Introduction
Cats have been an integral part of Japanese culture for centuries. They are everywhere in Japan’s rich body of folklore: venerated as deities, decried as pests, feared as vengeful spirits, kept as mice catchers, and adored as pets. What better way to celebrate them than by worshipping them at a shrine or temple?
Prior to researching the subject, my initial impressions were that there wouldn’t be many shrines and temples dedicated to these felines. While there are relatively few in the final accounting — compared to thousands of existing Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples — I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were in fact a few dozen such institutions scattered throughout Japan, particularly in areas that practiced sericulture.
This six-part series introduces all the cat shrines and temples across Japan, excluding those already covered in the Tokyo list. From heart-warming tales of loyal cats to whimsical maneki-neko statuettes, these places celebrate cats in all their forms. Here is Part 1.
Part 1 A–F: Akita to Fukushima
Part 2 G–K: Gunma to Kagoshima
Part 3 K: Kanagawa to Kyoto
Part 4 M–O: Miyagi to Okayama
Part 5 O–T: Osaka to Tokushima
Part 6 T–Y: Tokushima to Yamaguchi
Akita
Chūbyo Shrine
While Akita Prefecture may be better known for its loyal canines like Hachiko, cat lovers in Japan know that their feline friends can be just as devoted — as can be seen with the small cat shrine within the precincts of Asamai Hachiman Shrine. Chūbyo Shrine translates to ‘Loyal Cat Shrine’ — although this is often (in my opinion) mistranslated as ‘Piety Cat’ — and its origins date back to the Meiji period (1868-1912).
There was once a philanthropist named Ise Taemon, who operated a school teaching weaving and sericulture, and also owned a number of rice storehouses whose provisions were used during emergencies, as well as to help the poor, the elderly, and the infirm. One day, field mice began targeting the rice reserves and silkworms. Taemon adopted a white speckled she-cat from one of the schoolteachers — her name was apparently Nike (nee-keh, not the shoe brand) — and the plucky cat spent her days and nights hunting down mice.
Later on, Taemon funded the construction of Asamai Park. As with the storehouses, Nike kept the site free of vermin like rats, snakes, and moles, allowing it to be completed without undue delay. She lived to the ripe old age of 13 (around 70 years in human terms), all the while keeping pests away. Taemon buried her in the park, under a stone monument in her memory. In 2016, the monument was moved to the shrine grounds — specifically to a small museum opened by the volunteer-run Loyal Cat Association. Nike has (presumably) been properly deified; you can now pray to her inside the museum.
Kazuno Yasaka Shrine
Those looking for love and marriage visit Kazuno Yasaka Shrine in Hachimantai, Kazuno, to pray to the deity of matchmaking, but cat lovers get a little bonus in the form of various cat-themed figures and other elements dotting the shrine. The most obvious are the two maneki-neko (beckoning cat) statues instead of the usual komainu (guardian dogs) flanking the path to the main shrine building.
The shrine has leaned into the cat branding, and sells cat goshuin (calligraphed seals/stamps), as well as a large variety with Akita dogs, the various star signs, chickens, watermelon, ice cream, frogs, squid, octopus, Pegasus, and inexplicably, a carrot. If you can’t make it to the shrine, they have an online shop. (Which seems to defeat the purpose of a pilgrimage, but to each their own.) Unusually for a shrine, there’s also free WiFi.
Aomori
Sannohe Grand Shrine
A 400 year-old Japanese shrine on a hill in a minor northern town isn’t the sort of place where one might expect stained glass windows, but that’s precisely what you’ll find in various parts of Sannohe Grand Shrine’s main building — beautiful, translucent, colourful stained glass set into the eaves and into panels on the sliding doors behind the offertory box. But never mind the stained glass. We’re here for the shrine’s cat mascots, Miko-nyan and Catherine.
Long before Miko-nyan and Catherine came into being, there was a children’s author from the town of Sannohe named Noboru Baba. He is most famous for Eleven Hungry Cats, an internationally award-winning children’s book series first published in 1967, following the amusing adventures of (you guessed it) eleven hungry cats and their leader, General Tora Neko (Tabby Cat). The series was so beloved that the eleven cats were eventually made honorary citizens of the town in 1999. You’ll spot sculptures of them around town.
Miko-nyan and Catherine have no official ties with Eleven Cats — the shrine simply decided to lean into the town’s cat branding. Both have their own (strangely detailed) lore: Miko-nyan is one of sun goddess Amaterasu’s attendants in the form of a cat. According to the shrine, she is shy and of refined character. Her favourite foods are kouign amann, strawberry chandeliers, and fruit tea. Her birthday is 20 February 2017, making her a Pisces.
Catherine, on the other hand, is a cat fairy from London and came to Japan as a student. She began visiting shrines and temples as a hobby, which led her to Sannohe. Here, she met Miko-nyan and decided to train as a shrine maiden. She is an inquisitive young lady, and was born on 22 September 2009, making her a Virgo. (One cannot help but wonder at the age gap between the two cats here.) Before moving to Japan, her favourite foods were scones with rose jam and rose herb tea; afterwards, it was three-coloured hanami-dango (rice dumplings) and matcha.
