Ichimi After the sudden passing of Japanese kitten Wasabi-chan in August, her owner has decided to keep the kitten's memory alive by opening her heart and home to another cat in need. Jessiepon recently introduced the world to Ichimi, a tiny tabby with the face of an angel. Through photos released on Wasabi-chan's Instagram account, we've learned that the kitten was abandoned by her mother, and is gaining weight steadily through bottle-feeding. Ichimi was quickly accepted by the furry and feathered members of Jessiepon's household, including Ponzu the Golden Retriever. The protective pup was left heartbroken after the death of little Wasabi-chan, but has already showered the new kitten with kisses and cuddles.
Wasabi-chan can never be replaced, but the rescued kitten has provided much needed comfort to her grieving family and fans. We wish much love to Ichimi, and hope that she lives a long and healthy life! You can follow Ichimi's progress on Instagram at @shimejiwasabi. Via Instagram (@shimejiwasabi)
Wasabi-chan's Spirit Lives On Through Rescued Kitten
Japanese company Tange & Nakimushi Peanuts have created an online sensation with their oddly amusing pictures of cats dressed as sushi. The adorably confused kitties appear nestled on clumps of rice, along with decidedly un-nigiri like toppings, including ping pong balls and knitting needles.
History of Sushi Cats
In addition to the collection of photos, there's also a video delving into the history of these rare and magical felines, who are rumored to bring good luck. And, once you're fully invested in the legend of Nekozushi, be sure to check out the free mobile game app, and online shop (in Japanese, natch), where for a few thousand yen, you can get your paws on sushi cats prints, postcards, fans, and more. Still struggling to understand the complicated, yet beautiful, world of Sushi Cats? Their website offers the following explanation: "Neko-Sushi is an extremely unusual life-form consisting of a cat on top of a portion of sushi rice. Although several references have come down to us through history from various researchers and witnesses, their existence is still shrouded in mystery and actual sightings remain rare. There are several academics who have devoted their lives to the study of these creatures. According to a number of these, Neko-Sushi make use of gaps in space to come to us from an alternate dimension. Beyond these "gaps" lies the world of the Neko-Sushi in which, it is recently understood, lies the true identity of the cats that dwell with us here in the human dimension."
@george_10g Thanks to an article on NPR, I recently discovered the amazing work of Kazuki Yamamoto (@george_10g), a 26-year-old latte artist from Osaka, Japan. Yamamoto is responsible for creating hundreds of amazing designs (several of them cat related), which he composes using little more than a toothpick, some milk, espresso, and foam. @george_10g @george_10g @george_10g Luckily for latte enthusiasts who can't make it all the way to Japan, Kazuki, along with friend Kohei Matsuno (@latte_artist_jk), share images of their edible artwork on Twitter, much to the delight of their thousands of eager fans. @george_10g @george_10g @george_10g Grumpy Cat!
While latte art has grown in popularity in the U.S., design philosopher Leonard Koren theorizes that it's more prevalent in Japan because of the beauty inherent in its ephemeral nature.
He tells NPR: "For example, the Japanese love the cherry blossom metaphor. Because cherry trees blossom for only a week or two every year, when they do blossom, there is the emotional poignancy of knowing that it is only a temporary state of affairs. If you can memorialize cherry blossoms in poetry—which the Japanese do, why not do the same for latte foam?" @latte_artist_jk @latte_artist_jk Follow Kazukiand Koheion Twitter for your daily caffeine art fix. Via NPR
Kumichan Kumichan is a gorgeous white kitty who lives in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan. I've been following her on Facebook for a few months now, but I just can't keep this cat in the bag any longer!
The fashionable feline was born on July 7, 2006, and loves taking daily walks with her owner, Akira Murahara. Almost everyday, Kumichan walks around the pedestrian deck between Hyogo Performing Arts Center and Hankyu Nishinomiya-kitaguchi Station, where her extravagant outfits attract a lot of attention!
Akira tells me that Kumichan is her dream kitty, and can wear various outfits very stylishly. In addition to their Facebook page, they also maintain a blog (written in Japanese) called White cat Kumichan's walking diary = 白猫クミちゃんお散歩日記.
