Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-11-02 09:51:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Zack Davisson
- ISBN：1634059182
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Reviews
Cat
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a delightful little book about a bit of japan's folklore a delightful little book about a bit of japan's folklore 。。。more
Stephanie Franklin
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One of the things I loved in this book was how the author broke down the written names of the supernatural creatures， and showing the play of the words in kanji。 The artwork is also just gorgeous， with such respect for the artists。
Cyle Zezotarski
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Fun， easy read。 The visual layout of the text is excellent。 Having virtually no familiarity with the specific subject on my way in， I do get the sense that it covers the fundamentals。 The author appears to know his history， writes succinctly and with authority but is simultaneously very approachable， and doesn't dance around anything -- If he doesn't know something， he says it outright。All that said， though， it ultimately feels more like a good coffee table book than some kind of reference book Fun， easy read。 The visual layout of the text is excellent。 Having virtually no familiarity with the specific subject on my way in， I do get the sense that it covers the fundamentals。 The author appears to know his history， writes succinctly and with authority but is simultaneously very approachable， and doesn't dance around anything -- If he doesn't know something， he says it outright。All that said， though， it ultimately feels more like a good coffee table book than some kind of reference book for Kaibyo （which admittedly is probably beyond what it's trying or claiming to be）。I would have loved a bibliography or to be pointed more directly to further reading ideas， although I'm happy it references select sources within the body of the text。 The organization is clear but sometimes the excerpts don't cleanly tie back to what was just explained， so although not a pervasive problem by any measure， some stories lack context。 It's also not clear where some of the excerpts come from （particularly those that start the chapters） and it's my impression they may be the author's invention -- which can be fine to get the right sense across to the reader and introduce an idea， but since this book is specifically about Japanese folklore （and presenting as an authority on Kaibyo）， I wish it was made clear whether anything was created， and if so: what was original; how much was derived but written in the author's own words; and why it was included as it was。 Without that clarity， there is some danger in how these bits might be interpreted by readers present and future （i。e。， as specific examples of Japanese folklore when they may more accurately be interpretive representations or suggestions of it）。Despite this criticism， overall I enjoyed the book， I definitely learned something， and I will read more from this author。 。。。more
Justin
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I have a fondness for yokai， and the more I learn about them， the more I discover just how limited my knowledge is。 Japan isn't sometimes called The Land of Eight Million Gods and Demons for nothing; prior to reading Kaibyo， I was familiar with nekomata （from the Shin Megami Tensei series of RPGs）， and maneki neko （ubiquitous to Asian restaurants）， but I really wasn't acquainted with any other varieties of cat yokai。 I'm happy to say that this slim volume went a long way toward remedying that， c I have a fondness for yokai， and the more I learn about them， the more I discover just how limited my knowledge is。 Japan isn't sometimes called The Land of Eight Million Gods and Demons for nothing; prior to reading Kaibyo， I was familiar with nekomata （from the Shin Megami Tensei series of RPGs）， and maneki neko （ubiquitous to Asian restaurants）， but I really wasn't acquainted with any other varieties of cat yokai。 I'm happy to say that this slim volume went a long way toward remedying that， covering the shape-changing bakeneko， to the whimsical gotoku neko （that made me think of one of my dearly departed cats， and her love of the fireplace）， and more。It's a wonderful collection。 Each section details the history of the yokai in question， often working in the history of various regions of Japan as well。 And most are capped off with a folktale that （usually） features the specific yokai being covered。 And the book is filled with gorgeous， full-color paintings and woodblock prints of these various and sundry supernatural cats。 Whether you're a lover of cats， yokai， or both， it's a great read。 。。。more
Carmen
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What is the fascination we have with cats？ Japan is certainly not the first people to think our furry friends had a bit a magic in them。 Cats aren’t native to island they were introduced first as the aloof pets of the rich which surely added to their mystique。 Cats that got too old were said to gain supernatural abilities。 They could stand on their hind legs， their tails would split （a lot of anime fans just perked up in recognition） and they could change shape。 This is a easy fun read exploring What is the fascination we have with cats？ Japan is certainly not the first people to think our furry friends had a bit a magic in them。 Cats aren’t native to island they were introduced first as the aloof pets of the rich which surely added to their mystique。 Cats that got too old were said to gain supernatural abilities。 They could stand on their hind legs， their tails would split （a lot of anime fans just perked up in recognition） and they could change shape。 This is a easy fun read exploring the various flavours of magical cats。 Where the stories comes from and who likely just made up some of the cats for a book。 It’s packed with historical illustrations。 。。。more
Rhianne
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I thought this was great。 It was such a fun and easy read。 I would definitely say that I am not a cat person and was more interested as I love Japan and its history and culture so it was great to read this folklore。 I thought the use of artwork in it was fantastic and just made this such a beautiful book。
Kelly
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Tons of fun， and loaded with history and facts， plus the texts of some stories from folklore。 Fascinating intersection of art， history， and horror。
toflersson
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A purrfect book for cat loving Japanophiles！
Devon
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My friend bought this for me for my birthday one year because I like A） cats b） japan and c） supernatural things so this was a really fascinating read！ So many cute spooky kitty photos
