Bakeneko: A Supernatural Cat Yōkai in Japanese Folklore

A Bakeneko is a Japanese yōkai, or supernatural cat, that gains special powers as it gets older or through certain actions. Unlike regular house cats, Bakeneko can shapeshift, speak human languages, and even control the dead. They are usually shown as sinister beings that take their owners’ places or haunt homes. Bakeneko are an important part of the bakemono, or ‘changing things,’ in Japanese folklore.

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Key Takeaways

Attribute	Details
Names	Bakeneko (化け猫), kaibyō (strange cat), monster cat
Translation	Changed cat or transformed cat
Title	The Monster Cat
Type	Obake / Bakemono
Origin	A domestic cat that reaches a specific age, size, or licks lamp oil
Gender	Can be male or female; often assumes female human forms
Appearance	A large cat, sometimes walking on hind legs, or a human-cat hybrid
Powers/Abilities	Shapeshifting, human speech, necromancy, creating fireballs
Weaknesses	Physical weapons, being identified in human form, death of the original cat
Habitat	Human homes, villages, and urban areas
Diet/Prey	Lamp oil (fish oil), human flesh, or their former masters
Symbolic Item	A tenugui (hand towel) often worn on the head while dancing
Symbolism	The dangers of domestic pets living too long and the supernatural potential of the mundane
Sources	Ehon Hyaku Monogatari, Gazu Hyakki Yagyō, Nabeshima Kaibyō Den

Who or What is Bakeneko?

A Bakeneko starts out as a normal house cat. In Japanese folklore, especially from the Edo period, a cat becomes a yōkai when it meets certain conditions. These include being twelve or thirteen years old, weighing about 3.75 kg (one kan), or having a long, undocked tail. Cats that often lick lamp oil, which is used to be made from fish oil, are also said to turn into Bakeneko.

After transforming, a Bakeneko gets several supernatural abilities. It can grow very large, sometimes several feet long. The most noticeable change is that it can walk on its back legs and talk like a person.

Some stories show Bakeneko as playful or just a little mischievous, but most old legends describe them as dangerous. They are often blamed for killing their owners, eating them, and then taking their place by copying their appearance.

“Bakeneko” Meaning

The word Bakeneko comes from two Japanese words. ‘Bake’ (化け) comes from ‘bakeru,’ which means ‘to transform,’ ‘to change,’ or ‘to disguise.’ This word is often used for yōkai that can shapeshift, like Tanuki or Kitsune. ‘Neko’ (猫) just means ‘cat.’ So, Bakeneko literally means ‘transformed cat’ or ‘changing cat.’

In the past, the term Bakeneko helped people distinguish these supernatural cats from ordinary ones. During the Edo period, different regions used different words. In some places, they were called kaibyō (怪猫), meaning ‘strange cat’ or ‘ghost cat.’

People sometimes use the word Nekomata to mean the same thing as Bakeneko, but experts say they are different. A Nekomata is usually older and has a split tail. In contrast, a Bakeneko often has a single long tail and is more likely to sneak into homes. The names show how these creatures are believed to cross from the natural world to the supernatural as they get older.

How to Pronounce “Bakeneko” in English

In English, Bakeneko is pronounced ‘bah-keh-neh-koh.’ ‘Bah’ rhymes with ‘car,’ ‘keh’ sounds like the ‘e’ in ‘kept,’ ‘neh’ is like ‘ne’ in ‘net,’ and ‘koh’ rhymes with ‘go.’ In Japanese, each syllable is said with equal length.

What Does Bakeneko Look Like?

A Bakeneko’s appearance changes depending on the story and how far it has transformed. At first, it looks like a very large house cat, sometimes as big as a person. One main feature is its tail. Unlike the Nekomata, which has a split tail, the Bakeneko usually has one long tail.

When a Bakeneko stands on its back legs, it can look more like a human. In many old woodblock prints, like those by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Bakeneko are shown wearing a tenugui (a hand towel) on their heads and sometimes dancing. When they change into a human, they often look like a woman, usually an older lady or the person they have just killed.

Even when disguised as a human, a Bakeneko might still have some cat features, like a bit of fur, slitted eyes, or a cat-shaped shadow, no matter the lighting. In scarier stories, it is shown with glowing eyes, sharp claws, and a mouth big enough to swallow a person’s head.

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Habitat

Bakeneko are mostly found in homes, living close to people. Unlike yōkai like the Yama-uba, who live in the mountains, or the Kappa, who live in rivers, Bakeneko prefer to stay inside houses, especially big homes or farms. They usually live in the same places where they were once regular pets.

