{"id":34359,"date":"2026-06-03T04:06:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T04:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/34359\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T04:06:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T04:06:11","slug":"in-japan-cats-are-more-than-pets-theyre-practically-an-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/34359\/","title":{"rendered":"In Japan, cats are more than pets \u2013 they\u2019re practically an economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Yanaka Ginza, a neighbourhood in northeast Tokyo, is a haven for cat lovers. (Japan Journeys pic)
\nPETALING JAYA: In Japan, cats are everywhere. They peer out from book covers<\/a>, greet customers from shopfronts, and nap lazily in caf\u00e9s built entirely around their catty charm.<\/p>\n

Entire islands are known for their feline residents, while Tokyo even has a neighbourhood affectionately nicknamed \u201ccat town\u201d.<\/p>\n

For years now, cats have also outnumbered dogs as household pets in Japan \u2013 a reflection of the country\u2019s enduring fascination with its famously independent companions.<\/p>\n

That affection has become so widespread, it now has its own nickname: \u201ccatnomics\u201d.<\/p>\n

According to estimates cited by Japanese media and reported by The Guardian<\/a>, cats are expected to contribute almost \u00a53 trillion (about RM88 billion) to the country\u2019s economy this year through industries ranging from petcare and caf\u00e9s to tourism, merchandise and publishing.<\/p>\n

Nowhere is that obsession more visible than Yanaka Ginza, a nostalgic neighbourhood in northeast Tokyo where cats have become part of the local identity.<\/p>\n

The area\u2019s narrow streets are lined with cat-themed signboards, souvenirs and snacks, attracting visitors from around the world hoping to experience a quieter, old-fashioned side of Tokyo with a feline twist.<\/p>\n

Shoppers browse stores selling lucky black-cat magnets, chopsticks, crockery and postcards, while some caf\u00e9s offer sweets shaped like sleeping cats.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have always been cats in Yanaka because there are lots of Buddhist temples here,\u201d local shop owner Yumiko Yamashita told The Guardian.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the old days they roamed around and even went into different houses, but they\u2019re less visible these days. They prefer to stay indoors on a hot day like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Cats occupy a special place in Japanese literature, even appearing on covers of books that have little connection to the animal itself.<\/p>\n

Japan\u2019s love affair with cats stretches far beyond tourism: cats have long occupied a special place in Japanese literature and pop culture, from Natsume S\u014dseki\u2019s classic novel \u201cI Am a Cat\u201d to the surreal feline appearances scattered throughout Haruki Murakami\u2019s works.<\/p>\n

Books such as \u201cThe Travelling Cat Chronicles\u201d by Hiro Arikawa and \u201cThe Guest Cat\u201d by Takashi Hiraide have also found devoted audiences both in Japan and overseas.<\/p>\n

Publishers, recognising the appeal of feline imagery, have increasingly leaned into cat-themed marketing, even placing cats on covers of books with little connection to the animal itself.<\/p>\n

In a country where pets now outnumber children under 15, caring for cats has also become serious business. According to the Japan Pet Food Association, households owned about 8.8 million cats in 2025, compared with 6.8 million dogs.<\/p>\n

The average cat-owning household reportedly spends close to \u00a51.8 million over a cat\u2019s lifetime. That devotion has helped fuel an entire ecosystem surrounding cats, from themed eateries and photography books to pet products and tourism campaigns.<\/p>\n

Professor emeritus Katsuhiro Miyamoto of Kansai University recently estimated that cats would generate an economic impact comparable to that of Expo 2025 Osaka.<\/p>\n

\"\"Japan\u2019s \u2018maneki-neko\u2019, or \u2018beckoning cat\u2019, is famously associated with good luck and good fortune. (Unsplash pic)<\/p>\n

Cats are believed to have arrived in Japan during the Nara period between the eighth and ninth centuries, likely brought from China to protect Buddhist scriptures from rodents in temples. Over time, they became associated with luck, mystery and protection.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most recognisable symbol of that affection today is the \u201cmaneki-neko\u201d, or \u201cbeckoning cat\u201d \u2013 the figurine seen in restaurants and shops across Japan, one paw raised as if inviting good fortune inside.<\/p>\n

Legend traces the figurine\u2019s origins to Tokyo\u2019s G\u014dtokuji temple, where a feudal lord was supposedly saved from a lightning strike after following a cat beckoning him towards the temple grounds.<\/p>\n

These days, the statues remain a common sight across Japan, quietly watching over businesses and homes alike.<\/p>\n

Part of the country\u2019s enduring affection for cats may also lie in their temperament. \u201cCats don\u2019t live for the moment; they live in the moment,\u201d Japan-based author Stephen Mansfield told The Guardian.<\/p>\n

\u201cDwelling neither in the past nor future, their minds are likely a lot less cluttered than ours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Japan\u2019s ageing population and declining birth rate may someday reshape the country\u2019s pet culture. But for now, the nation\u2019s felines continue to reign, whether from caf\u00e9 counters, temple grounds, or the shelves of souvenir shops.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Yanaka Ginza, a neighbourhood in northeast Tokyo, is a haven for cat lovers. (Japan Journeys pic) PETALING JAYA:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":34360,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[174],"tags":[23337,615,191,189,9061,8,188,2827,190,20847,26118,2174,52,481,26119],"class_list":["post-34359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-catnomics","tag-cats","tag-economy","tag-economy-of-japan","tag-haruki-murakami","tag-japan","tag-japans-economy","tag-japanese-culture","tag-japanese-economy","tag-literature","tag-maneki-neko","tag-pets","tag-tokyo","tag-tourism","tag-yanaka-ginza"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34359\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}