Latest news with #NagasakiCity
Associated Press
5 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Cats with hooked and bent tails fill Nagasaki, Japan, where they are thought to bring good luck
NAGASAKI, Japan (AP) — In Japan, bobtail cats are considered good luck and Nagasaki is the place to find them. They are known as 'omagari neko (bent-tail cats)' or 'kagi neko (hook cats)' and have their own society of admirers and even a dedicated Shinto shrine. Their tails come in varieties including hook-shaped at the tip, curved or in a bun, explained Kazuya Hideshima, a worker at Omagari Neko Shrine and member of the Nagasaki Cat Society. Past findings have indicated bobtails accounted for nearly 80% of the cats in Nagasaki, twice the occurrence of anywhere else in Japan. Japanese cats are believed to have come from China in the 6th century with Buddhist monks, serving as rat hunters to protect religious scriptures on ships. Nagasaki bobtails have their roots in the Dutch East Indies when the city was the only foreign port during Japan's closed era in the 17th to 19th centuries. They hunted rats to protect shipments on their way from Southeast Asia to Japan, according to Nagasaki cultural officials. Soshin Yamamoto, a veterinarian and cat specialist, said the large population of bobtails in Nagasaki is likely the result of a genetic mutation that reproduced in a relatively isolated environment when the nation was shut up tight. 'Having bobtails is no problem for most cats living a normal life, as long as they live near humans and aren't jumping and running around like wild cats in a forest,' he said. Nagasaki residents hope the cats bring in tourists and help business. Natsuno Kani, a 50-year-old tourist from Tokyo who recently visited the bobtail shrine, said she knew Nagasaki was famous for bent-tail cats. But Abigail Tarraso, an artist from Spain based in Takeo City in neighboring Saga prefecture, was unfamiliar with the species, which is not as popular in Spain. 'Today is the first time in Nagasaki that I have ever heard of this,' said Cindy Bi, an American who is also an artist. 'I am excited to look around for them. Maybe we will see a few.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
7 days ago
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
In Japan, Rare Bobtail Cats Are Considered Good Luck. Nagasaki Is Filled with Them
In Japan, bobtail cats are considered good luck and Nagasaki is the place to find them. They are known as 'omagari neko (bent-tail cats)' or 'kagi neko (hook cats)' and have their own society of admirers. Their tails come in varieties including hook-shaped at the tip, curved or in a bun, explained Kazuya Hideshima, a worker at Omagari Neko Shrine and member of the Nagasaki Cat Society. Past findings have indicated bobtails accounted for nearly 80% of the cats in Nagasaki, twice the occurrence of anywhere else in Japan. Japanese cats are believed to have come from China in the 6th century with Buddhist monks, serving as rat hunters to protect religious scriptures on ships. Nagasaki bobtails have their roots in the Dutch East Indies when the city was the only foreign port during Japan's closed era in the 17th to 19th centuries. They hunted rats to protect shipments on their way from Southeast Asia to Japan, according to Nagasaki cultural officials. Soshin Yamamoto, a veterinarian and cat specialist, said the large population of bobtails in Nagasaki is likely the result of a genetic mutation that reproduced in a relatively isolated environment when the nation was shut up tight. 'Having bobtails is no problem for most cats living a normal life, as long as they live near humans and aren't jumping and running around like wild cats in a forest,' he said. Nagasaki residents hope the cats bring in tourists and help business. Natsuno Kani, a 50-year-old tourist from Tokyo, said she knew Nagasaki was famous for bent-tail cats. But Abigail Tarraso, an artist from Spain based in Takeo City in neighboring Saga prefecture, was unfamiliar with the species, which is not as popular in Spain. 'Today is the first time in Nagasaki that I have ever heard of this,' said Cindy Bi, an American who is also an artist. 'I am excited to look around for them. Maybe we will see a few.'