Chiba
Daito-in Temple
The likelihood of visiting Daito-in Temple is slim to none unless you have a specific reason to visit Kashiwa City. This modest Soto Zen temple has a fabulous ginkgo tree, so tall it towers above the surrounding buildings.
More importantly for us, there is a very cute ‘Inuneko’ (dog and cat) Jizo statue designed by printmaker Ono Takashi, as well as some charming and colourful murals. The mural on the inside of the temple walls is by Kashiwa-based artist Naganawa Eiko; the mural on the outside depicts playful feline Buddhas, also by Ono Takashi. Daito-in seems quite community-focused — they sometimes hold art exhibitions, as well as concerts in their main hall; they also host calligraphy classes, kimono-wearing classes, art classes, guitar lessons, and Sunday Zen meditation sessions.
Kasamori Kannon
Maneki-neko (beckoning cats) are everywhere in Japan. (For a quick primer on their origins, see my previous article about cat shrines in Tokyo.) They come in many colour variations. White is for all-purpose good fortune; red is for health; yellow or gold is for wealth; pink is for romance; black is to ward off evil and bad fortune. If you sense some malevolent forces in your life, it might be time to pay a visit to Kasamori Kannon in the town of Chonan.
Kasamori Kannon’s main hall is an impressive wooden structure with 61 pillars, perched on top of a cliff. The temple itself was founded in 784, but the building dates back to 1028, making it almost a thousand years old. Its inclusion on this list comes down to the large “good luck” black maneki-neko effigy on the temple grounds. That, and Engi-ya Koko, the temple shop selling dozens of beckoning cat statues in a variety of sizes and colours — black is the signature colour here, but there are others — along with cushions (again, in a variety of colours) to enhance the luck-bringing, evil-dispelling properties of these lucky cat figurines.
If that’s not enough, there’s also Kuroneko Cafe next door, where you can sip on a latte and consider further purchases of the cat-themed goods they sell at the cafe. Or think about the life choices that led you to visiting yet another cat temple.
Tōkō-in Temple
It’s not known exactly when this Shingon Buddhist temple was constructed, but scholars think this was probably sometime during the Heian period — likely by a samurai lord by the name of Taira no Tadatsune (975-1031), making the temple over 1,000 years old.
Saliently for kitty lovers, there’s a benevolent-looking cat statue in the form of a Jizo (one category of bodhisattva; enlightened being) in front of the shrine office. On the precincts are also two small shrines: Inunomiya and Nekonomiya, ‘Dog Shrine’ and ‘Cat Shrine’ respectively, where visitors can pray for the health and longevity of their beloved dogs and cats.
Fukui
Gotantoji Temple
Gotantoji Temple is a relatively young temple by any measure. Built in 2002, this Soto Zen temple in Echizen, Fukui, is a training centre for those seeking to become ordained as monks. But to the public, it’s best known for its status as ‘nekodera’ or a cat temple.
Shortly after it was built, four cats were abandoned at the temple, prompting head priest and cat lover Koshu Itabashi to open a cat shelter on the temple precincts. The numbers of cats at Gotantoji have fluctuated through the years, with as many as 80 cats at one point roaming the grounds. All of them get names and collars, and are neutered upon being taken in.
The monks feed them twice a day; food and medical bills are covered by donations to the temple. Visitors come to connect with cats (and purchase souvenirs, of course). The temple has also been able to find new owners for the cats through social media. Their eventual goal is to not have any more cats at the temple, but for now, visitors can still meet all the temple cats and contribute to their upkeep. Litter tray and cat food donations are usually welcome.
Fukushima
Nishizaka Nekoinari Shrine
This is a small shrine located next to a pond on Mount Shinobu. While its name translates to ‘Cat Inari Shrine,’ a fox rather than a cat is enshrined here. This isn’t so unusual for a regular Inari shrine, which would be dedicated to foxes regardless. However, this particular one has its roots in local folklore about three foxes.
According to local legend, there were three foxes on Mount Shinobu. There was Gonbo of the mountain, who loved nothing better than to play tricks on people; there was Chojiro of Ippaimori, as clever as they come; and there was Kamozaemon of Ishigamori, a wily and cunning fox. Gonbo was particularly adept at tricking people; he would visit fishmongers in the form of a monk, and the money he gave them in exchange for fish would turn into leaves after he left. One tale even involves him tricking a packhorse driver into eating horse poop from a small wooden leaf.
One day, Kamozaemon tricked Gonbo into losing his tail and divine powers. Unable to continue his misdeeds, Gonbo turned over a new leaf and began hunting down rats to protect the villagers’ silkworms — a role usually performed by cats. He became the local guardian deity of sericulture, and was worshipped as such under the moniker ‘nekoinari’ or ‘cat Inari.’
Every month on the 22nd, the shrine holds an event called the ‘Nishizaka Neko Matsuri,’ hosted at the folk house nearby. A few local businesses have pop-ups selling food and drink, as well as limited-edition cat-themed goods. Otherwise, visitors can purchase special cat-themed goshuin (shrine stamps) and hang photos of their beloved cats on a display board at the shrine for a small donation.
Written by Florentyna Leow