Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: None recorded
Category: Cat

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The Myth

According to a legend from Yoshima in Fukushima Prefecture, there are four ranks of horned cat demons, each possessing different powers. The legend was introduced in the Illustrated Compendium of Mythical Creatures of Japan (2016), which also features photographs of skulls said to belong to these beings.

The lowest rank is the Wild Demon, a one-horned cat that differs little from an ordinary cat and possesses no special supernatural abilities. Its traditional leader bears the title Amenokatsubushi no Mikoto.

Above them are the Ghost Demons, recognizable by their two horns. They understand human language and possess the ability to shapeshift. Their leader is known as Amenomatatabi-no-Mikoto.

The third rank consists of the Sky Demons, which have three horns. They can understand the languages of all animals and plants, shapeshift at will, and command the forces of earth, water, fire, and wind. Their leader is called Amenoshaminen-no-Mikoto.

The highest rank is the Heavenly Demons (Tenki). These beings are considered equal to gods and rarely reveal themselves or harm humans. Unlike the lower ranks, they have no horns and are completely indistinguishable from ordinary cats. No skull of a Heavenly Demon has ever been found. Their leader is traditionally named Nekoterasu-Ōmikami.

A cat demon’s rank is determined at birth and normally cannot change. However, the legend states that through constant training a cat demon may eventually lose its horns and ascend to the rank of a Heavenly Demon, which is why cat demons are said to devote themselves tirelessly to spiritual cultivation.

The legend also describes other horned demon races. Chicken demons are weaker than cat demons and are often hunted by them. Fox demons are stronger than cat demons, while bear demons are the most powerful of all, although they are said to live without conflict with the other races.

A mysterious document known as the “Cat Demon’s Apology Letter” is also associated with the tradition. Written in an unreadable script of strange symbols and accompanied by what appears to be a map, its contents remain undeciphered. The source notes that many aspects of the legend—including the divine names and the four-rank hierarchy—appear to parody elements of Japanese mythology and older folklore, and it remains uncertain whether the legend itself is genuinely ancient or a more recent creation.

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Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “猫鬼 (Neko-Oni).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). Accessed July 28, 2026. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1069861391.html

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Nekomata, Nekomata (猫跨, older spelling), Cat Fork-Tail
Category: Cat

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The Myth

The Nekomata is one of Japan’s best-known cat yōkai. According to folklore and numerous historical texts, an ordinary cat that lives for many years may transform into a Nekomata. Its tail splits into two, and it gains supernatural powers.

Nekomata are said to speak human language, dance like people, transform into humans, and sometimes attack both humans and animals.

One of the earliest recorded accounts appears in the Meigetsuki, which states that in 1233 a Nekomata appeared near Nara, killing seven or eight people in a single night. When the beast was finally slain, it was found to have the eyes of a cat but the body the size of a dog.

The Tsurezuregusa also mentions that deep in the mountains there are Nekomata that devour people.

Later illustrated yōkai scrolls portray the creature differently. In the Hyakkai Zukan, a Nekomata is shown disguised as a woman while playing the shamisen, while Toriyama Sekien’s Gazu Hyakki Yagyō depicts a Nekomata wearing a towel over its head and dancing merrily on the veranda of a house. These portrayals reflect the belief that aged cats could become intelligent supernatural beings capable of human behavior and transformation.

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Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “猫又 (Nekomata).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). Accessed July 28, 2026. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010653552.html

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: None recorded
Category: Cat

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The Myth

The Neko-bakemono is a monster cat introduced as the final yōkai in Hyakki Hirugyō (“Daytime Parade of One Hundred Demons”), a satirical collection published in Illustrated Moral Tales (1916).

It appears as a cat standing upright on two legs, casually stroking its whiskers. The work states that this monster first became infamous through the Nabeshima Incident, one of Japan’s most famous monster cat legends.

Although it meows gently, walks without making a sound, and appears soft and harmless, its true nature is far more dangerous. The text warns readers to look beyond its pleasant appearance and notice its sharp eyes, claws, and teeth. Its sweet voice and gentle behavior are merely a disguise meant to lull people into lowering their guard before it strikes.

The Neko-bakemono is described as an extremely ferocious monster whose poisonous and cruel nature is concealed beneath a friendly exterior. The author explains that most people judge only appearances, making them easy prey for such creatures.

The work further compares the monster to deceptive people in society, stating that many women who hide their true intentions can be likened to cat monsters, and warns young men to remain cautious of outward charm that conceals dangerous motives.

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Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “猫化け物 (Neko-bakemono).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). Accessed July 28, 2026. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1069861234.html

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Nabeshima Cat, Nabeshima Cat Incident (鍋島の化け猫), Nabeshima Ghost Cat
Category: Cat

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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.

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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

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Name: –
Category: Cat

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The Myth

According to the Chikuzen no Kuni Zoku Fudoki, a mysterious monster began terrorizing Motoki Village around 1680. It visited the village headman’s house almost every night, tormenting the women. Guards assigned to protect the house were overcome by an unnatural drowsiness, allowing the creature to enter unnoticed.

The monster raped and impregnated women in the village, who later gave birth to strange infants that eventually died. Believing foxes or badgers were responsible, the villagers stationed powerful hunting dogs around the village, but the dogs were so terrified that they refused to approach the creature.

The attacks continued for years. In 1685, the local lord sent two exceptionally fierce dogs to guard the village. When the monster finally returned, one of the dogs confronted it in a violent battle. Neither gained the upper hand, and the monster escaped, leaving the dog with a deep, razor-like wound across its nose. After this encounter, the creature was never seen in the village again.

Some time later, a hunter discovered a strange beast in the nearby mountains unlike any known animal—not a boar, fox, badger, or any familiar creature. It was believed to be the same monster that had terrorized Motoki Village.

Some later traditions claim the creature was finally destroyed in 1694, and that its bones were discovered beneath a floor in 1699. A copied report attributed to the village headman included a drawing of the monster’s skull. The Kaikidan Ekotoba also depicts the creature as two black, sharp-fanged beasts of unknown name, alongside an unexplained illustration of a cat wearing a towel with a forked tail.

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Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “元木村の化け物 (Motokimura-bakemono).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). Accessed July 28, 2026. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1045123320.html

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative name: –
Category: Cat

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The Myth

The Myōki is a cat-headed disease demon believed to bring illness. It is mentioned in medieval Japanese texts such as the Denshibyō Kanjinshō.

According to descriptions in Denshibyō Shujuji and Keiran Shūyōshū, the Myōki has the head of a cat and the body of a human, and wears red robes. It holds Hyakkō Henshō-Ō (Dainichi Nyorai / Mahāvairocana) in its left hand while striking the chest of sick people with its right hand, causing disease.

Illustrations matching this description are preserved in manuscripts of Denshibyō Shujuji, including copies kept at Kinzan-ji Temple in Okayama.

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Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “猫鬼 (Myōki).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). Accessed July 28, 2026. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1077741575.html

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