Kaibyō (怪猫, "strange cat")^[1] aresupernatural cats inJapanese folklore.^[2] Examples includebakeneko, ayōkai (or supernatural entity) commonly characterized as having the ability toshapeshift into human form;maneki-neko, usually depicted as a figurine often believed to bring good luck to the owner; andnekomata, referring either to a type ofyōkai that lives in mountain areas ordomestic cats that have grown old and transformed intoyōkai.

The reason that cats are often depicted asyōkai in Japanese mythology can be attributed to many of their characteristics: for example, the irises of their eyes change shape depending on the time of day; their fur can seem to cause sparks when they are petted (due tostatic electricity); they sometimes lick blood; they can walk without making audible sounds; their sharp claws and teeth; their nocturnal habits; and their speed and agility.^[3][4]

Thebakeneko (化け猫, "changed cat") is ayōkai that appears in legends in various parts of Japan. Its characteristics and abilities vary, from being able toshapeshift into human form,^[5][6] speak human words,^[5][7] curse or possess humans,^[8] and manipulate dead people,^[8] to wearing a towel or napkin on its head and dancing.^[5][7]

Themaneki-neko (招き猫,lit. 'beckoning cat'), or "lucky cat", is commonly depicted as a figurine, often believed to bring good luck to the owner. It is typically depicted as a calicoJapanese Bobtail holding akoban coin, with a paw raised in a Japanese beckoning gesture. The figurines are often displayed in shops, restaurants,pachinko parlors, laundromats, bars, casinos, hotels, nightclubs, and other businesses, generally near the entrance.

Nekomata (original form: 猫また, later forms: 猫又, 猫股, 猫胯) refers either to a type of catyōkai that lives in mountain areas, or todomestic cats that have grown old and transformed intoyōkai.^[9]

"Monster cat" or "ghost cat" films (kaibyō eiga orbake neko mono) are a subgenre of Japanesehorror films featuringkaibyō, derived primarily from the repertoire ofkabuki theatre.^[10] The subgenre first gained popularity prior toWorld War II; its popularity declined after the war, arguably because Japanese audiences no longer believed in or feared such entities.^[10] However, the subgenre experienced a resurgence of popularity in the 1950s and 1960s due to actressTakako Irie appearing in "monster cat" film roles.^[10] Films featuring depictions ofkaibyō include:

• Arima Neko (1937)^[11][12]
• The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen (1938)^[12][13]
• Ghost Cat of Nabeshima (1949)^[14][15]
• Ghost of Saga Mansion (1953)^[15]
• Ghost-Cat of Arima Palace (1953)^[15]
• Ghost Cat of the Okazaki Upheaval (1954)^[15]
• The Ghost Cat of Ouma Crossing (1954)^[15]
• Ghost-Cat of Gojusan-Tsugi (1956)^[16]
• Ghost Cat of Yonaki Swamp (1957)^[17]
• Ghost-Cat Wall of Hatred (1958)^[16]
• Black Cat Mansion (1958)^[15][18]
• The Ghost Cat of Otama Pond (1960)^[18]
• Kuroneko (1968)^[18]
• The Ghost-Cat Cursed Pond (1968)^[19]
• Blind Woman's Curse (1970)^[15]
• A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse (1975)^[20]
• House (1977)^[21]

• Curran, Beverley; Sato-Rossberg, Nana; Tanabe, Kikuko, eds. (2015).Multiple Translation Communities in Contemporary Japan.Routledge.ISBN 978-1-138-83170-4.
• Sharp, Jasper (2011).Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema.Scarecrow Press.ISBN 978-0810857957.
• 笹間良彦 (1994).図説・日本未確認生物事典. 柏書房.ISBN 978-4-7601-1299-9.
• 多田克己 (2000). 京極夏彦・多田克己編 (ed.).妖怪図巻. 国書刊行会.ISBN 978-4-336-04187-6.
• 鈴木棠三 (1982).日本俗信辞典 動・植物編. 角川書店.ISBN 978-4-04-031100-5.
• 古山桂子他 (2005). 播磨学研究所編 (ed.).播磨の民俗探訪. 神戸新聞総合出版センター.ISBN 978-4-343-00341-6.
• 松谷みよ子 (1994).現代民話考. Vol. 10. 立風書房.ISBN 978-4-651-50210-6.

• Japanese folklore
• Japanese horror fiction
• Cat folklore

• CS1 French-language sources (fr)
• CS1 Japanese-language sources (ja)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles containing Japanese-language text