The Nekozuka Kofun Cat Festival, a grand cat festival for cat lovers, and cat legends [Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture]

Did you know? Every year, Sendai City holds the"Nekozuka Kofun Cat Festival"

Sorry, honestly I didn't know

It was purely by chance that while researching the history, traditions, and legends of Sendai, I discovered that there are several places in Sendai City with legends related to cats, mainly in certain areas. As I read and researched these stories,the Nekozuka Kofun (Cat Mound Tumulus) at Shorin Shrine in Minami-Koizumi, Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai CityI learned that a festival is being held at

I alsotwolive with

"I don't know about that festival. Cats are good at hiding, as expected."

I thought that was so rude

It's just that I didn't do enough research

So I was curious and looked into the "Nekozuka Kofun Cat Festival" and "Legends Related to Cats."

Why a cat mound? A burial mound? A cat festival?

Let us introduce you to the cat-related stories that are passed down in Sendai, Miyagi, as well as modern-day cat festivals!

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What is the Nekozuka Tomb at Shorin Shrine?

Nekozuka Kofun is located at Shorin Shrine in Minamikoizumi 1-chome, the guardian deity of Minamikoizumi, and is still carefully protected by local people

It is said that this shrine originally had a keyhole-shaped tumulus measuring 7 to 8 meters in diameter, but it was destroyed early on, and no remains remain, nor is the internal structure known, so the details are unknown.However, the current Shorin Shrine was built on the site, and a cat mound was also built there, so it seems to have been named ``Nekozuka Kofun.''

This cat mound was built based on a local legend about cats

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The legend of the cat who saved his master's life

It is said that there was a princess and a cat in this place whom she loved very much

But one day, the cat clung to the princess and wouldn't let go

What's more, the cat even tried to jump on the princess

When the lord saw this, he became angry and cut off the cat's head

However, the head of the cat that had been cut off was biting into the throat of a giant snake on the ceiling

that's right

The cat was trying to protect the princess from the giant snake

When the lord realized that he had killed the cat by mistake, he built a mound on this spot, gave the cat a proper burial, and began to pray there

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The legend of the cat mound at Saishoin

The legend of the cat in Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai City is actually not just the story above (the legend of Shorin Shrine and Nekozuka Kofun)

There is also a cat mound at Saishoin Temple, located in the same Wakabayashi Ward as Shorin Shrine, and it has a different legend about cats than the one at Shorin Shrine.

This story is a different legend from the one above

, the famous warrior of Tohoku, to commemorate his grandmother, Princess KuboMasamune1603,Saishoin temple was built in

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The legend of the master and his cat at Saishoin

According to legend, a cat kept by a certain household one day killed and ate a neighbor's chicken

The neighbor became enraged and shot the cat to death with a gun

However, since the owner of the next door house was the cat's superior, he was unable to protest and instead tearfully built a cat mound and offered prayers for the cat

After that, strange incidents began to occur one after another in the neighboring house, and it is said that the entire family died out

abovethe twoAs

What they have in common is the relationship between the owner and the cat, and the fact that the grave where the beloved cat was buried with such care is still there and is still cherished to this day

Now let's get to the main topic!

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Nekozuka Kofun Cat Festival!

According to my research, the cat festival/is held at

The event isthe "Nekozuka Kofun Cat Festival Executive Committee,"organized bycat lovers gather from all over the country every year1,200it seems that over

"Huh?1200people!?"

I'm sure you all thought the same thing

Don't underestimate the Nekozuka Kofun Cat Festival, which is incredibly exciting and filled with passion every year

This festival is packed with cat-related events, including a stamp rally, sales of cat goods, cat makeup experiences, delicious food stalls, and a search for foster parents

It seems that a pre-festival will also be held the day before the main festival

Currently,(2022)Nekozukathere is no information available abouton June 22nd and 23rdit seems that in 2019 it was held

I sincerely hope that the event will be held again this year and will wait for more information

Finally, here are some photos of the Nekozuka Kofun Cat Festival held in 2014

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Nekozuka Kofun Cat Festival <Information>

• Name: Nekozuka Kofun Cat Festival
• Location: Shorin Shrine/Nekozuka Tomb
• Organized by: Nekozuka Kofun Cat Festival Executive Committee
• Address: 1-1-28 Minamikoizumi, Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
• Past dates: Usually held between October and mid-November. In 2019, it was held on June 22nd and 23rd, with the first day being treated as a pre-festival

Google Map

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