Introduction
Japan’s love for cats is well-documented. From Hello Kitty and cat cafes to beckoning cat statues and Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s cat-themed woodblock prints, these feline friends have been an integral part of Japanese culture for centuries long before the I Can Has Cheezburger kitty made its appearance on the internet.
Consider 22-year-old Emperor Uda’s charming account of his beloved black cat, extracted from a diary entry written in 889:
My cat is a foot and a half in length and about six inches in height. When he curls up he is very small, looking like a black millet berry, but when he stretches out he is long, resembling a drawn bow. The pupils of his eyes sparkle, dazzlingly bright like shiny needles flashing with light, while the points of his ears stick straight up, unwaveringly, looking like the bowl of a spoon. When he crouches he becomes a ball without feet, resembling a round jade taken from the depths of a cave. My cat moves silently, making not a single sound, like a black dragon above the clouds.
His words still resonate with cat owners after all these centuries, as evidenced by the flurry of comments whenever this extract resurfaces online.
Given their love of cats, it comes as little surprise that Japan has quite a few shrines and temples dedicated to these feline creatures. Tokyo alone has a respectable number of them — certainly enough for any cat lover to spend a day or two making a cat shrine pilgrimage around the city. We might even say that these would make the purr-fect addition to any itinerary.
Maneki-neko, or beckoning cats
Gōtoku-ji Temple, Setagaya
The maneki-neko is omnipresent across Japan, so ubiquitous it seems as though every other shop has a little feline figurine perched on the counter. If its right paw is raised, this cat is meant to attract wealth; if the left paw, then customers. In general, they are believed to invite health, wealth, and happiness. Maneki-neko are sometimes thought of as being Chinese in origin owing to its popularity in Chinese communities — it’s all about attracting wealth and prosperity, after all — but the beckoning cat has its origins in Japanese folklore.
Out of the origin stories associated with maneki-neko, the most famous is that surrounding Gōtoku-ji Temple in Setagaya Ward. The story takes place in the Kan’ei era (1622-1624) during the Edo period. Feudal lord Ii Naotaka of the Hikone domain and his party were on their way back from the falconry, and decided to rest at the temple after seeing a cat at the gates beckoning them in. Shortly after, a great thunderstorm swept through. The feudal lord marvelled at their good fortune, and in gratitude to the cat, became the chief patrons of Gōtoku-ji, making it the official clan temple and financing its rebuilding in 1633.
Later, the temple built Shofuku-den Hall to enshrine the lucky cat, dubbing the cat ‘maneki-neko.’ Today, hundreds of beckoning cat figurines line the shelves, the sight of which is total catnip for tourists seeking an Instagrammable photo. The temple also does a roaring trade selling the same figurines, which visitors can leave as an offering or bring home as a souvenir.
Imado Shrine, Asakusa
Another maneki-neko origin story concerns an old woman who lived near Imado Shrine in Asakusa during the Edo period. The shrine supposedly dates back to the early 11th century and was originally dedicated to Hachiman, the god of war, but now enshrines Izanagi and Izanami, the first two creator-gods in Shinto mythology; Fukurokuju, one of the Seven Lucky Gods; and the deified Emperor Ojin.
According to local legend, the old woman in question dwelt in Imado, and was so impoverished that she could no longer afford to feed her cat, and so was forced to turn it out to the streets. One night, she saw the cat in her dreams, and it told her that if she made a figurine of the cat, she would be blessed by good fortune. As the Imado area was once home to potters who made Imado-yaki (this is no longer the case), she had figurines of this cat made out of Imado ware. She went on to sell them at Asakusa Shrine, where they proved wildly popular, and sales of these figurines eventually lifted her out of poverty.
Today, Imado Shrine is slightly more famous for its reputed matchmaking qualities than the maneki-neko, but the cats are clearly important enough to warrant statues and images all around the precincts. The ema (votive tablets) feature a pair of cats — a nod to those seeking partners — and there are, of course, other cat-themed souvenirs at the shop. Lucky visitors might spot Nami-chan, a white cat whom many think of as the shrine’s unofficial mascot.
