If yesterday’s “Fairy Tale” exhibit post wasn’t enough to get you to the current exhibition at the Hotel Gajoen before it closes, I’m here to push you off the edge of the table with THESE. The cat theme runs strong throughout the show, but the ones that really put a smile on my face wereContinueContinue reading “Fabulous folk art cats”
Tag Archives: cat
Cats in Ukiyo-e: The best woodblock print show ever
If we were playing my favorite museum game—the one where we admit we’d pass on that famous piece of art if we saw it at a garage sale for $5 and didn’t know who made it—I’d be feeling pretty good about myself at this show. You’d be hearing me say, “TAKE MY MONEY!” for everyContinueContinue reading “Cats in Ukiyo-e: The best woodblock print show ever”
Entertainingly altered missionary signs elevate cats to their rightful place
Twitter user Derek Wessman is a genius to have spotted (and appropriately translated) these brilliantly vandalized Japanese missionary signs that change the word “god” into the word “cat” by removing a few small strokes. “The kingdom of Cat is close at hand” The character for “god”（神）appeared on the original signs, but the world’s most meticulousContinueContinue reading “Entertainingly altered missionary signs elevate cats to their rightful place”
Gachapon animals ask their mirrors the most burning quarantine questions
Does this mask make my butt look big? Thicc Boi? Who’s a Thicc Boi? Dessert? Did someone mention dessert? How can I compel my overserfs to order things that come in bigger boxes? •
Artist Turns The Best Pet Tweets Into Hilarious Tiny Sculptures
If I had to nominate one artist for Most Sanity-Saving In The Time of Coronavirus, it would absolutely be @meetissai, whose miniature sculptures inspired by pet tweets never fail to make me laugh out loud. Step away from your keyboard if you’re drinking tea, because I now present, for your spench-worthy enjoyment, these. This wasContinueContinue reading “Artist Turns The Best Pet Tweets Into Hilarious Tiny Sculptures”
Cutest Curry Rice Molds On The Planet
I thought I’d seen it all when it comes to Japanese curry rice molds, but these two cuties redefine ADORABLE. The only problem is that it comes in both cat and panda, and it’s too hard to decide (would it be greedy to get both? SHUT UP) Found these at the Don Kihote in ShibuyaContinueContinue reading “Cutest Curry Rice Molds On The Planet”
How Did I Survive Before There Were Standing Cat Toys?
The question isn’t really “Do I really need more gachapon capsule toys?” but “How did I ever communicate without them?” “Would it have killed you?” “＊…” “29. Why do you ask?” “Are you going to eat that all by yourself?” “Don’t even think of it.” This series may be sold out by the time you’re next inContinueContinue reading “How Did I Survive Before There Were Standing Cat Toys?”
The Cat Shaming Vending Machine
How did you guess that the moment I caught a glimpse of this vending machine filled with cat shaming gachagacha, all my laundry coins would be history? “I played with the tissue” “I ate your snack” “I broke the dishes” “I clawed the wall” There was only one problem… I got the first four beforeContinueContinue reading “The Cat Shaming Vending Machine”
Move Over, Monkeys! See-no Evil, Hear-no-Evil, Speak-no-Evil Cats Are Here
Sticking to the straight and narrow has never been cuter, thanks to these adorable kittycat gacha-gacha toys, and the vending machine that dispenses them on the Yanaka Ginza shopping street. And each comes with an object of mid-century tech to remind us that seeing, hearing, and speaking evil has never been harder to avoid SeeContinueContinue reading “Move Over, Monkeys! See-no Evil, Hear-no-Evil, Speak-no-Evil Cats Are Here”
Top Ten Crazy Holiday Gifts From Japan 2018
These days, everyone wants “experiences,” not “stuff,” so how about digging into your Santa sack for presents that deliver #youllneverguesswhatwedids that could only come from (where else?)…Japan! This year, give the gift of… 1 …making your own Panda Face sushi and finding out who’s the fastest panda-grabber in the land Seen at the Akihabara Yodobashi CameraContinueContinue reading “Top Ten Crazy Holiday Gifts From Japan 2018”
Department Of Seasonal Pet Humiliation: This Year’s Santa Cat Costume
Sporting all the premium quality you’d expect from a ¥400 vending machine, this Santa Claws capelet just might be the perfect gift for someone who dreams of #catsofinstagram glory (and is willing to risk the kind of revenge that will certainly be extracted after uploading Growler’s humiliation for all the world to see). Not recommendedContinueContinue reading “Department Of Seasonal Pet Humiliation: This Year’s Santa Cat Costume”
Cat Feet Chair Socks!
I know that you’ll be super envious to hear that my kitchen chairs are now prancing around on little cat feet! Gone are the days when the awful screeching sound of chair on floor could drive guests away faster than a pot of soup generously endowed with all four kinds of cow stomach. And they comeContinueContinue reading “Cat Feet Chair Socks!”
