BakenekoBakeneko

bah-keh-NEH-koh

Animal Shapeshifters🏞️ around human dwellings, alleys and backyards, temple and shrine precincts, mountain hamlets

Detailed Description

A consolidated image of the bakeneko based on Edo-period woodblock prints, printed books, and oral tradition. An aged house cat, or one abused by humans, becomes a yokai imbued with vengeful spirit. Portents include licking lamp oil, standing on two legs, and taking human form to slip into a home. Its curses typically target owners or abusers, manifesting as illness, strange deaths, or household decline. Interfering with funerary rites and desecrating corpses are recurring motifs, and tales often end with pacification by monks or ritual prayers. Early modern folk beliefs feared long-tailed cats as gaining occult power, leading to taboos about tail length. Boundaries with the nekomata are blurry, and when the forked tail is not emphasized, the creature is commonly called bakeneko. Urban entertainment refined the monster-cat image, even linking it with courtesan motifs, yet at its core lies awe of a familiar animal and a worldview of gratitude and retribution.

Source Information

種類全体の出典primary

花嵯峨猫魔稗史（鍋島化け猫騒動）

著者: （嘉永年間の歌舞伎・講談）

年代: 1853頃

出版社: （近世の俗伝・芝居）

信頼度: B関連度: 高

花嵯峨猫魔稗史（鍋島化け猫騒動）（オンライン）

Personality

vindictive and cautious, tricks humans when given an opening

Compatibility

brings misfortune to those who wronged it, avoids those who treat it with care

Abilities & Skills

⚡ shapeshifting into human form⚡ understanding human speech⚡ cursing and possession⚡ interference with the dead and corpses⚡ cat dance as a play infused with sorcery⚡ night vision and disruptive leaping

Weaknesses

esoteric rituals and sutra recitation, driven off by blades and fire, pacified through memorial rites and apology

Collection Inclusion

This yokai is included in the following collections:

Famous Yokai | Japan's Most Iconic Yokai, Oni, and Monsters

A guide to Japan's famous yokai like Oni, Kappa, Tengu, and Yuki-onna. Discover their origins through classics, folklore, art, and modern culture.

注目

有名な妖怪代表的な妖怪

Kawaii Yokai

A curated look at cute yokai—from folklore and ukiyo-e to anime—revealing a charming side of Japanese yokai culture.

テーマ別

かわいい妖怪可愛い妖怪

Maya Calendar Guardian KINs

Displaying the Maya calendar KINs that Bakeneko (Bakeneko) protects.

KIN 249

赤い月

protectionType.guidance

Corresponding dates in 2026:

2026/8/15

Guardian Message:

おやおや、あなたのKIN 249に化け猫が寄り添うとは、なんとも興味深い組み合わせですね。化け猫はその鋭い直感と変化の力で、あなたの人生の道筋を照らしてくれるでしょう。彼らは時にいたずら好きですが、その遊び心があなたに新たな視点をもたらすかもしれません。彼らの導きに耳を傾け、心の中の赤い月の情熱を燃やし続けてください。月の音律があなたに調和とバランスをもたらし、化け猫の知恵があなたを新たな冒険へと誘うでしょう。

Learn more about Maya calendar