Bakeneko (Monster-Cat)

Bakeneko (Monster-Cat)

Bakeneko (化け猫, "monster-cat"), in Japanese folklore, refers to cat yōkai (spiritual beings) with supernatural abilities akin to those of the kitsune (fox) or tanuki (raccoon dog). 

There are a number of superstitions that detail how ordinary cat may transform into a bakeneko. Bakeneko then haunt and menace their household.

A bakeneko with a forked tail is referred to as a nekomata (猫又, or 猫股 "forked-cat"). 

The popular good luck totem, the Maneki Neko (招き猫, "Beckoning Cat") found in shop fronts, is also a type of bakeneko. 

Most of the stories about the bakeneko are told orally in Japan.

Tashirojima  Ishinomaki Miyagi Japan

Tashirojima is famouse for cat.

The statue was built as a symbol of recovery from the  Earthquake.