Cats are an animal that appears in the culture of many countries in Asia. However, for Japanese people, cats have a very special place.

For Japanese people, cats are more than just pets and work in the kitchen. Cats bring a long-standing beauty of Japanese culture, bringing luck and good things.
Japanese folklore has many folk tales about cats. Can tell the story of the legendary cat (Maneki neko) famous to save the lives of two Samurai from danger. In addition, cats also appear in folk paintings.

Maneki Neko is considered to be a symbol of luck, bringing good fortune to the family and shops that store statues at the entrance. This belief is said to originate from an old Chinese dictionary: “When a cat paws up and rubs her eyes, the visitor will come home.” If you have the opportunity to visit Japan, you will see this cat image at most shops, companies or banks here.

Why do Japanese people still love cats today?

Japanese people love cute things. Cats are no exception, with a very special cute trait derived from their behavior. The Japanese call this cuteness tsundere. The word “tsun” means arrogant and aristocratic, and the word “dere” is coddle. The aristocracy and arrogance stem from the shy and unobtrusive nature of cats. However, they are also quite cute and sometimes a bit pampered at unexpected times

Not only raised in families, but cats also appear everywhere in the daily life of the Japanese. Because of the wild cat infatuation, cat-related businesses should be doing in the land of the rising sun. Cate not only appears in the form of the genius cat (Maneki Neko) located in most of the shops, wishing that all the business’s business will be favorable and profitable, cats will also be everywhere with captured images. Cute eyes. Specifically, in Japan, there is a Shinkansen train with the name “Hello Kitty” with the image of Hello Kitty decorated from the outside to the inside of the train.

Festival and island dedicated to cats

Not only in business, but cats are also the theme of Japanese festivals. Going to Japan in February and especially on February 22, you will have the opportunity to participate in the day of cats here. The festival originated in 1987 from the idea of ​​a cat food company in Japan. Selecting the 22nd day of February is because in Japanese “2, 2, 2” is called “ni, ni, ni” and translates into “nyan, nyan, nyan” which is the cry of cats.

In Japan, cats also have a separate “island nation”. Coming to Aoshima Island in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, visitors will not be surprised by the number of cats here more than people on the island. On average, there are more than 100 cats in Aoshima for every 15 people. To get to Aoshima, you can take a round-trip ferry to Aoshima. When you come to this island, you must have snacks and a small bottle of water available because there are no convenience stores or vending machines on the island. You can bring a little cat food and cat toys so you can play with thousands of cats here. In addition to the unique and cultural features, when coming to Japan, you can experience unique dishes as well as famous tourist destinations such as Yamanashi Prefecture, Tokyo, Kyoto, Kyoto, and Osaka. Many other famous tourist destinations.