Japanese Folklore Nekomata Yokai

Nekomata 猫又 nekomata are a kind of cat yōkai told about in folklore as well as classical kaidan essays etc.

Japanese folklore nekomata yokai. It is often confused with the nekomata another cat like yōkai. The distinction between them is often ambiguous but the largest difference is that the nekomata has two tails while the bakeneko has only one. It is often confused with bakeneko. They can also be called ayakashi 妖 mononoke 物の怪 or mamono 魔物. Like many of japan s animals when cats live to an old age they develop supernatural powers and transform into yōkai. Soon they begin to walk about at on their hind legs. Bakeneko 化け猫 bakeneko is a type of japanese yōkai or supernatural creature.

Within these pages you ll find an ever growing collection of yokai and legends from all parts of japan and all periods of japanese history. While not all bakeneko are malicious or violent towards their masters all nekomata are. According to its name it is a cat that has changed into a yōkai. They look upon humans with contempt. They are born in the same way as other bakeneko though only the oldest largest cats with the longest tails and thus more power and intelligence become this powerful variety. Known as amabie アマビエ the humanoid fish yōkai a class of supernatural spirits popularized in japanese mythology was first. When a nekomata transforms into a yōkai its tail splits down the center into two identical tails.

That habit has continued in the age of coronavirus with the elevation of a 19th century anti plague demon from japanese folklore to help rally the public in the fight against the covid 19 pandemic. There are legends of bakeneko in various parts of japan but the tale of the nabeshima bakeneko disturbance in saga prefecture is especially famous. Some of them have never appeared in english before while others will be intimately familiar to fans of japanese folklore. Yomotsu shikome the hags of the underworld. There are two very different types the beast that lives in the mountains and the ones raised domestically that grow old and transform. These monster cats are most likely seen walking around on their hind legs and speaking human languages.

It is often confused with the nekomata another cat like yōkai and the distinction between the two can often be quite ambiguous. Those that live in the mountains and domestic cats that have grown old and transformed. There are two very different types. Bakeneko begin their supernatural life looking almost identical to an ordinary housecat.