Hello, Kitty: Japan’s Obsession With Cats
Before there was Grumpy Cat, there was bakeneko. A supernatural cat monster from Japanese folklore, the bakeneko was capable of shapeshifting, speaking human words, manipulating the dead and casting curses – but is most often depicted dancing with a napkin on its head. Sometimes a good spirit, sometimes a bad one, the bakeneko is just one example of Japan’s longstanding cultural obsession with cats, an obsession tapped into by New York’s Japan Society Gallery exhibition, “Life of Cats: Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection.” Comprising 90 cat-centric ukiyo-e woodblock prints as well as manga, porcelain figures and books, the exhibition will run until June 7.
