Bakeneko

Bakeneko (化け猫, "changed cat") are cats with supernatural powers that they acquire by achieving several characteristics, like age or weight. Sometimes, their tail split into two, making the bakeneko a nekomata (猫又).

Bakeneko in Touhou

Nekomata

According to Japanese folklore, a cat (neko) that has lived for a long time can become a kind of youkai called a nekomata (猫叉). It was believed that after a cat reached ten years of age, its tail would slowly split into two tails, and, along the way, it would develop magic powers, primarily those of necromancy and shamanism. Nekomata also have an ability to shape shift into a human form and are generally hostile to humans.

There is also one kind of Nekomata that lived in Nabeshimahan (鍋島藩), which lived long enough to split its tail six times, resulting in seven tails. It is the most powerful nekomata in Japan.

Maneki-neko

Although nekomata are usually hostile to humans, not all cats youkai are considered hostile. This is the case of the maneki-neko (also called lucky cat), a traditional Japanese figurine depicting a sitting cat raising his paw to the level of its ear. The raised paw represents a cat grooming itself, this gesture is commonly associated with the arrival of a visitor or when the rain is about to fall, these figurines are generally found on storefronts or near checkouts in shopping malls.

Characters under this Bestiary

• Chen (Nekomata)
• Mike Goutokuji (Maneki-neko)

Books and articles

• Perfect Memento in Strict Sense: Beast

See Also

• Wikipedia entry for Bakeneko
• Wikipedia entry for Nekomata
• Wikipedia entry for Maneki-neko