Camellia Tea CeremonyHappy 'International Cat Day' from Hogarth (ホガース) and Percy (パーシー)😺🥳🎉
You can follow the brothers' exploits on Instagram🐈⬛🐈⬛🐾
http://instagram.com/hog_and_percy
As you would expect, it's just photos of them...but if black cats are your thing then please check it out🙇♂️
Thank you🐾
#InternationalCatDay #CatDay #Japan #Kyoto #世界猫の日 #猫写真 #猫好き
A CELEBRATION OF CATS 
imperial palace-
in Kyōto even cats
have futons!
百敷や都は猫もふとん哉
-Kobayashi Issa (小林一茶), 1819.
Trans. David Lanoue.
Kyōto is not particularly cat crazy, but there is a wealth of cat-inspired tales, sweets, charms and cuteness (or devilry) to be found. Let's explore!🔎
🐈⬛THE CAT TEMPLE🐈
Shōnen-ji (称念寺) is known as 'Neko-dera'( (猫寺), the 'Cat Temple'. Founded in 1606 by Gakuyo (嶽誉), the temple later became impoverished.
It was saved with cat magic and through the death of a princess.
Gakuyo was mentor to Matsudaira Nobuyoshi (松平信吉 1580-1620), the 5th son of Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康), who supported Shōnen-ji until his death and was buried here.
After Matsudaira's death, patronage to the temple dried up.
By the time of the 3rd abbot, Genyo (還誉上人), Shōnen-ji was almost ruined.
Despite his own impoverishment, Genyo kept his pet cat well fed with the little money he made begging for alms.
Late one evening, during a full moon, Genyo returned from a long day.
As he passed the temple's main hall he realised there was somebody inside. Opening the door, he was astonished to see a beautiful princess in elegant clothes, face concealed by a fan.
The princess danced.
Although the hall was dark, the light from the full-moon was bright, and the shadow cast by the woman was clear...
It was not a human shape, but that of a cat!
Genyo immediately grasped his cat was meddling with otherworldly powers!
Unwilling to be party to the cat's witchcraft (and perhaps fearing what it might do to him), Genyo threw his beloved pet from the temple.
As the weeks passed, the abbot fell into a deep despair. He had lost his friend, and soon he would lose the temple.
The cat did not give up on Genyo.
She began to spy on the Matsudaira family, and discovered that one of the daughters was deathly sick. The cat took possession of the princess and planted in her mind the notion of being buried at Shōnen-ji, the old (forgotten) family temple.
One evening Genyo dreamt of the cat once more.
His old friend whispered that the next day samurai would appear at the temple. Genyo should welcome them, and if he did as they said the temple would flourish once more.
As day broke, Genyo was woken by banging at the gate. Samurai of the Matsudaira family came to arrange for the funeral of a daughter.
Genyo readily agreed and after this time the stipend from the family was restored, allowing the temple to flourish once more.
A little while later Genyo planted a pine in memory of the cat (who never returned). It became known as the 'Cat Pine' (猫松 'Neko-matsu').
Now on its 3rd generation, the tree is said to resemble a cat lying down.
One branch stretches 20m!
It is thought Genyo chose a pine as it featured as part of the dream in which the cat appeared.
In it a pine sprung up and one branch spread unnaturally long until it touched the temple’s main hall. He took this a fortuitous sign and thus planted the 'cat pine'.
Each April and October Shōnen-ji holds a memorial service for animals (動物合同供養祭).
The temple also has an unusual amulet featuring a cat with hands together in prayer. It was designed by the chief priest, modeled on his own cat Miko.
⛩️THE CAT SHRINE😸
Iwagō Mitsuaki helped revive the fortunes of Umenomiya Taisha (梅宮大社). His photographs of the cats cared for by the shrine priest became an instant hit, and nowadays a steady stream of visitors come to catch a glimpse of the pampered felines.
One of the gods enshrined at Umenomiya guards women during childbirth. It's thought the connection between ume and the shrine evolved because umu (生む 'childbirth') sounds similar to ume (梅 'plum blossoms').
Oscelot@camelliakyoto I’m entertained that you also have a cat goddess of childbirth, like my Bast. X3
R. L.@camelliakyoto
Inscrutable ginger
Inscrutable ginger
Mike Bartley@MikeBartley Fantastic photo and fantastic temple🙌
Ms. Que Banh@camelliakyoto Thanks for posting these photos & the story. I really enjoyed reading & learning.