The Lost Cat Shrine
Don’t you just hate it when your kittehs get a touch of the walkabout? Well now you can do something about it. A quick prayer at the Tachikawa Suitengu Shrine will have them back on your doorstep quicker than a twist of the can opener! Judging by the number of prayer plaques hung on theContinueContinue reading “The Lost Cat Shrine”
The Hypnotic Tail-Wagging Cat Clock
Walking down the street in Ome, I discovered something that totally flipped my three-hour trip to see a garden filled with no blooming azaleas into the win column: the tail-wagging cat clock! BEHOLD ITS MESMERIZING POWER: Can’t. Stop. Watching. (Except to scurry around online like a crazed, tail-wagging weasel to figure out who makes these and where to buyContinueContinue reading “The Hypnotic Tail-Wagging Cat Clock”
The Drunken Pet Vending Machine
So, today I came home and found THIS. I don’t know what kind of shenanigans YOUR gacha-gacha toys get up to when they’re alone in the house, but… These adorable animals are available at the Drunken Pet vending machine for just ¥200 each! This series may be sold out by the time you’re next in Tokyo, but thereContinueContinue reading “The Drunken Pet Vending Machine”
At The Crazy Cat Parade
I have to admit, I was powerless to resist going to a thing where hundreds of people dressed more or less as cats pranced down the street, some of them raucously performing musical numbers in which “nyan nyan nyan” replaced all the lyrics. The Bake Neko Parade gives everyone and their granny an excuse to dress up every October near KagurazakaContinueContinue reading “At The Crazy Cat Parade”
The Catzilla Vending Machine
Overcome with a burning need for yet more weird plastic toys (hey, don’t pretend this doesn’t happen to you!) I was poking around in my favorite Akihabara gachagacha emporium when I discovered THIS: Yes! It’s what Japan’s favorite irradiated lizard would look like if it were a cat! With two tails! (Rather a lucky mutation, since threeContinueContinue reading “The Catzilla Vending Machine”
Temple Cats, With Attitude
In Japan, neko and temples go together like fish guts and beer, and every graveyard attracts a cadre of cats to guard the departed. At first I tried not to think about what they might be eating to make them so fat and happy (DO NOT GO THERE) until I was lurking around taking pictures late one afternoon, and witnessed the duelling cat ladies. SufficeContinueContinue reading “Temple Cats, With Attitude”
The Angry Cat Ghost Vending Machine
Walking through Shinjuku station today, I discovered I had a burning need for angry cat ghosts. Fortunately, there was a bank of gacha-gacha vending machines smack in the middle of the concourse, ready to cater to all my feline spiritual needs. OK, so maybe I went a little overboard trying to collect them all DON’TContinueContinue reading “The Angry Cat Ghost Vending Machine”
The Lucky Cat Temple
In a corner of Gotokuji Temple, I discovered a Kannon figure totally surrounded by maneki neko lucky cats! Their raised paws are believed to beckon money and good luck into the owner’s business, so shopkeepers from all over Tokyo come here to buy a cat figure and offer it to the bodhisattva, hoping for a bigContinueContinue reading “The Lucky Cat Temple”
Nyan Gloves
You know you want to get your paws on a pair of these! •
Wack Hats For Cats
More cat hat madness at http://fuwanene.exblog.jp I just discovered a Japanese website featuring a slightly demonic black cat, who demonstrates just how rewarding cat hat tatting can be. This foxy feline has trained his human servant to turn out ever more seasonal and powerful headgear, so year-round, he can infiltrate the ranks of noble samurai,ContinueContinue reading “Wack Hats For Cats”
St. Nyancat Of Matchmaking
Those lovely dangling mobiles are a favorite Girls’ Day decoration If you want to find the gf/bf of your dreams, this is the place to do it! The gods of the Imado Shrine in Asakusa are apparently better at forking over perfect mates than the yenta in Fiddler On The Roof. This shrine is alsoContinueContinue reading “St. Nyancat Of Matchmaking”
Nyan-tastic Cat Wares!
Catnip tea? Yes, please! I knew Kappabashi was the acme of destinations for obscure kitchenware and plastic food models, but it turns out they’ve got killer nyan-ware too! Next Christmas I bet Santa will fork over everything on my list when he sees that I left out nyancat cookies instead of boring old reindeer! Too hardContinueContinue reading “Nyan-tastic Cat Wares!”
Gateway to Kitty Nirvana
This cat café is in the Decks entertainment complex in Odaiba In a country where many people live in places too small for pets, cat cafés are a booming business. For about $10 an hour, anyone (over the age of 12) can sip a latte and pet herds of cats for as long as theirContinueContinue reading “Gateway to Kitty Nirvana”
Only In Japan 