Cat Day Celebration: Japanese Cat Lecture and Market

Tickets for the Cat Day Lecture and Market are sold out. Still want to attend? Limited free admission will be provided ONLY to the market beginning at 4 PM on February 22. Please arrive at Japan Society at 4 PM, and admission will be provided as long as capacity allows.

Each year, Japan celebrates National Cat Day on February 22. This date in Japanese is “Ni Ni Ni”, which resembles the words “Nyan Nyan Nyan”, the Japanese words for “Meow Meow Meow”. Japan Society is excited to bring this celebration to New York for a purr-fectly delightful afternoon filled with paw-some events.

The afternoon kicks off at 2 PM with noted lecturer, author and translator Zack Davisson for a talk on cats in Japanese myth and folklore. Davisson literally wrote the book on the subject, Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan, and Japan Society will bring him to New York City to speak about purr-anormal felines.

Following this talk, all attendees are invited to join us for an extended reception and marketplace from 3 to 6 PM featuring…

• A Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan book signing
• Presales of upcoming Japanese cat books
• Cat-themed beer, wine, and snacks for purchase
• A market featuring local NYC artists and organizations with cat-focused creations
• A cat ear headband for all attendees

Please note, this event is for cat-loving humans, and while cat apparel and cosplay is encouraged, please leave your actual felines at home.

About Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan 
All cats are magical, but the cats of Japan have their own secrets. If they live long enough, their tails split, they stand on their hind legs and they can start to dance. Bakeneko, nekomata, kasha and even the ubiquitous “lucky cat” called the maneki neko are all kaibyo, or supernatural cats. Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan is an in-depth exploration of Japan’s sometimes charming, sometimes scary feline monsters and ghosts. Zack Davisson illuminates this vast realm of supernatural cats with historical and modern cultural context and lush illustrations including dozens of ukiyo-e prints and drawings.

About Zack Davisson
Zack Davisson is an award-winning translator, writer and folklorist. He is the author of Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan, The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Yokai, Yurei: The Japanese Ghost, The Art of Star Wars Visions and Manga: A Visual Guide. He has translated globally-renowned manga such as Go Nagai’s Devilman and Cutie Honey, Leiji Matsumoto’s Captain Harlock and Space Battleship Yamato and Satoshi Kon’s Opus. He has translated Shigeru Mizuki’s work such as Kitaro and Showa: A History of Japan, and he’s currently translating Gou Tanabe’s Call of Cthulhu and Cat + Gamer. Davisson has lectured at schools such as Duke University, UCLA, Hunter College, Annapolis Naval Academy, and Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia. He has contributed to exhibitions at the Museum of International Folkart, Wereldmuseum Rotterdam, Världskulturmuseerna Stockholm and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. He lives in Seattle, WA with his wife Miyuki, dog Mochi and cat Shere Khan.

About Japanese Cat Book Presales

Mornings Without Mii (pre-release)
Mayumi Inaba

A beloved Japanese modern classic: a meditation on solitude, independence, writing, and life alongside a cat. 

On a cool summer evening in 1977, Mayumi Inaba hears a forlorn cry carried by the breeze off Tokyo’s Tamagawa River. She follows the sound to the riverbank and finds a newborn kitten only the size of her palm dangling from a fence, abandoned. Overcome by tender affection, she takes the cat back to the small apartment she shares with her husband and christens her Mii: so begins an ineffable bond. 

Over the next twenty years, we follow Inaba, a poet and novelist by moonlight, as she pursues quiet, solitude, and a room of her own. Through it all, her cat, a fiercely independent creature in her own right, is her confidante and muse. 

From the late Mayumi Inaba, a winner of the Kawabata Prize and the Tanizaki Prize, Mornings Without Mii is not just a love letter to companionship: it’s a poignant, searching meditation on the forces that enable us to connect, to create, and to build a life.

Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen (pre-release)
Yuta Takahashi

“Charming . . . Easy to read, this book will take readers on an emotional and nourishing journey.” —The Seattle Times 

“A warm hug of a novel.” —AARP

“Profoundly relatable . . . A heartfelt addition to contemporary Japanese literature. It offers readers not just a story but an emotional journey that resonates deeply with anyone who has experienced loss. . . . The author skillfully illustrates how food can act as a bridge between the living and the departed. . . . A must-read for those seeking solace in stories about love and remembrance.” —Storizen Magazine

The Blanket Cats (pre-release)
Kiyoshi Shigematsu

A peculiar pet shop in Tokyo has been known to offer customers the unique opportunity to take home one of seven special cats, whose “magic” is never promised, but always received. But there are rules: these cats must be returned after three days. They must eat only the food supplied by the owner, and they must travel to their new homes with a distinctive blanket. 

