Do you know how to say cat in Japanese? Ever heard of the term Neko? Ever wondered why the Japanese love cats so much? In this guide we will answer these and other questions.
Table of Contents
What does neko mean?
The answer after starting to read this article is quite obvious, it literally means cat. It doesn't matter if it's a male or female cat, there are no differences in the Japanese language, they are called neko.
Neko gives meaning to several other Japanese cultural words, we will list them below, each word has a special article talking about it:
How do you say cat in Japanese?
Neko is not the only way to say cat in Japanese, there are some synonyms and variations you can add to your vocabulary:
- Kuroneko [黒猫] - Black Cat;
- Aibyou [愛猫] - Pet cat;
- Nekoma [猫] - Cat (archaic);
- Kato [カト] - From English Cat;
- Karaneko [唐猫] - Chinese cat
- Kaineko [飼い猫] - Pet cat;
- Noraneko [野良猫] - Stray cat; Feral cat;
- Nekogirai [猫嫌い] - Hates cats;
- Toraneko [トラ猫] - Striped cat; Tiger cat; Striped cat;
- Bakeneko [化け猫] - Magic cat; Monster cat;
- Mikeneko [三毛猫] - Japanese Bobtail (tricolor);
- Sunaneko [砂猫] - Sand Cat;
- Manekineko [招き猫] - Japanese cat ornament;
- Nekokan [猫缶] - Canned cat food;
Related word:
- Yowamushi [弱虫] - Coward; Scaredy-cat;
- NyaaNyaa [にゃーにゃー] - Onomatopoeia of meowing;
- Nekojita [猫舌] - Cat tongue (doesn't like hot food and drinks);
Why do the Japanese love cats?
While in Brazil dogs dominate Brazilian homes, in Japan cats rule. If you know Japanese culture well, you must have noticed the Japanese ion and obsession with cats.
Just browse the Instagram of some Japanese and find several profiles full of pictures of cats. In this article, we will understand some of the ion and influence of cats in Japan.
The Japanese love cats because they are cute, clean, and easy to keep as a pet. Owning a pet can be hard work in Japan, as many don't have the time or live in apartments.
For most Japanese, having a dog is out of the question. A cat can come out much cheaper and easier. Unlike dogs, cats clean themselves, walk around the neighborhood by themselves, don't mind being alone all day and don't bother the owner so much wanting attention while he's at home.
Of course, many other historical and cultural things are involved in the Japanese ion for cats. Even the kawaii culture highlights cats more than other animals.
To understand more about cats in Japan, we need to know their history in the Japanese archipelago. Another reason is the fact that cats are related to luck in Japan. For Buddhists and Shintoists, cats are represented as sacred and cursed creatures.
The history of cats in Japan
Records show that cats in Japan were imported from China and were initially seen as a luxury animal, only for the rich and noble. Cats were extremely rare in the past, they were not used to hunt mice but as a sign of good luck.
Some have developed the idea that having a cat in their store or business would bring good fortune or luck, thus creating the famous symbol of the maneki-neko. It is not only today, but since the mid-1800s, cats have already existed in Japanese works and artworks.
In the Edo period (1603-1868), Hiroshige Utagawa and Kuniyoshi Utagawa painted cats, and in the Meiji period (1868-1912), the great novelist Soseki Natsume wrote a novel titled "I Am a Cat", which became a famous masterpiece of Japanese literature.
The importance of the cat in Japan was also related to mice. We all know that Japan grows a lot of rice, cats were needed to protect rice from mice.
There are several shrines that worship cats as gods in Japan, currently they also exert a lot of influence on Japanese culture. Places that show traces of the relationship between cats and people are scattered all over Japan.
The influence of cats in Japan
Cats have gained even more fame in Japan due to the influence of Japanese media. In addition to various works from the past, the emergence of Hello Kitty was one of the great boosts to the Japanese ion for cats. In Jinbocho/Tokyo, there is even a library/bookstore specialized in books related to cats called Nyankodo.
Another great example of the Japanese ion for cats are the neko cafés spread throughout Japan that allow people to play with cats while enjoying a coffee.
The cat is of great importance even in anime, whether as a character or as a reference in cosplayers with cat ears. Not to mention the numerous islands full of cats scattered throughout Japan. Where there are more cats than residents.
On the internet, in the 90s, cats became famous in magazines, blogs, emails and internet albums. They became main characters of memes, and had a large participation in youtube videos and 4chan posts.
Even today, cats continue to be culturally influential and relevant on the internet, there are dozens of pages on social media and videos on media sharing sites like youtube and nico nico douga.
Japanese Bobtail - miIke
The Japanese Bobtail or mi-ke [三毛] is a breed of cat originating from Japan. Its name represents its unique characteristic which consists of three [三] different colors in its fur [毛].
The miike is one of the few famous cat breeds in Japan. One of its features is its short, curled tail that is very reminiscent of a stump dog. He can also be born with different colored eyes.
The cat is perfect for raising at home due to its intelligence, temperament and ability to learn things. He is quiet, faithful, friendly, curious, affectionate and sociable, adapting easily to change.
Japan's most famous cats
In the midst of this story, some cats stood out due to their fame on the internet or in a certain place in Japan. We will list below these cats that influenced or represented Japan in some way:
- Nyan Cat - How did this viral come about?
- Mi-ke - The lucky cat
- Maru-chan - One of the most famous cats in the world.
- Nekopan - Used as an avatar in forums;
- Longcat - One of the oldest cat-related memes on the internet;
Hope you enjoyed this little article! Do you like cats? Do you think there was something missing about cats in Japan? We appreciate the comments and shares.
