US EditionIn Japan, rare bobtail cats are considered good luck. Nagasaki is filled with them
- A stray bobtail cat was observed resting in a park in Nagasaki, Japan, on April 26, 2025, highlighting the city's unique feline population.
- This population exists because Nagasaki was Japan’s sole foreign port during the 17th–19th century closed era, fostering isolated breeding and rat-hunting cats protecting shipments.
- Bobtail cats, locally called omagari neko or kagi neko, have a dedicated Shinto shrine, a society of admirers, and tails varying from hook-shaped to curled or in a bun.
- Past research shows bobtails make up nearly 80% of Nagasaki’s cats, twice the rate elsewhere in Japan, likely due to a genetic mutation in an isolated environment according to veterinarian Soshin Yamamoto.
- Nagasaki residents and tourists like Natsuno Kani hope these famed bent-tail cats attract visitors and reinforce their cultural significance as symbols of good luck.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Cats with hooked and bent tails fill Nagasaki, Japan, where they are thought to bring good luck
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…
The Daily Advance
In Japan, 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…
Winnipeg Free Press
In Japan, rare bobtail cats are considered good luck. Nagasaki is filled with them
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
City of Dreadless Cats: How Nagasaki Became the World Capital of the Bobteils.
80% of the cats in the Japanese city of Nagasaki are bobteils, they meet twice as often as the average in the country. They are so popular among citizens that they have a fan club called "The Society of Cats" and a special Shinto temple called "Omagari-Neko" (the name of the cats with a tail hook).
In Japan, rare bobtail cats are considered good luck. Nagasaki is filled with them - The Morning Sun
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. Pa…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
Ownership
To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage
