Have you ever heard of the Bakeneko? This creature is a fascinating part of Japanese folklore. A Bakeneko starts as an ordinary cat but gains supernatural powers as it ages. These powers can include shapeshifting and, in some stories, even attacking its owner. The legends surrounding the Bakeneko are numerous and captivating.
Let’s dive into one such tale, inspired by the legend of the Bakeneko and the story of Takasue Genbei.
In a small Japanese village, there lived a man named Takasue Genbei. He shared his home with his elderly mother. Every day, as he left for work, he worried about her loneliness. When he returned home after a long day, she often complained about feeling isolated.
Seeing her sad face, Takasue decided to bring some joy into her life. One day, on his way to work, he heard a kitten crying. Curious, he looked behind some bushes and found a tiny kitten beside its deceased mother. His heart filled with pity, and he decided to adopt the little creature.
When he brought the kitten home, his mother was overjoyed. She named the kitten Yami, and soon, the house was filled with laughter and warmth. Takasue felt relieved to see his mother so happy.
Years passed, and one night, while out with friends, they asked about Yami. Takasue proudly shared how much joy the cat had brought into their lives.
“How old is your cat?” one friend asked.
“Seven years old,” Takasue replied.
His friend clicked his tongue. “You know what they say about old cats?”
“What?” Takasue asked, puzzled.
“They develop supernatural abilities. The only way to stop them from becoming a yokai is to cut their tails short.”
“That’s cruel!” Takasue exclaimed. “I would never hurt Yami!”
Another friend chimed in, “But you must! It’s the only way to protect yourself!”
Angry, Takasue stood up. “I think you’ve all had too much to drink. I’m going home.”
When he returned home, the house was dark except for a single lamp in his bedroom. He assumed his mother had gone to bed. As he entered his room, he gasped. A shadowy figure danced near the lamp.
Curious, he approached and found some black fur on the floor. It belonged to Yami. Concerned, he checked on his mother, who was sound asleep. Yami was missing, but Takasue was too tired to search for her that night.
The next morning, he looked everywhere for Yami but couldn’t find her. Days passed, and his mother grew quiet and withdrawn. Takasue offered to get her another pet, but she refused. She spent her days staring out the window, lost in thought.
Worried, Takasue wondered if his mother was depressed. When her friends visited, she didn’t recognize them and hissed at them. She barely ate, only nibbling on fish occasionally.
One night, when Takasue returned late, he saw a strange creature dancing near the lamp. Rushing over, he found more cat fur on the floor. It looked like Yami’s, but where was she?
The next day, he asked his mother about Yami, but she just stared blankly out the window. When he pressed her, she hissed at him. Takasue realized his mother was slipping into madness over the loss of Yami.
Later, a friend visited and told Takasue he had seen his mother acting strangely. “She was licking the oil from the lamp,” he said. “She didn’t recognize me and hissed when I tried to enter.”
“Something is wrong,” Takasue replied solemnly.
His friend suggested, “Tonight, don’t enter through the front door. Sneak a peek through the bedroom window. You might discover the truth.”
Though skeptical of superstitions, Takasue decided to follow his friend’s advice. He crept to the window and looked inside. What he saw shocked him.
In place of his mother, he saw Yami, now larger, wearing his mother’s clothes and gnawing on a rat. Terrified, Takasue rushed inside.
“Mother!” he called, but when he touched her shoulder, she turned and hissed. For a brief moment, he thought he saw Yami’s eyes in her face.
Distressed, Takasue shared his experience with his friends. They reluctantly told him the only way to defeat the yokai was to kill it. “There must be another way!” he pleaded.
His friend replied, “It’s too late. The cat is pretending to be your mother now.”
Heartbroken, Takasue asked, “Then where is my real mother?”
His friend shrugged. “First, you need to get rid of the yokai.”
With a heavy heart, Takasue returned home, a knife in hand. He entered his mother’s bedroom, trembling.
“Mother?” he whispered.
She sat on the bed, her back to him. As he approached, she turned and shrieked. Takasue’s heart sank. In a moment of desperation, he plunged the knife into her heart.
A monstrous scream erupted, and he saw the corpse of his dead cat where his mother had been. “Where is my mother?” he cried, banging the floor in grief.
Then he noticed movement beneath the floorboards. He gasped and pushed aside a board, revealing the skeleton of his mother, gnawed clean.
In shock, Takasue heard mewing sounds. In the corner, a striped cat with black and white kittens stared at him. The cat glared, warning him. Suddenly, she lunged at him.
Days later, when Takasue’s friends came looking for him, they found the door ajar. “Where have you been?” they asked.
Takasue opened the door wider, his eyes vacant. “Come inside, and I’ll tell you everything.”
As they entered, a foul smell hit them. “What is that?” they asked.
Takasue locked the door and turned, his face transforming into that of a monstrous cat. He shrieked and lunged at them.
The tale of the Bakeneko serves as a chilling reminder of the thin line between love and madness. It shows how grief can transform us, leading to unimaginable consequences. The legend of the Bakeneko continues to haunt those who hear it, reminding us of the mysteries that lie within the world of the supernatural.