Me and Hello Kitty, Sanrio Puroland, Tokyo, Japan , 2010 "Stephanie Harwin, who writes the cat-obsessed blog Catsparella, will go to great lengths to get her feline fix. On her quest to fulfill a lifelong dream—visiting Japan’s Hello Kitty theme park—Harwin endured a bout of severe food poisoning, a language barrier, and a long journey to reach her happy place." - Emma Sloley, Travel + Leisure Hello Kitty Bus I was recently interviewed by Emma Sloley for a Travel + Leisure article about the "Craziest places for cat lovers." Our contact came about through "Around the World in 80 Cats," my column dedicated to compiling all of the coolest cat-themed travel destinations in the world. The column started as a way for me to research places I was interested in traveling to, although I've put off writing about the one cat-related destination I've actually visited, because of the overwhelming amount of kitty culture the country has to offer. Sanrio Puroland
I've been thinking a lot lately about that aforementioned trip to Japan (March 15 - 31, 2010), and the enormous impact it had on my life. In the early days of Catsparella I wrote about my experience going to the Hello Kitty theme park, Sanrio Puroland, but conveniently left out the trip to the emergency room that preceded it. Read More: Sanrio Puroland: Mecca For Hello Kitty Lovers Street sign outside Puroland
Within hours of arriving after arriving in Tokyo, I came down with a case of food poisoning so bad, that I had to go to the hospital for treatment. To make matters worse, I was jet-lagged and all alone in an unfamiliar country, debilitated by a constant stream of vomit, dizziness, and unrelenting nausea. Sanrio Character Boatride
I was in Japan on vacation as part of a group tour, but had arrived a few days ahead of everyone else so I could spend extra time exploring my own interests, which included a trip to the Hello Kitty theme park. Unfortunately, two of those "free" days were spent stuck, sick in my hotel room, leaving only one day, and a final opportunity to travel to the park that I had already come so far to experience. Inside the Sanrio Character Ride at Puroland
Although I had barely eaten for days and was still extremely weak, I dragged myself out of bed to go. My amazing tour guide, Mya, gave me a map with directions to the park, which was well over an hour away, and involved taking a bus and two trains to get to. "Believe" Parade at Puroland Once I finally (and miraculously) arrived, I stuck out among the crowd which was comprised mostly of young, Japanese families. Still, someone was always nice enough to offer to snap a photo of me, and as soon as I had my picture taken with Hello Kitty, I knew that everything was going to be OK. Maneki Neko Stand, Nakamise-dori, Tokyo Hello Kitty with lucky black egg at Owakudani Natural Hot Springs, Hakone
I started Catsparella in earnest four months after returning from my trip, and haven't looked back since. What I like to describe as my "Lost in Translation" moment, opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities outside of a cubicle, and inspired me to live a more passion driven life. Maneki Neko sign, Takeshita-Dori, Harajuku District, Tokyo Philosopher's Path, Kyoto
While traveling across the country, I experienced the wonders of Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms in bloom in Kyoto, and walked the streets of Harajuku's famous fashion district. I went to Nara park where you can feed the roaming deer, visited the world's largest bronze Buddha statue in Tōdai-ji, and can tell you firsthand that there's nothing more liberating in the world than getting buck-naked in an onsen (hot springs), thousands of miles away from home, with a bunch of people you've just met. Store sign on Philosopher's Path, Kyoto Cats in Kyoto
If I ever get the opportunity to return to Japan (and hope I do), my updated itinerary would include more Hello Kitty attractions, cat cafés, and a visit to Stationmaster Tama at Kishigawa Line in Wakayama. I also hope to someday make a pilgrimage to the famous Tashirojima (Cat Island), where the feline population outnumbers the human one. *** Know of any cat-themed travel destinations, or have any cool kitty vacation pics to share? Drop me a line at catsparella@gmail.com!
Nothing quite tickles me more than the way that the Japanese embrace cats as part of their culture, and one of my favorite examples of this is in a commercial depicting a cat business trip. In it, an orange and white tabby wearing a pair of glasses and a bow-tie hops the bullet train, before checking into a hotel for a business meeting.
The cat in the commercial is NyaRan, and he is the spokescat for Jalan, the travel booking arm of Recruit Co., Ltd., a classified advertisement, publication, and human resources company in Japan.
NyaRan has popped up in dozens of commercials for Jalan, illustrating how easily their services lead to awesomely adorable trips. After recently encountering another ad where the talented feline actor karate chops a watermelon in half with his bare paws (thanks to Twitter pal Lisa C. for the tip!), I decided it was high time to have someone translate a few of my favorites. As predicted, even a translation doesn't fully explain exactly what is happening on that beach, but in any language, it's still super cute.
