The Bakeneko
In Japanese folklore, a cat that lives long enough can become something else: it walks on its hind legs, dances with a towel on its head, and takes human form.
What was reported
A bakeneko, 'changed cat', is a cat of Japanese folklore that has gained supernatural powers, usually by living to a great age or growing very large. It can stand and walk upright, speak, lick up lamp oil, and take the shape of its owner.
The most famous story is the Nabeshima cat of Saga, which was said to have taken the form of a lord's favourite and haunted his castle. In other stories, cats were seen dancing at night with towels on their heads.
Explanations offered
Bakeneko stories were popular in the Edo period, in kabuki and woodblock prints. Lamps then burned fish oil, which cats really would lick, and their silent night wanderings did the rest.
- When
- Told since the Edo period
- Where
- Saga, Japan
- Witnesses
- Japanese folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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