Female characters with feline features are lovingly called nekomimi. They are a common part of the Japanese pop culture especially among otaku and cosplayers. But only a handful of them know the origins of catgirls originate and its relationship to another feline yokai, Neko-musume.
Neko-musume is a type of kaibyo that is quite different from the other cat-yokai counterparts such as the nekomata and bakeneko. She is usually described as a young girl with cat ears, and sometimes a feline tail.
Early documents about the neko-musume can be traced back to the misemono (見世物) of the 1700s. A Japanese sideshow carnival full of curiosities and oddities, mostly fakes and forgeries made by worksmiths. Around 1769, there is a show, in Asakusa district of Edo, that became very popular because it had a cat-girl as one of its exhibitor. Many who went and saw, swore that she was a genuine yokai with real feline features.
Human Connections
There are also many stories from the Edo period, of neko-musume that are of human parentage. They live with their parents and some even go to school. Neko-musume enjoy hunting for mice and rats, as such, she is seen as a benefit to the village and society.
So the next time you see a girl with cat ears, walking along the streets, maybe she’s not a cosplayer. Maybe, she’s a real yokai who can help you catch rodents and maybe even be a life-time companion.
Yokai Details
- name: neko-musume (neh-koh-moo-soo-meh)
- kanji: 猫娘 (ねこむすめ )
- meaning: cat girl or daughter of cats
- abilities
- hyper senses — possess acute sense of smell and hearing
- super agility — a very good sense of balance and body coordination
- high metabolism — able to heal quickly from minor ailments and injuries
