epigene said:Why do Japanese love cats? My guesses:
(1) The most convenient pet to have in a small apartment (for many Japanese people)
(2) No need to take it out for a walk.
(3) Solitary, independent being demanding equal partnership with humans, rather than master-slave relationship you have with a dog.
(4) Association with mystic powers. Some people think they can sense the supernatural.
(5) Honestly, I think there are as many dog lovers as there are cat lovers...
I'd love to have a dog, but I can't have one in the condo I live in...
Hiroyuki Nagashima said:Japan was a race of farming.
epigene said:(1) The most convenient pet to have in a small apartment (for many Japanese people)
(2) No need to take it out for a walk.
epigene said:Well said, ArmandV!!
Maciamo said:I'd say cats are the least convenient of any common pets for people living in big cities and small apartments. They need a lot freedom, space to climb, hunt, scratch things, fight... They cannot be as easily educated as dogs. I guess that hamsters, fish, turtles, small dogs, or even the more passive rabbits are preferable pets for many Japanese.
Personally, I tend to agree with you.Hiroyuki Nagashima said:Japan was a race of farming.
The cat was necessary to protect the rice which was storage food from a mouse.
It is always the animal which is by our side.
epigene said:Maciamo-san, please don't take Nagashima-san's posts literally. He's using translation software for his posts.
lexico said:Personally, I tend to agree with you.
I heard in the olden times, from the elders in the family and friends, that there was always a shortage at least once a year in early spring when rice stock ran low and barley harvest was still far off.
Maciamo said:What does "a race of farming" mean ? Do you mean it is genetical ? Funny because Japan was one of the last Eurasian country to develop agriculture on a regular basis. I also don't think that there should be more mice in inundated rice paddies than in dry European wheat or oat fields.
Hiroyuki Nagashima said:It was converted with "窶拈ﾂ耕窶督ｯ窶伉ｰ" when I translated "farming race" by translation software.
Maciamo said:Never seen so many cats in a city elsewhere.
Hiroyuki Nagashima said:NAMENEKO :gohan:
http://www.nameneko.com/nameneko.html
The Japanese cat which is famous in the world
ドラえもん公式サイト｜ドラえもんチャンネル
That would explain a lot I think ☝Cats in Japan
The domestic cat arrived in Japan around 600 AD. Introduced by Buddhist monks, cats were considered sacred animals and were highly respected by the Japanese people. The popularity of the cat grew throughout Japan within both the royal and working class societies.
Woodcuts and paintings of cats similar to the Japanese Bobtail suggest that the bobtail cat arrived in Japan around the 6th century. However some breed historians believe that the Japanese Bobtail only arrived in the country around the 10th century during the reign of Emperor Ichijo, who was the owner of five Japanese Bobtails.
During this time, at the order of Emperor Ichijo, cats were forbidden to work. Subsequently the silk industry, which was of great importance in Japan, began to suffer. Because there were no cats to hunt, mice began to destroy the silkworms and cocoons. Silk manufactures placed statues of cats around the cocoons to try and frighten the mice. When this failed the Emperor had no choice but to send the cats out to hunt. The Japanese bobtail became a street cat and was known as the ﾂ'Kazoku Neko' which means family cat'.
Today cats are still highly respected in Japan. In Tokyo, there is a temple called the Goutokuji, which is dedicated to cats. It is believed that the temple is protected by Maneki-neko, a folklore cat. The legend of Maneki-neko can be traced back to when the Goutokuji was a Buddhist monastery. The story follows that the monastery was low on money and food. The monks at the temple always made sure that their cat named Tama, who was a mi-ke (a Japanese Bobtail), always had food. One day the Lord of Hikone, Naotaka Ii, was passing the monastery when he noticed Tama, who was sitting at the front of the monastery, beckoning him. Naotaka followed the cat in to the temple and immediately a bolt of lightening struck the place in which he had been standing. The cat saved the Lord's life and in return the Lord rescued the monastery from poverty. The monastery was renamed Goutokuji.
Maneki Neko, which means beckoning cat, is the incarnation of the Goddess of Mercy. The statue of Maneki Neko is depicted as a mi-ke Japanese Bobtail. The Alter in the Goutokuji is surrounded by the Maneki Neko statues. Many Japanese workplaces display the statute to welcome their customers and to bring success in their work. The statue can also be seen in houses to beckon in good friends.
Yes! Wonderful article that nails the origin of the Japanese cat-love!RockLee said:That would explain a lot I think ☝
Since forbidding a cat wouldn't work verbally, I would assume that the cat had to be on a leash or in a cat cage. So in an effort to protect the cat, the beneficiary was gaoled by the owner. Another case when exorbitant difficulty in obtaining a "work permit" limits the birth right to pursue happiness. Poor cats!Cats in Japan said:During this time, at the order of Emperor Ichijo, cats were forbidden to work. Subsequently the silk industry, which was of great importance in Japan, began to suffer. Because there were no cats to hunt, mice began to destroy the silkworms and cocoons.