Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Nabeshima Cat, Nabeshima Cat Incident (鍋島の化け猫), Nabeshima Ghost Cat
Category: Cat
The Myth
The Nabeshima-ba-neko is one of Japan’s Three Great Monster Cat Tales, alongside the monster cats of Okazaki and Arima. The story grew out of rumors surrounding a family dispute in the Saga Domain and later became famous through kabuki plays, storytelling, and numerous films.
The tale begins when Nabeshima Mitsushige, the second lord of the Saga Domain, kills Matashichiro, the blind head of the Ryuzoji family, during a game of Go after becoming enraged at losing. His retainers conceal the murder from the public.
When Matashichiro’s mother, Omasa, learns that Mitsushige was responsible for her son’s disappearance, she is overcome with grief. Before taking her own life, she entrusts her beloved cat Koma (also called Tama) with avenging her family. The cat drinks Omasa’s blood and disappears.
Soon afterward, supernatural events begin to plague Mitsushige and his household. During a cherry blossom viewing at the Nabeshima residence, the monstrous cat appears, murders several ladies-in-waiting, and attacks Mitsushige before being driven away by the retainer Komori Hanzaemon.
Seeking revenge against Hanzaemon, the cat kills and devours his mother and wife, assuming their appearances in an attempt to murder him. When its disguise is discovered, it escapes on a black cloud.
The curse continues. Mitsushige suffers terrifying hallucinations every night, gradually descending into madness and illness. While his concubine Otoyo-no-kata nurses him, she begins displaying bizarre behavior, secretly eating carp alive from the palace pond and licking oil from lamps during the night.
Suspicious, Hanzaemon follows her and sees her shadow on a paper screen transform into a gigantic cat. The monster has murdered and eaten Otoyo-no-kata, stolen her appearance, and infiltrated Saga Castle. From its hiding place in the Ume Palace, it torments Mitsushige while commanding other monstrous cats disguised as ladies-in-waiting to abduct children from the town for food.
Determined to end the curse, Komori Hanzaemon and Ito Sota confront the monster and its feline followers inside the palace. After the lesser cats are destroyed, the monstrous cat flees to a cave on Mount Hōman. The two warriors pursue it, slay the creature, and finally bring the haunting to an end.
According to the legend, the cat’s body was buried on the mountain, where it was later worshipped as a deity.
Sources
Takahashi, Toshihiro. “鍋島の化け猫 (Nabeshima-ba-neko).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). Accessed July 28, 2026. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1069592528.html