February 22 is Cat Day in Japan

Indeed, Japan has a national Cat Day. And really, shouldn’t this be an international holiday? Last year, we gave you some information on this wonderful day. This year we’d like to add some history for you.

What’s this Japan–cat connection?

We’ve had a long and special relationship with cats in Japan. It’s said that over 800 years ago, shrines and temples started taking in cats to protect their foods and valuable books from pesky mice.

The cats accepted the offer, and they worked for fish and chin tickling. Good deal!

Later on, farmers and other common folk came to adore cats, which guarded their crops from pests, and just kept them company.

In the Edo period (1603–1868) cats became a symbol of protection and good fortune. Shrines used cat images on amulets. There are temples or shrines that worship cats as gods.

If you’ve ever been to a Japanese store or restaurant, here or abroad, you’ve probably seen a maneki-neko figurine. These guys raise a left paw to beckon customers or a right paw for money. The really ambitious ones raise both paws.

This calls for stickers

Of course! 37 brand new ones! This year, we focus on this relationship between Japan and felines for our Cat Day promo. The results are very Japanese! And very B-SIDE!

A maneki-neko for each store

All of our stores in Japan will have their own special maneki-neko sticker, holding a coin bearing their store name. We’ve got other limited items, too.

If you’re in Japan, you can schedule your entire trip from one B-SIDE store to another! Collect them all.

The promo runs February 15 through March 16 at our stores and here online. And we can ship internationally.

Get your neko fix before the cherry blossoms bloom. Better hurry, cats are elusive.