Bakeneko
A supernatural cat yōkai with one tail, often confused with the nekomata.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The bakeneko (ばけ猫, meaning "changed cat") is a supernatural cat from Japanese folklore, classified as a type of yōkai and more specifically a kaibyō. It is frequently mixed up with the nekomata, another cat-like yōkai, but the key difference is that the nekomata has two tails, while the bakeneko has only one. Stories about bakeneko appear across Japan, but the most well-known is the Nabeshima Bakeneko Disturbance from Saga Prefecture.
Cats came to be seen as yōkai in Japanese mythology because of several traits: their pupils change shape throughout the day, their fur can produce sparks from static electricity when stroked, they sometimes lick blood, they move silently, they retain a wild nature despite being gentle, they are hard to control, they have sharp claws and teeth, they are nocturnal, and they are fast and agile. Other animals also appear as yōkai in old tales, such as the tenacious snake, the shapeshifting fox (kitsune), and the brutal bake-danuki that eats humans in the Edo-period story Kachi-kachi Yama. But cats appear in many more tales and superstitions because they live alongside humans while still keeping their wild, mysterious side.
One folk belief says bakeneko lick lamp oil. The Edo-period encyclopedia *Wakan Sansai Zue* notes that a cat licking this oil signals a strange event is about to happen. People back then used cheap fish oils, like sardine oil, in their lamps, which could explain why cats were drawn to them. Also, the Japanese diet at the time was mostly grains and vegetables, so leftovers fed to cats lacked protein and fat, making the lamp oil even more tempting. Seeing a cat stand on its hind legs to reach a lamp, its face lit up with anticipation, would have looked eerie and unnatural, like a yōkai. Stealing household items is often linked to Japanese ghosts, so a cat making lamp oil disappear helped tie it to the supernatural. The mysterious air around cats was also compared to prostitutes in Edo-period red-light districts, leading to the popular character of the bakeneko yūjo in kusazōshi and other publications.
Like the nekomata, which is said to evolve from an old cat whose tail splits into two, there are folk beliefs across Japan about aged cats turning into bakeneko. In Ibaraki and Nagano prefectures, tales say a cat becomes a bakeneko after twelve years; in Kunigami District, Okinawa, after thirteen years. In Yamagata
- field
- Japanese folklore, yōkai, kaibyō
- nationality
- Japanese
- known_for
- Shapeshifting, cursing humans, possessing humans, manipulating dead people, speaking human words, dancing with a towel on the head, and lurking in mountains to attack travelers
Lore & Background
The reason cats are seen as yōkai in Japanese mythology is attributed to many of their characteristics: pupils that change shape, fur that can seem to cause sparks due to static electricity, licking blood, silent walking, wild nature despite gentleness, difficulty to control, sharp claws and teeth, nocturnal habits, and speed and agility. One folk belief is that bakeneko lick lamp oil; in the Edo period encyclopedia Wakan Sansai Zue, a cat licking this oil is an omen of an impending strange event. People used cheap fish oils in lamps, which attracted cats lacking protein and fat in their grain-and-vegetable-based diet. The sight of a cat standing on its hind legs to reach a lamp, its face lit with anticipation, could have seemed eerie and unnatural, like a yōkai. The mysterious air of cats was also associated with prostitutes in Edo-period red-light districts, originating the bakeneko yūjo character in kusazōshi and other publications.
Reader's Guide
The bakeneko holds a significant place in Japanese folklore as a supernatural entity that embodies the mysterious and wild essence of domestic cats living alongside humans. Its legends reflect cultural anxieties about aging animals, revenge, and the blurring of boundaries between the natural and supernatural. The Nabeshima Bakeneko Disturbance, a famous tale set in the time of daimyō Nabeshima Mitsushige, dramatizes historical power shifts between the Ryūzōji and Nabeshima clans, with the bakeneko serving as an expression of the Ryūzōji's grudge. This story was turned into a play during the Kaei period, became popular nationwide, and was later circulated in kōdan and historical record books. The bakeneko's abilities—shapeshifting, speaking, cursing, possessing, and manipulating the dead—illustrate the deep cultural resonance of cats as liminal beings, and the legends continue to influence Japanese ghost stories and popular culture.
Did You Know?
- The bakeneko is often confused with the nekomata, but the nekomata has two tails while the bakeneko has one.
- In the Edo period, cats with long tails were disliked, and there was a custom of cutting their tails, which may explain why many Japanese cats now have short tails.
- One folk belief says that a cat licking lamp oil is an omen of an impending strange event, as recorded in the Wakan Sansai Zue encyclopedia.
- The tale of the Nabeshima Bakeneko Disturbance was turned into a play during the Kaei period, but a complaint from the Saga domain stopped performances, which only spread the gossip further.
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