#kaibyo

[nightmaresyrup]

A scruffy old man cat.

I still don't trust nekomata 🥶

[araenu]

A reflection of one’s true self

Calico Chan is an OC I made a few months ago, she is a calico coloured Nekomata. She has a partner named Onyx, who is also a Yokai!

[bonusdragons]

July 30, 2022:

Gloom Secondary, Guardian, Ripple.

Rhydia from Kaibyo’s Clan of the Watchful Abyss!

[screamscenepodcast]

Dive into the history of Japanese ghost cats with BŌREI KAIBYŌ YASHIKI (1958), also known as BLACK CAT MANSION from director Nobuo Nakagawa! This film has everything: bakeneko, kabuki AND revenge!

Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 26:11; Discussion 43:05; Ranking 59:22

[chernobog13]

Coming to theaters soon: Samurai vs the Furry!

Naw, just kidding’.  The above is from a 1937 film entitled Honcho Kaibyo-Den (Indigenous Legend of the Cat-Ghost).  A kaibyo is a “ghost cat” or “cat demon,” and a popular subject matter in kabuki plays starting in the late Edo period.

Depending on the source, this film is either based on or a remake of earlier cinematic kaibyo films dating back as far as 1910.  The kaibyo is the manifestation of revenge for an unfortunate soul, usually a murder victim or suicide.

[jailhouse41]

Lobby card for Bakeneko: A Vengeful Spirit (Kaibyo Nori No Numa, 怪猫呪いの沼), 1968, directed by Yoshihiro Ishikawa (石川義寛) and starring Machiko Yashiro (八代万智子).

[horrorjapan]

Just received my review copy of Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan by Zack Davisson. It’s a follow up of sorts to his previous book on Japanese folklore, Yurei: The Japanese Ghost. 

While understandably less of a creepy read than Yurei, there’s a great variety of analysis and feline fiction to to dig your claws in to. Switching from analysis, to history, to stories, all accompanied by a wealth of illustrations the book keeps you well invested.

In the West we’re often tangentially aware of Japanese folklore through its proliferation in modern media, but Davisson doesn’t take this for granted. If a painting is referenced in the text, it’s there in the book. If a chapter is about Bakeneko 化け猫 for example, the chapter will end with a story about said Kaibyo (Supernatural Cat). I also appreciate each chapter having a mini Kanji breakdown for each of the Kaibyo 怪猫 discussed. It’s the little things that make it such a page turner.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the book so far are the newly translated tales from centuries past detailing the actions of these yokai. Many of them wouldn’t necessarily stand up for a modern audience if published alone, but with the accompanying text stating the historical and mythological significance of some of these stories, everything ties together so nicely.

I’ll have a full review soon on horrorjapan.com! if you’re interested in the book it’s available now http://amzn.to/2zVv6Cz [Affiliate Link]

[universitybookstore]

Cats are beloved by the Japanese people ... and feared! Japanese mythology and folk lore teems with tales of supernatural cats, feline demons, and monster kittens. Scholar Zack Davisson collects these tales in his new book, Kaibyō: The Supernatural Cats of Japan. Now if only I can get these supernatural cats to do my bidding....