Stories say Bakeneko like kitchens and places where lamps are kept, since they are attracted to the oil. They are also linked to theaters and entertainment areas in cities, as they often appear in Kabuki plays. Some tales put them in empty temples or old, overgrown houses where they can hide. Because they frequently have a grudge or a long history with a family, they usually haunt or control a specific household.

Origins and History

The idea of the Bakeneko started in the early Edo period (1603–1867). At that time, cats were important in Japan because they protected silkworms and grain from mice. But people also found cats suspicious because they were active at night, moved quietly, and had eyes that changed shape in different light.

People began to believe that cats could turn into yōkai after seeing them lick lamp oil, which was made from fish and attracted them. Watching a cat stand on its hind legs to reach a lamp, with its shadow looming huge on a paper screen, helped inspire the story of the monster cat that walks on two legs.

Later, some laws were made about cat tail length, and many people cut their cats’ tails short because they thought long-tailed cats would become Bakeneko or Nekomata.

By the middle of the Edo period, Bakeneko were common in ghost stories (kaidan) and Ukiyo-e art. The real-life ‘Nabeshima Cat Disturbance’ in the 1600s made the Bakeneko even more famous, turning it from a general superstition into a well-known villain in stories and plays.

Sources

Source	Quote
Ehon Hyaku Monogatari	“It is said that when a cat lives for many years, it becomes a Bakeneko. It will dance with a towel on its head and speak like a person.”
Gazu Hyakki Yagyō	“A cat that licks the oil of a lamp will eventually become a monster. It is known as the Bakeneko.”
Nabeshima Kaibyō Den	“The cat lapped the blood of the slain mistress and assumed her form, deceiving the prince for many nights.”

Famous Bakeneko Legends and Stories

The Nabeshima Cat (Saga Domain)

The most famous legend involving a Bakeneko is the Nabeshima Kaibyō Den, set in the Saga Domain. According to the record, Prince Nabeshima Mitsushige was served by a loyal retainer, Ryūzōji Matashichirō. Due to a series of political disputes and a perceived insult, the prince ordered Ryūzōji’s execution. Ryūzōji’s mother, overwhelmed by grief, told her sorrows to the family’s pet cat and then committed suicide.

The cat licked the blood of its mistress and transformed into a massive Bakeneko. It entered the castle and killed Mitsushige’s favorite concubine, O-Tayo. The cat then took O-Tayo’s form, using its supernatural powers to drain the prince’s health night after night. Mitsushige became bedridden, suffering from terrible dreams and physical wasting. Every night, the “concubine” would stay by his side, but the guards would always fall into a deep, unnatural sleep.

Eventually, a young soldier named Komada Ichizen noticed the pattern. He stayed awake by stabbing his own thigh with a knife to prevent the cat’s magic from putting him to sleep. He witnessed the concubine’s shadow appearing as a cat on the paper screens. He attempted to kill her, but the Bakeneko escaped to the mountains. It was later hunted down and killed by a group of soldiers, ending the curse on the Nabeshima family.

The Bakeneko of the Okazaki Track

In the Tokaido region, specifically at the Okazaki station, there is a legend often performed in Kabuki titled “The Monster Cat of the Okazaki Track.” The story involves a traveler who seeks shelter in an old, dilapidated temple or a lonely house near the station. Inside, he meets an elderly woman who treats him with kindness.

However, as the night progresses, the traveler witnesses the woman’s shadow on the wall. The shadow does not look like a human woman; instead, it has the distinct shape of a giant cat with ears and a tail, holding a tenugui and dancing.

In some versions, the cat is revealed to have killed the original priest of the temple and replaced him. The traveler often escapes just as the cat prepares to eat him, or he manages to slay the beast with a sword, revealing its true feline form after its death.

The Cat of Takasu Genbei

In another well-documented story from the Edo period, a man named Takasu Genbei noticed that his mother’s personality had changed drastically. She became reclusive, refused to eat in front of others, and developed a strange obsession with licking the oil from the household lamps.

Genbei decided to spy on her through a hole in the wall. To his horror, he saw a giant cat in his mother’s clothes, crouched over a lamp and lapping up the oil. Genbei immediately drew his sword and killed the creature. When the body was inspected, it was not his mother, but a massive cat that had lived in their house for many years.

After searching under the floorboards, Genbei found the skeletal remains of his actual mother, whom the Bakeneko had killed and consumed months prior.