The Independent
28-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
In Japan, rare bobtail cats are considered good luck. Nagasaki is filled with them
In Japan, bobtail cats are considered good luck and Nagasaki is the place to find them. They are known as 'omagari neko (bent-tail cats)' or 'kagi neko (hook cats)' and have their own society of admirers and even a dedicated Shinto shrine. Their tails come in varieties including hook-shaped at the tip, curved or in a bun, explained Kazuya Hideshima, a worker at Omagari Neko Shrine and member of the Nagasaki Cat Society. Past findings have indicated bobtails accounted for nearly 80% of the cats in Nagasaki, twice the occurrence of anywhere else in Japan. Japanese cats are believed to have come from China in the 6th century with Buddhist monks, serving as rat hunters to protect religious scriptures on ships. Nagasaki bobtails have their roots in the Dutch East Indies when the city was the only foreign port during Japan's closed era in the 17th to 19th centuries. They hunted rats to protect shipments on their way from Southeast Asia to Japan, according to Nagasaki cultural officials. Soshin Yamamoto, a veterinarian and cat specialist, said the large population of bobtails in Nagasaki is likely the result of a genetic mutation that reproduced in a relatively isolated environment when the nation was shut up tight. 'Having bobtails is no problem for most cats living a normal life, as long as they live near humans and aren't jumping and running around like wild cats in a forest,' he said. Nagasaki residents hope the cats bring in tourists and help business. Natsuno Kani, a 50-year-old tourist from Tokyo who recently visited the bobtail shrine, said she knew Nagasaki was famous for bent-tail cats. But Abigail Tarraso, an artist from Spain based in Takeo City in neighboring Saga prefecture, was unfamiliar with the species, which is not as popular in Spain. 'Today is the first time in Nagasaki that I have ever heard of this,' said Cindy Bi, an American who is also an artist. 'I am excited to look around for them. Maybe we will see a few."
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
In Japan, rare bobtail cats are considered good luck. Nagasaki is filled with them
NAGASAKI, Japan (AP) — In Japan, bobtail cats are considered good luck and Nagasaki is the place to find them. They are known as 'omagari neko (bent-tail cats)' or 'kagi neko (hook cats)' and have their own society of admirers and even a dedicated Shinto shrine. Their tails come in varieties including hook-shaped at the tip, curved or in a bun, explained Kazuya Hideshima, a worker at Omagari Neko Shrine and member of the Nagasaki Cat Society. Past findings have indicated bobtails accounted for nearly 80% of the cats in Nagasaki, twice the occurrence of anywhere else in Japan. Japanese cats are believed to have come from China in the 6th century with Buddhist monks, serving as rat hunters to protect religious scriptures on ships. Nagasaki bobtails have their roots in the Dutch East Indies when the city was the only foreign port during Japan's closed era in the 17th to 19th centuries. They hunted rats to protect shipments on their way from Southeast Asia to Japan, according to Nagasaki cultural officials. Soshin Yamamoto, a veterinarian and cat specialist, said the large population of bobtails in Nagasaki is likely the result of a genetic mutation that reproduced in a relatively isolated environment when the nation was shut up tight. 'Having bobtails is no problem for most cats living a normal life, as long as they live near humans and aren't jumping and running around like wild cats in a forest,' he said. Nagasaki residents hope the cats bring in tourists and help business. Natsuno Kani, a 50-year-old tourist from Tokyo who recently visited the bobtail shrine, said she knew Nagasaki was famous for bent-tail cats. But Abigail Tarraso, an artist from Spain based in Takeo City in neighboring Saga prefecture, was unfamiliar with the species, which is not as popular in Spain. 'Today is the first time in Nagasaki that I have ever heard of this,' said Cindy Bi, an American who is also an artist. 'I am excited to look around for them. Maybe we will see a few.'
NHK
09-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Nagasaki to invite all countries and regions to peace ceremony on August 9
The mayor of Nagasaki plans to invite all countries and regions with diplomatic missions in Japan to this year's peace ceremony, which marks the 80th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of the city. This is the first time for Nagasaki to invite all countries and regions to the annual ceremony on August 9 since 2021. Last year, Nagasaki did not invite Israel. The city said it wanted to ensure the ceremony to mourn atomic bomb victims would be carried out smoothly in a calm and solemn atmosphere. The US ambassador and those from some other countries responded to the city's decision by not attending the ceremony. Russia and Belarus have not been invited to the ceremony since 2022 after Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine. Mayor Suzuki Shiro said in a news conference on Thursday that the city plans to invite all countries and regions, including Israel and Russia, which have embassies and diplomatic missions in Japan. Suzuki said he hopes all representatives will attend the ceremony, especially now that divisions in the international community are deepening. He said he wants them to witness with their own eyes, hear with their own ears, and feel in their hearts the cruel and inhumane consequences of the use of atomic weapons. The city plans to take strict security measures and to request the attendees' cooperation for a calm and solemn ceremony.
