Review: Kaibyō: The Supernatural Cats of Japan

Strolling the familiar parks and walkways of our neighborhood in Yokohama, we often witnessed residents leaving open cans of food for the many feral cats roaming the area. “Cats have long existed in Japan,” observes Zack Davisson, “serving myriad roles. From pampered palace playthings…to the terrifying monsters and shapeshifters of folklore…”

Davisson’s beautiful new book, Kaibyō: The Supernatural Cats of Japan, comprises a primer on the rich tapestry of Japanese cat lore, carefully organized to be both accessible and engaging. Like his Yūrei: The Japanese Ghost (2015), Kaibyō features traditional Japanese strange tales, a number of which have been translated by the author.

My favorite among the magical cats are the bakeneko, shapeshifters like Japanese foxes and tanuki. Housecats may transform into these yōkai (supernatural beings) upon reaching an advanced age, or after drinking the blood of a suicide or murder victim. Able to assume human form at will, bakeneko may take unwitting human lovers, act the part of friend or enemy, exact revenge or even enact a curse on an entire family.

Successive chapters introduce us to a bestiary of magical cats and cryptids, placed within a broader cultural context and illustrated by line drawings and colorful wood block prints. The attractive book design optimizes all that is offered here, balancing text with image, and a folklorist’s research with the interests of a nonspecialist readership.

 Kaibyō sheds light on the historical origins and enduring influence of Japan’s supernatural cats. Yōkai have been a potent source of artistic inspiration, and the kaibyō are no exception. The book’s final chapter highlights the evolution from representation in traditional art forms such as kabuki and ukiyo-e to modern appropriations in film and manga, debuting illustrations by the author’s mentor, manga titan Shigeru Mizuki, to readers of English.

Extras include an unobtrusively introduced yōkai lexicon, and sidelights, such as illuminating notes on the kanji used to write the names of various magical cats and a brief bio of influential Edo-period artist Toriyama Sekien. The discussion remains focused, allowing uninterrupted progress through the material, though I preferred to take it all in, a little at a time. Kaibyō is worth lingering over, and enjoying.