Anne
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Absolutely loved it！ I enjoy learning about the folklore of all different cultures。 I enjoy things that are about cats。 I enjoy learning about Japanese culture。 This book has all three things， so it was basically written for me。 I enjoyed the comparisons of how the different supernatural cats were viewed in the past versus present day， and how those transitions were made。 I liked the short examples of folk tales included in each section。 The writing style felt nice to read。 It felt like someone Absolutely loved it！ I enjoy learning about the folklore of all different cultures。 I enjoy things that are about cats。 I enjoy learning about Japanese culture。 This book has all three things， so it was basically written for me。 I enjoyed the comparisons of how the different supernatural cats were viewed in the past versus present day， and how those transitions were made。 I liked the short examples of folk tales included in each section。 The writing style felt nice to read。 It felt like someone was telling me these things in a conversation。Basically， if you like cats， folklore， or Japanese culture， you'll probably enjoy this book。 。。。more
Suna
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It's one of those readings that should be compulsory if you're a cat lover。 Mainly if you're a cat lover that also loves Japan！I really enjoyed my reading， and I felt so fascinated by cat all over again。 It's one of those readings that should be compulsory if you're a cat lover。 Mainly if you're a cat lover that also loves Japan！I really enjoyed my reading， and I felt so fascinated by cat all over again。 。。。more
Ruth Woodman York
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I received a copy of this book awhile back in a Goodreads giveaway。 I found it interesting and entertaining。 I had never known much about Japanese folk stories in general， let alone how prominently cats figure into those tales。 There was a lot of research into the origins of the stories。 Of extra delight were the beautiful period illustrations included。
Anna
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A beautiful and engaging collection of Japanese myth， art， and beliefs in the supernatural abilities of the cat by the folklorist behind Image’s Wayward series。 I was completely taken and charmed。 Favorite tidbit is that， in Japanese lore， cats activate their magic by wearing tea towels on their heads。 Finished with my own beloved， nearly human nekomata curled at my feet。
Iris
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Sometimes a book like this can get overly editorial， and you can tell the author is intentionally mistranslating in order to suit their own fancy。 I never get that sense here。 The stories feel authentically "other" the way a lot of very old writing is just conspicuously not of our time。 Davisson also has a good sense of when to explain confusing details， so I felt neither talked-down-to nor adrift。 Sometimes a book like this can get overly editorial， and you can tell the author is intentionally mistranslating in order to suit their own fancy。 I never get that sense here。 The stories feel authentically "other" the way a lot of very old writing is just conspicuously not of our time。 Davisson also has a good sense of when to explain confusing details， so I felt neither talked-down-to nor adrift。 。。。more
Sab Cornelius
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A short and sweet little book that is brimming with information about the various kinds of demon/yokai cats in Japanese history/lore。 It explains their existence， history of when they started appearing in art/media/theater， and lots of of excellent art scans of their appearances through the years - and how they relate to current-day Japan as well as their influence in Western culture and media。 I had been following this book for awhile， and it was constantly going in/out of print for some reason A short and sweet little book that is brimming with information about the various kinds of demon/yokai cats in Japanese history/lore。 It explains their existence， history of when they started appearing in art/media/theater， and lots of of excellent art scans of their appearances through the years - and how they relate to current-day Japan as well as their influence in Western culture and media。 I had been following this book for awhile， and it was constantly going in/out of print for some reason， and the price would skyrocket randomly。 Finally at some point I was able to catch it when it was both in stock and decently priced， and snagged it quickly。It made me realize that many of these cat demons/ghosts seem to evolve to their paranormal forms after as a regular cat， they reach senior age。 I have a 15 year old cat who has had some peculiar tail issues as she's gotten older， and now it's making me wonder if it's prepping to split into two， the signature sign of a kind of nekomata。 Hm。 。。。more
Sussu
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This was a completely random read for me。 I have no deep interest in the topic and the driving force in reading this was mainly mild curiosity。 This was a good book for what it was， but I didn't feel any real passion or deep interest for it。 So， I'm not going to rate this， because my lack of enjoyment was mainly my own fault。 I recommend this to anyone who's interested in Japanese cat lore or folklore in general。 This was a completely random read for me。 I have no deep interest in the topic and the driving force in reading this was mainly mild curiosity。 This was a good book for what it was， but I didn't feel any real passion or deep interest for it。 So， I'm not going to rate this， because my lack of enjoyment was mainly my own fault。 I recommend this to anyone who's interested in Japanese cat lore or folklore in general。 。。。more
Eyes Of
