Japanese Cat Gifts: 4 Gift Ideas for Cat Lovers (and a Little Cat Lore)

Shopping for Japanese cat gifts is easier than shopping for the person who loves cats. Cat people already own the mug, the socks and the calendar. What they do not own is a gift that looks like their cat — the one who naps all day, steals food off the counter and sits in exactly the wrong patch of sun. So here is a different kind of gift guide: four cat personalities, four original Japanese-inspired designs, and the bit of Japanese cat lore behind each one.

Why Japan is the perfect place to look for cat gifts

Japan takes cats seriously. Since 1987 the country has celebrated Neko no Hi, Cat Day, on February 22nd. The date is a pun: 2-2-2 can be read as ni-ni-ni, which sounds like nyan-nyan-nyan — "meow meow meow."

There are also cat islands. The most famous is Tashirojima in Miyagi Prefecture, where cats outnumber the people who live there. Local fishermen have long treated the cats as good luck, and the island even has a small shrine to a cat god.

Cats have slipped into everyday Japanese, too. If you cannot handle hot soup, you have nekojita — a "cat's tongue." And a winter children's song, sung in Japanese schools for more than a century, sums up the season in two lines: the dog runs happy circles in the snow, while the cat curls up under the warm kotatsu. Every cat owner in America will recognise that cat.

1. For the cat who takes napping seriously

Every household has one. It sleeps sixteen hours a day and still looks tired. In Japanese the afternoon nap is hirune, and our Hirune Neko T-Shirt is a black-and-white cat who has committed to it completely: chin on a fuzzy red blanket, one paw dangling, zero plans for the rest of the day.

It is printed on a heavyweight, garment-dyed 100% cotton tee — soft and a little lived-in from the first wear, which is exactly how a nap shirt should feel. A good pick for the friend who says "I'm just resting my eyes."

2. For the cat who steals fish (and screams for dinner)

Japanese has a perfect phrase for this cat: neko ni katsuobushi — "dried bonito flakes next to a cat." It means putting temptation right in front of someone who is never going to resist. Anyone who has left a plate of salmon on the counter knows it is not a saying. It is a prophecy.

The Iwashi Neko Hoodie is for the cat lover whose cat yells at 5 p.m. sharp. On the front, a tiny tabby kitten screams for dinner while a burst of orange sardines (iwashi) circles its head. On the back, the sardines make their escape into a spiral inspired by the Naruto whirlpools — real tidal whirlpools in a strait between Shikoku and Awaji Island, some of the largest in the world. A chalk fish skeleton runs down one sleeve. Last night's dinner, presumably.

3. For the cat who follows the sun around the house

Japanese has a lovely word for the warm patch of sunlight on the floor: hidamari. A cat in that patch is a hidamari neko, and if you live with one, you know that the sunbeam moves across the room all afternoon and the cat moves with it, one slow shuffle at a time.

The Hidamari Neko Hoodie is that feeling, printed all over. On the front, a black cat with amber eyes peeks out of a wall of sunflowers. On the back, the same cat sits in the middle of the field, watching a red dragonfly. It is a bright, buttery-yellow hoodie for the middle of winter — the closest thing to a sunbeam you can wear.

4. For the cat who attacks the Christmas tree

Some cats see a Christmas tree and think "festive." Most think "climbing frame with shiny toys." The Momi Neko Hoodie solves the problem: momi is the Japanese fir tree, and this round black cat in a Santa hat simply grew its own. Its huge bushy tail is wrapped in fairy lights with a gold star on top.

Turn around and the cat is sitting with its tail-tree up the middle of your back, presents piled underneath, while a tiny mouse climbs a ladder to fix the star. The cat is not impressed. It is printed on soft salmon pink with snow dots — a Christmas hoodie that is funny without being an ugly sweater.

A gift with a wish attached: the beckoning cat

If you have ever eaten in a Japanese restaurant, you have met the maneki-neko, the beckoning cat, waving from the counter. Tradition says a raised left paw invites customers and a raised right paw invites money. The most popular origin story points to Gōtoku-ji, a temple in Tokyo's Setagaya ward, where thousands of little white lucky cats now sit on the shelves left by visitors.

That is the quiet idea behind a good cat gift: it is a small wish for luck, wrapped up in a cat. (The maneki-neko deserves its own story, and it will get one soon.)

How to choose the right Japanese cat gift

A few practical notes, so the gift actually gets worn:

• Hoodie or tee? The hoodies are all-over prints — front, back, sleeves and hood — and come as a pullover or a full-zip. The tees are heavyweight garment-dyed cotton with a single front print, easy to wear all year.
• Fabric. Each hoodie comes in polyester fleece (crisp, vivid colour, easy care) or 100% cotton (softer, with a natural marled texture). Pick cotton for someone who hates synthetics, fleece for someone who wants the brightest print.
• Match the cat, not the person. The best cat gift makes the owner say, "That's literally him." Think about what their cat does all day, then pick the design.

Want more? The full cat collection has dozens of original neko designs, and if you are curious how cats spend December in Japan, read Christmas in Japan: 7 Japanese Christmas Traditions.

Japanese cat gifts: quick answers

What do cats symbolize in Japan?

Mostly good luck. The maneki-neko is a charm for business and money, and on fishing islands such as Tashirojima, cats have long been seen as bringing good catches.

When is Cat Day in Japan?

February 22nd. The numbers 2-2-2 read as "ni-ni-ni," which sounds like "nyan-nyan-nyan," the Japanese way of saying meow. It has been celebrated since 1987.

What does "neko" mean in Japanese?

Neko (猫) simply means cat. You will see it in many of our design names — Hirune Neko is the napping cat, Hidamari Neko the cat in the sunny spot.

What is a good gift for a cat lover who has everything?

Something that looks like their own cat's personality. An original piece of cat art they can wear — rather than another mug — is a gift they will actually use, and it starts conversations with other cat people.

Every Chrisraw design is original Japanese-inspired artwork, printed to order. Browse the full cat collection — and give the cat its due.