A Must-Visit for Cat Lovers: Kagoshima’s “Cat God Shrine” and Its Unique Cat Festival

Text and photos byWisely

Perhaps the travel gods heard Wisely’s wishes, allowing me to revisit Kagoshima City’s Sengan-en (I had previously visited@ the filming location of the historical drama *Atsuhime*), this time during a different autumn foliage season. Although the weather wasn’t great that day, the main purpose wasn’t photography this time—it was to finally visit the ‘Cat God Shrine’ and the many affordable, content-rich folk art and handmade craft shops. Perhaps those who’ve been here know that Sengan-en, also known as “Isotei Garden,” has a deep connection with *Atsuhime* and played a significant role in Japan’s modern Westernization. But in fact, it’s also a must-visit pilgrimage site for cat lovers—^^

The cross-shaped family crest has some connections to Western beliefs and modern fashion trends—I’m not sure if friends believe that, but at least it’s still a fun topic many visitors enjoy chatting about.

This place preserves many architectural features of Chinese-style gardens, and the view of Sakurajima from afar is a must-capture scene. However, it seems the view is better from higher ground—if you have time, you can hike up the mountain.

This was a spot I didn’t capture last time, but I arrived a bit late this time; otherwise, the sea of yellow-green would’ve been even more beautiful.

I finally got to try the local specialty, *Nikubou* rice crackers, which come in two flavors: soy sauce and miso. Both are uniquely delicious.

After entering the handmade craft shop and greeting the owner, they’ll give you a pair of handcrafted bamboo chopsticks—^^

And the wide variety of handmade goods and unique crafts in the shop are truly hard to resist. Every item makes you want to take it home, and there are quite a few cat-related products. Each one is beautifully made and reasonably priced, so Wisely ended up buying a cast iron cat sculpture as a souvenir.

The last stop on my previous visit was also this souvenir shop. I originally wanted to sneak upstairs to the restaurant to rest and eat, but unfortunately, it was closing time. I also wanted to buy some Satsuma ware again, but I held back because the most famous is the translucent white Satsuma ware—and the price, of course, was high enough to make my wallet cry.

However, this time I had more time to slowly photograph the ‘Cat God Shrine.’ The current shrine has been relocated from above to right next to the souvenir shop, so you no longer have to search for it like before. And the famous cat ema (votive plaques) can also be bought at the souvenir shop next door—Up～

February 22nd sounds like the meowing sound “nyan nyan nyan,” so it’s called Cat Day, aka the Cat Festival. On this day, the Cat God Shrine holds the “Prayer for Cats’ Longevity and Health” ceremony, where owners write wishes for their beloved cats’ health and safety on the ema. The origin of this shrine is said to date back to the seven cats brought to Korea by the 17th feudal lord, Shimazu Yoshihiro, during the 1592 Imjin War (part of the Japanese invasions of Korea). These cats were used to tell time by observing their pupils. After the war, only two survived, so a small shrine was built in their memory.

The current souvenir shop is quite different from what I saw last time—the number of cat-themed merchandise has increased dramatically.

Just seeing the coin pouches for stamps and the savings bags for passbooks makes me wonder—why are they all money-related?

In various corners of the shop, there are also many sculptures of cats like this, and of course, the famous ema are also for sale.

There are just too many cats to buy them all. This might be another spot I’ve collected, aside from other unique cat-themed spots in Japan. Wisely has been to places like Zamami (Cat Island) and Onomichi (Cat Road), all cat-related attractions in Japan. And now, I’ve added this one to the list. I believe if you’re also a cat lover, you can’t miss this place.
 

Wisely

A Pisces man who records food, travel, and life,
Loves to document the little moments in everyday life.
Always yearns for the rich and colorful stories of others,
So he also earnestly shares his own life experiences in his blog,
Ensuring the footprints and explorations of life aren’t just left in his mind.

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