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Bakeneko Powers and Abilities

Bakeneko possess many supernatural powers, making them dangerous yōkai. Their main skill is tricking people and sneaking into homes, as they can perfectly copy human appearances and actions. Unlike some yōkai that only have physical powers, Bakeneko also have spiritual and necromantic abilities.

Bakeneko are seen as very dangerous yōkai because they live inside people’s homes. While Kitsune might be better at creating illusions, Bakeneko are more physically threatening and often attack their former owners.

• Metamorphosis: The ability to take the form of a human, usually a woman or the person it has killed.
• Human Speech: The capacity to speak and understand human languages perfectly.
• Necromancy: Bakeneko can control the bodies of the dead like puppets by jumping over a corpse.
• Bipedalism: The ability to walk and dance on its hind legs for extended periods.
• Fire Manipulation: They are often seen creating hi-no-tama (fireballs) or accidentally causing house fires.
• Cursing: The ability to bring illness or misfortune to a household through a grudge.
• Massive Growth: The power to expand its body size to that of a full-grown man or larger.

How to Defend Against Bakeneko

To protect yourself from a Bakeneko, you need both physical and preventive steps. Folklore says the best way to stop a cat from turning into a Bakeneko is to cut its tail when it is a kitten. People believed the tail carried magical energy, so a short-tailed cat, like the Japanese Bobtail, could not change.

If a Bakeneko already exists, the first step is to identify it. Watch the shadow of anyone you suspect; a Bakeneko’s shadow will always look like a cat, even if it looks human. Bakeneko are also hard to feed because they like fish-based lamp oil. If you see someone licking oil, they might be a Bakeneko.

You can kill a Bakeneko with blessed swords or traditional weapons, but they move quickly. In many stories, their power comes from a grudge. Fixing the wrong that made the cat turn into a Bakeneko, like giving its owner a proper burial or punishing someone who hurt its master, can sometimes make the Bakeneko less dangerous. Shinto charms and ofuda placed around the house can also keep the yōkai out or stop its necromancy.

Bakeneko vs Other Yōkai

Name	Category	Origin	Threat Level	Escape Difficulty
Nekomata	Obake	Older cat with split tail	High	Difficult; more powerful than Bakeneko
Kitsune	Obake	Fox gaining wisdom	Variable	Moderate; vulnerable to being outsmarted
Tanuki	Obake	Raccoon dog spirit	Low	Easy; usually tricksters, not killers
Kasha	Demon	Cat-like spirit of hell	Extreme	Very Difficult; steals corpses during funerals
Inugami	Spirit	Cursed dog spirit	Extreme	Near Impossible; tied to family bloodlines
Kappa	Suijin	Water imp/reptile	High	Moderate; can be defeated by bowing
Yuki-onna	Yūrei	Spirit of snow	High	Difficult; depends on keeping a promise
Rokurokubi	Obake	Human with cursed neck	Moderate	Moderate; easily identified by neck stretch
Nurarihyon	Unknown	Leader of yōkai	Low	N/A; he usually just leaves after visiting
Tsuchigumo	Oni	Giant spider	Extreme	Difficult; requires skilled warriors
Ubume	Yūrei	Mother who died in labor	Low	Moderate; asks for help holding a child
Jorogumo	Obake	Spider shapeshifter	High	Difficult; uses webs and seduction
Gashadokuro	Yūrei	Mass of soldier bones	Extreme	Very Difficult; impossible to miss

Symbolism

Attribute	Details
Element	Fire (associated with lamp oil and fireballs)
Animal	Domestic Cat (Felis catus)
Cardinal Direction	North-East (the Kimon, or Demon Gate)
Color	Black or Calico (traditional cat colors in art)
Plant	Silver Vine (Matatabi) or Catnip
Season	Winter (associated with indoor hearths and lamps)
Symbolic Item	Tenugui (Hand towel)

The Bakeneko stands for the fear that things close to us, like pets, can become dangerous. In Japanese culture, it also shows the belief that living a long time can give something supernatural power, which is common in stories about object spirits (Tsukumogami). The cat’s mix of helpfulness and quiet, but also wildness and independence, makes it a good symbol of the line between the safe home and the world of spirits.

In art and festivals, Bakeneko often appear as symbols of dark humor or scary stories. They help shape yōkai legends by setting the idea that animals can become monsters if they live long enough or hold a grudge. The Bakeneko’s part in the Nabeshima stories also shows old fears about how servants were treated and how powerless people might get revenge through supernatural ways.

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Frequently Asked Questions