eaters (no, not death) of delicious fresh fish. However, not everyone knows where, how and why cats appeared in Japan.

Once upon a time on the side of one of the old grassy roads, in the cool shade of mighty trees, a majestic temple was built. His image was so beautiful that many people flocked to this forgotten place to visit the sacred abode of peace and tranquility on earth. But as time went on, more and more monasteries appeared, which were easier to get to, and the temple in the shade had to be forgotten. Only one old monk, who honored the traditions of his ancestors, was left alone with the once visited region. His only friend and companion was cat, accidentally wandered into the monastery. The monk gave her milk to drink and told about the troubles of the once luxurious temple. Then cat began to run out onto the road every day, raising her paw up and, as it were, "inviting" travelers. Over time, they became more and more, because the news of the "welcoming cat” quickly spread around the district. So the temple in the shade again became a visited and popular place.

One more legend, much more violent (I warn you in advance) tells about the complex relationship between man and animal(sit back, for another unusual legend awaits you).