Bakeneko

The bakeneko (化け猫, "changed cat") is a type of Japanese yōkai, or supernatural creature. According to its name, it is a cat that has changed into a yōkai. It is often confused with the nekomata, another cat-like yōkai, and the distinction between the two can often be quite ambiguous.

There are legends of bakeneko in various parts of Japan, but the tale of the Nabeshima Bakeneko Disturbance in Saga Prefecture is especially famous.

Origin

The reason that cats are seen as yōkai in Japanese mythology is attributed to many of the characteristics that they possess: for example, the way the irises of their eyes change shape depending on the time of day, the way their fur seems to cause sparks due to static electricity when they are petted (especially in winter), the way they sometimes lick blood, the way they can walk without making a sound, their wild nature that remains despite the gentleness they can show at times, the way they are difficult to control (unlike dogs), the sharpness of their claws and teeth, their nocturnal habits, and their speed and agility.

Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales

Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales, known in Japan as Ayakashi (怪), is a Japanese animated horror anthology television series produced by Toei Animation.

The series is made up of three stories: "Yotsuya Ghost Story", an adaptation of the classic Japanese ghost story; "Goddess of the Dark Tower", based on the play by Kyōka Izumi; and Goblin Cat, an original story by Kenji Nakamura and Michiko Yokote.

Story

Yotsuya Kaidan

"Yotsuya Ghost Story" is a retelling of the classic Japanese ghost story, written by the 18th century kabuki playwright Nanboku Tsuruya IV.

In the anime, Nanboku himself becomes the narrator. Iemon Tamiya is a ronin samurai who marries a beautiful woman named Oiwa. Oiwa is happy with her married life and the birth of their child, but Iemon feels the burden of their poverty.

In return for the promise of a job by a rich man, Iemon promises to marry the man's daughter and conspires to murder his own wife. A servant is ordered by the rich man's daughter to poison Oiwa's food; the toxin permanently disfigures Oiwa's face.