Sumiyoshi Shrine, Ōme
Sumiyoshi Shrine in Ōme doesn’t claim to have originated the maneki-neko, but the local shopping arcade does owe the lucky cat some gratitude. In 1998, the shopping arcade association enshrined an ancestral cat deity, Aomebyōsojin, to Sumiyoshi Shrine in the hopes of attracting prosperity to local businesses and the community at large. This seems to have worked, as the town now attracts visitors looking for a taste of Shōwa era nostalgia.
The shrine is located at the top of a long flight of stairs. To the left of the first torii gate, you will see a statue of the blue-eyed Aomebyōsojin. Little information about who or what this cat deity is exists; however, ‘Aome’ can mean ‘blue eyes' and can also be read as ‘plum,’ whose characters also make up ‘Ōme.’ Continuing along the approach, you will encounter two small shrines on either side of the path, respectively housing statues of Daikokuten and Ebisu as cats. Both are deities of the Seven Lucky Gods, and are often seen as twin patrons for business, wealth, and good fortune.
The cat that saved Ōta Dōkan
Jishōin Temple, Shinjuku
Cat lovers know of Jishōin Temple in Shinjuku through a tale associated with Ōta Dōkan, a late Muromachi era samurai lord best known as the architect and builder of Edo Castle (now the Imperial Palace). There was a fierce battle against the Toshima clan, and his side was severely outnumbered. The details of what happened next vary slightly with the telling, but consistent across the stories is that a black cat appeared before him, leading him to Jishōin Temple. It seems that he was able to regroup here and return to the fray with a counter-attack, eventually emerging victorious.
So grateful was Ōta Dōkan to the cat that he had a Jizō sculpture in its likeness dedicated to the temple after his death; some consider this incident to be another possible origin for maneki-neko. The temple holds a Cat Jizō Festival every year on 3 February, which coincides with Setsubun.
Myōgi Shrine, Komagome
Myōgi Shrine in Komagome claims to be the oldest shrine in Toshima Ward. (Don’t you love how specific these declarations are?) How and when it took the name ‘Myōgi’ is unclear, but according to their official website, the shrine was first named Hakuchōsha in 651, a nod to the death of folk hero and semi-legendary prince Yamato Takeru, when his soul transformed into a large white bird and flew away.
Like Jishōin Temple, the shrine’s history is entwined with that of Ōta Dōkan. In May 1471, he visited the shrine before doing battle with Ashikaga Narui, donating a sacred horse (presumably one that had been consecrated at a shrine) and precious sword as part of his prayers for victory in battle. He donated 15 kanbun (strings of coins; the currency of the day) to the shrine upon his triumphant return; it seems that he repeated this process for subsequent battles to great effect.
While the cat sculpture may reside at Jishōin Temple, there’s a whole building dedicated to Ōta Dōkan at the shrine, called the Dōkan-reisha (literally, the Dōkan Mausoleum). Visitors can also purchase omamori (lucky charms) of little pouches embroidered with black cats.
Finding lost cats
Kokage Shrine, Tachikawa
If you’ve lost your beloved cat, consider visiting Kokage Shrine in Tachikawa. This small subsidiary shrine on the grounds of Azusamiten Shrine was originally built in 1629 to venerate cats, who played a crucial role in the sericulture industry in their capacity as mice and rat-hunters, keeping pests away from valuable silkworms. However, in more recent decades, it has acquired the nickname of ‘Cat Return Shrine.’
Its newer moniker is thanks to one Yōsuke Yamashita, a leading jazz pianist of the Shōwa era. In one of his essays, he gives an account of how he decided to pray at this shrine the first time his cat went missing and hadn’t returned for 17 days; the very next day, his cat returned. This happened several times, and each time, his cat would come back. The nickname ‘Cat Return Shrine’ was a light-hearted joke on his part, but it caught the public’s fancy and seems to have stuck.
