Art Day/09 What if I went to the Cat Exhibition

I went to the "What if Cat Exhibition" being held at the Sendai City Museum.
The many anthropomorphized cats by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, who was also the master of Kawanabe Kyosai, whom I visited the other day, were incredibly cute.

If you are thinking of going, please use this as a reference 🎵

About this exhibition

Utagawa Kuniyoshi is known as a huge cat lover and created many works featuring anthropomorphized cats.
This exhibition features many of Kuniyoshi's cat-related works. It is definitely a must-see for cat lovers 🤭

Tickets

Same-day ticket purchased at the counter: 1500 yen

Audio Guide

If you install the "Pocket Gakugeiin" app, you can listen to it for free!
Don't forget your earphones!

Exhibition Structure

This exhibition consists of 8 parts, including an introduction, special features, and a conclusion.
Here is a quick introduction to the ones I liked.

Introduction: People who draw cats
#1 Starts with Kuniyoshi's death portrait! A death portrait is a type of ukiyo-e published when a kabuki actor or similar figure passed away, serving as both an obituary and a memorial service. You can see how beloved an artist Kuniyoshi was.
And another piece on display was #2 "Tatoe-zukushi no Uchi," which depicts idioms related to cats.

Chapter 1: Comparing
A section where you can rediscover the charm of anthropomorphic expression by specifically comparing works based on real people with works depicting them as anthropomorphized cats.
#4 "Furyu Kyokudemari" (Elegant Ball Tricks) compared with #3 "Ryuko Neko no Kyokumari" (Popular Cat Ball Tricks). Just watching cats play with handballs is funny 🤣
A work based on #11 "Katsushika Hokusai: Hokusai Manga," depicting #10 "Utagawa Yoshiharu: Neko Sumo Asobi" (Cat Sumo Play). The faces and feet are cats, while the bodies are expressed as humans. The tight buttocks of the cats on the far right and center are hilarious.

Chapter 2: The Effect of Anthropomorphism
A section featuring anthropomorphism other than cats.
#27 Koma Kurabe Banjo Taiheiki
This is the anthropomorphism of shogi pieces. Is it a riddle criticizing the shogunate government?

#28 Kawanabe Kyosai: Kyosai Hyakkyo - Dofuke Hyakumamben
A satirical painting by Kyosai. At the top of the painting, he hedges by saying, "It looks like a riddle, but it's a nonsensical picture," but it is definitely a satire of the shogunate government. It is thought that the octopus in the center represents the shogunate and the golden shachi represents the Owari Tokugawa family, satirizing the stalled Sonno Joi (Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians) movement.

#41 Bakeneko Zoshi Emaki (Monster Cat Picture Scroll)
Although the detailed story is unknown, the content can be fully understood from the picture scroll. The sight of the monster cat checking in a puddle to see if it has successfully transformed is humorous.

#42 Nihon Daemon Neko no Koji
In this actor print, the old woman with cat ears is the 3rd Onoe Kikugoro, and monster cats are dancing. The large face of the threatening cat is also realistic and leaves an impression.

Chapter 3: The Tale of Okoma
A section on the gokan (serialized novel) depicting the life story of the cat Okoma, created by Santo Kyozan and Utagawa Kuniyoshi.
I was thinking, 'If only I could read the text, I would understand it better,' and then I found a panel display with a summary of all the volumes. How kind!
The fact that such a long novel was published is proof of the high literacy rate in the Edo period.

Chapter 4: People Becoming Cats
A section that reveals the innovative idea of depicting real-life Kabuki actors as cats, rather than drawing cats as humans.

Special Feature: Chatty Faces, One Hundred Expressions
Works that humorously express the situations people are in using only their facial expressions.
I found myself nodding along, thinking, 'Oh, I totally get that!'

Chapter 5: Kuniyoshi's Gaze
A section that reveals Kuniyoshi's observational skills and precise expressive power, as well as his humorous ideas that overflow one after another.
#119 Mitate Neko Mi-hachi-gai (Draft)
#120 Neko Mi-hachi-ke-i
A comparison between the preliminary sketch for the fan and the finished work.

#127 Fashionable Cat's Play: Umegae's Imitation of Mukan
A parody of the play where the courtesan Umegae strikes a water basin with a ladle, causing gold coins to fall from the second floor. It is uniquely feline that the water basin, which should be made of stone, is a giant octopus, and dried horse mackerel falls instead of gold coins. If you look closely, the plum blossom pattern on the kimono is also composed of shells, bells, and neck cords.

Today's souvenirs❤️

Flyer and postcards (from top left):
#77 Utagawa Hiroshige: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, Asakusa Rice Fields and Torinomachi Festival
#3 Utagawa Kuniyoshi: Fashionable Cat's Ball-Juggling
#131 Utagawa Kuniyoshi: Cat's Ateji (Phonetic Kanji) - Octopus
#132 Utagawa Kuniyoshi: Cat's Ateji (Phonetic Kanji) - Catfish
#130 Utagawa Kuniyoshi: Cat's Ateji (Phonetic Kanji) - Bonito
#85 Utagawa Kuniyoshi: Scribbles on the Treasure House Wall, Tsuki mo Toi Inaba no Suke, and others

Information

Exhibition Period: April 17, 2026 - June 7, 2026
Venue: Sendai City Museum
Address: 26 Kawauchi, Aoba-ku, Sendai City (Sendai Castle Sannomaru Site)
Same-day ticket: 1500 yen

Bonus

Goshikinuma Pond, located next to the museum, is considered the birthplace of figure skating in Japan.
At the nearest station, Kokusai Center Subway Station, there was a panel of the gold medalist associated with the site.