In The Blanket Cats, we meet seven customers, each of whom is hoping a temporary feline companion will help them escape a certain reality, including a couple struggling with infertility, a middle-aged woman on the run from the police, and two families in very different circumstances simply seeking joy. 

But like all their kind, the “blanket cats” are mysterious creatures with unknowable agendas, who delight in confounding expectations. And perhaps what their hosts are looking for isn’t really what they need. Three days may not be enough to change a life. But it might just change how you see it.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes
Hisashi Kashiwai

We all hold lost recipes in our hearts. A very special restaurant in Kyoto helps find them . . .

Tucked away down a Kyoto backstreet lies the extraordinary Kamogawa Diner, run by Chef Nagare and his daughter, Koishi. The father-daughter duo have reinvented themselves as “food detectives,” offering a service that goes beyond cooking mouth-watering meals. Through their culinary sleuthing, they revive lost recipes and rekindle forgotten memories.

From the Olympic swimmer who misses his estranged father’s bento lunchbox to the one-hit-wonder pop star who remembers the tempura she ate to celebrate her only successful record, each customer leaves the diner forever changed—though not always in the ways they expect . . .

The Kamogawa Diner doesn’t just serve meals—it’s a door to the past through the miracle of delicious food. A beloved bestseller in Japan, The Restaurant of Lost Recipes is a tender and healing novel for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives
Hisashi Kashiwai

The Kamogawa Food Detectives is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series, for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason customers stop by . . .

The father-daughter duo are ‘food detectives’. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories – dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.

A bestseller in Japan, The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a celebration of good company and the power of a delicious meal.

Marketplace Participants

The Cat Museum of New York City
The Cat Museum of New York City is a proposed institution dedicated to supporting cats and the humans who care for them, primarily through art exhibits. Its mission is to educate the public about cat care, cat rescue, cats’ role in our culture and human history, and issues affecting cats. It also aims to connect cat lovers in New York City.

Catnap Crafts
Hi, I’m Lynn, the creative spirit behind Catnap Crafts! Based in Astoria, Queens, I create whimsical cat toys filled with catnip for your feline friends and colorful crocheted cats designed to brighten your space. Working with vibrant fabrics and yarns is my happy place, and I love turning them into playful creations. Catnap Crafts began as a way to combine my passion for crafting with my commitment to supporting NYC’s cat rescues. Every purchase helps make a difference—one playful paw (or person!) at a time!

MIYOMACCHI
We are a cheesecake shop based in East Village. Most of our menu items are created in collaboration with farmers and food producers from around the world. Through our menu, we hope to introduce you to high-quality fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients from diverse regions. This year, we are excited to collaborate with artists and shops to offer unique goods. Stay tuned for more!

Cats About Town
Cats About Town Tours offers a one-of-a-kind way to experience New York City, blending history, culture, and a love for cats into an engaging walking tour. Participants are guided through vibrant neighborhoods while learning fascinating stories about NYC’s connection to its feline residents and the historical landmarks they pass along the way. Designed to be family-friendly, the tours include free admission for kids under 12, making them an inclusive and memorable activity for cat lovers of all ages. With its fun and approachable style, Cats About Town Tours provides a fresh perspective on the city while building a community of cat enthusiasts eager to explore and share their passion for NYC’s unique charm.

Speedy Sketch
Speedy Sketch, aka Hannah KBN, is a cartoonist and illustrator based in Queens, New York.  She draws various original comics, fanart and of course, cats!  Hannah sells her hand made products at anime conventions and local art markets around the city, as well as teaches manga workshops part-time.  Check out her work on instagram and bluesky!

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All lecture attendees will receive complimentary Churu, courtesy of INABA-PETFOOD Co.,Ltd.

Japan Society’s 120th anniversary initiatives and related programs are generously supported by Champion Sponsor, MUFG Bank, Ltd.

Japan Society programs are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support for cultural programs is provided by an anonymous donor and the Sandy Heck Lecture Fund.