To express his gratitude, Yamashita recorded himself playing Etenraku, a classic gagaku melody, and dedicated it to the shrine. It’s this piece of music that visitors can hear playing at the shrine. Many cat owners have since visited to pray for the safe return of their lost kitties; their wishes can be seen on the scores of votive tablets (which have cute calico cat designs on them).
Sankō Inari Shrine, Nihonbashi
Should Tachikawa prove too far out west of central Tokyo, a more central alternative is Sankō Inari Shrine in Nihonbashi, another destination for cat owners to pray for their precious pets’ safe return. (Not to be confused with Sanko Inari Shrine in Aichi Prefecture, which is better known for its pink heart-shaped ema.)
The shrine was originally built to venerate feted kabuki actor Seki Sanjurō, who was active during the Genroku era (1688-1704). It was first located in a local landowner’s garden before being moved to its current location after the area was rezoned in 1933. Among its regular visitors are geigi (geisha) who work in the area. It gained its reputation for finding lost cats after professor and inventor Tokushichi Mishima and his wife saw the return of their pet who had been missing for three months; the stone monument at the entrance of the shrine was placed there as an offering by the couple.
The shrine is presently located at the end of a small alley, flanked by greenery. As befits the feline theme, there’s a three-tiered shelf full of maneki-neko figurines which have been left by visitors as offerings.
Miscellaneous cat shrines and temples
Ekōin Temple, Ryogoku
This Pure Land Buddhist temple was commissioned by the shōgun Tokugawa Ietsuna to commemorate the victims of the 1657 Great Fire of Meireki, which destroyed close to two-thirds of Edo. (Fun fact: Ietsuna’s successor, Tsunayoshi, is known for introducing animal welfare laws.) The idea was that Ekō-in should be a resting place for all souls — human or animal — who die alone, without anyone to claim ties to them. Since then, the temple has held animal memorial services; a number of monuments to animals have also been built on-site, most notably The Hall for Prayers for the Souls of a Million Animals.
Among these monuments is ‘Nekozuka’ or the ‘Cat Mound,’ erected in 1816. Naturally, there’s an apocryphal story associated with its founding. The details vary with the telling, but one version goes like this.
There was once a fishmonger in Ryogoku, who was fond of a pet cat belonging to the merchant Tokida Kisaburo, often feeding it whenever he visited the Tokidas. One day, the fishmonger fell ill, and was unable to work. The cat carried two ryō (a pre-Meiji unit of currency) to him, with which he was able to see a doctor and recover from his illness. But the cat never returned; it turned out that the servants had beaten the cat to death for stealing money. The fishmonger explained the situation to the Tokidas, and both were so moved by the cat’s kindness that they dedicated a memorial to it at Ekō-in.
Ekō-in also has deep ties with sumo. In September 1758, it held a sumo wrestling tournament to raise funds for charity; at the time, sumo wrestling matches were largely banned since the then-shogunate considered them a blight on public morals. Less than a century later, the temple began hosting regular sumo matches every year from 1833, until all tournaments were moved to the official sumo arena that opened in 1909.
Miki Inari Shrine, Akasaka
This may be the most arbitrary and curious cat shrine out of all the entries here. Blink and you’ll miss it: Miki Inari Shrine is located on the second floor of the building next to Toraya Akasaka, a branch of a feted wagashi shop. Most Inari shrines venerate foxes, but this one is unusual in that cats are enshrined here instead. A sign here reads:
The patron deity of Mikii Inari is a spiritually powerful deity who has descended from Mt. Hiei in Kyoto. Those who make requests of the deity must not eat octopus. Those praying normally have nothing to worry about.
No explanation has been forthcoming about the octopus consumption. Even more curious is that this shrine appears to be registered as a Buddhist rather than Shinto institution, and one can light incense here. Its origins are similarly murky, but one story points to a pet cat named Miki who had saved its owner several times from fire and other disasters. Somewhere along the line, a monk apparently decided that Miki had been a significant deity who had appeared in the form of a cat, leading to the establishment of this shrine.
Written by Florentyna Leow