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I love cats。 They always seem to be the caretakers of some inside joke that gives them that unforgettable kitty grin。 I've always seen them as protectors， monsters， companions， and mischief-makers。 So， when Zack Davisson released his book on supernatural cats of Japan I was delighted。 Japanese folklore is my superhighway and Davisson has a talent for taking the vast history of it all and condensing it into relevance that can both sate and whet the appetite for more。 His latest contribution is， f I love cats。 They always seem to be the caretakers of some inside joke that gives them that unforgettable kitty grin。 I've always seen them as protectors， monsters， companions， and mischief-makers。 So， when Zack Davisson released his book on supernatural cats of Japan I was delighted。 Japanese folklore is my superhighway and Davisson has a talent for taking the vast history of it all and condensing it into relevance that can both sate and whet the appetite for more。 His latest contribution is， first， a beautiful book。 It's filled with traditional and relevant artwork on the subject， although the black text on red background for art descriptions killed my eyes。 When a visual is needed， this book has it and it is easy to get lost in the depictions of Neko throughout the artistic history Japan offers。 Have you ever wondered where "the inviting cat" derived from？ Those cat statues found in pan-Asian shops all over， even in the homes and offices？ This book has it， as well as a full description and history of every "sub-Neko" that is still celebrated today both in literature and pop-culture。 Recommended for cat-lovers， folklore enthusiasts， and Japanophiles。 Personal note: This is the book where you learned by Tanooki Mario uses a Super Leaf。 All these years and you never knew！ A thirty-year mystery laid to rest and one more tidbit of less than useful， but adorable knowledge under your belt。 Keep it up。 。。。more
Eric Waschak
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A delightful and informative book about the supernatural cats in Japanese mythology。 Do recommend for cat lovers everywhere。
Franzi Bowe
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Loved every bit of it。 Entertaining and informative in one！ Definitely worth a read if your into mythology and cats of course！
Leyla
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A comprehensive compendium of loosely termed “cat monsters。” Though now their imagery is ubiquitous throughout Japan， each creature’s origins are thoroughly researched， and even their names are linguistically dissected for the student of the Japanese language。 Both traditional and Western interpretations of their stories are told （Andrew Lang and Lafcadio Hearn） - and the writer delves into premodern as well as the contemporary culture of Japan。 Excellent resource！
Andree Larson
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Not only impeccably researched and illustrated， but a written in an engaging style。 This is never leaving my bookshelf。
Jessica
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I love cats and I really enjoyed reading this book。 The history and information provided was very interesting and engaging。 It was not at all a dry read。 The art prints included through nearly every page really added to the book。
Alexandria
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I found this book to be incredibly fascinating。 A interesting mixture of history， art， folklore and the supernatural。 I enjoyed the inclusion of famous Japanese artwork and seeing the stories connecting with the artwork was truly fascinating。
Minami
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It was a very interesting book about different kinds of supernatural cats， and also included bits of Japanese culture in it。 I would definitely recommend to people who like cats， Japanese culture， or even just horror and scary stories。 Also a bunch of cool pictures（ukiyo-e）！
Trish
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so interesting， easy to read the short descriptions of different cat demons， and great historical background！
j
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Fantastic， charming collection of tales about supernatural cats - including their origins and evolution。 He includes informative little language side notes， and the book is filled with great illustrations。 His writing style is very casual but also informative， making it a fun read that elicits both laughs and frights。 A few supernatural cats are genuinely terrifying！
Ben Leach
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I always get a little nervous when I see a book that has really great reviews but not a lot of them。 It makes me think that only a specific audience （or， perhaps even worse， the author's friends and family） pumping up the reviews on what could ultimately be a mediocre piece of writing。I'm happy to say that's not the case。 Intrigued by the theme and cover after seeing it in a local bookstore， I am thrilled that I took a chance on this book。 It is genuinely informative on the different types of ka I always get a little nervous when I see a book that has really great reviews but not a lot of them。 It makes me think that only a specific audience （or， perhaps even worse， the author's friends and family） pumping up the reviews on what could ultimately be a mediocre piece of writing。I'm happy to say that's not the case。 Intrigued by the theme and cover after seeing it in a local bookstore， I am thrilled that I took a chance on this book。 It is genuinely informative on the different types of kaibyo that are seen in Japanese art and literature， along with a great history of their emergence and their popularity。Davisson mixes each chapter with the origins of the kanji used to describe each kaibyo， a history of their emergence （mainly in the Edo period） and their respective powers， some fantastic artwork of the cats themselves to help you visualize how their creators saw them， and a short story or two featuring that particular type of kaibyo， often with a moral message for the audience。I always appreciate when someone can enlighten me on an esoteric subject I know nothing about。 This book achieved that in spades。 。。。more
Becky
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Not only was this book interesting and informative， it was beautifully designed and produced。 Though I do wish that the captions hadn't been in black type on a dark red background -- made them really hard to read。Recommended for anyone who likes cats， especially information about cats' place in culture; as well as anyone who's interested in Japanese culture and history or anyone who's interested in "monsters，" cryptozoology， the supernatural， and other weirdnesses。 Not only was this book interesting and informative， it was beautifully designed and produced。 Though I do wish that the captions hadn't been in black type on a dark red background -- made them really hard to read。Recommended for anyone who likes cats， especially information about cats' place in culture; as well as anyone who's interested in Japanese culture and history or anyone who's interested in "monsters，" cryptozoology， the supernatural， and other weirdnesses。 。。。more
Deena Wilde
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This was a very interesting read， regarding cats and their history in Japan。 Both natural and supernatural。 I enjoyed reading this very much and would recommend this to all my friends！ I received this thru a giveaway。
Ashes
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