Affection can sometimes be a poison. The bliss experienced at the Kyoto International Manga Museum's 'Night of the Living Cat Exhibition'

[Approx. 1,200 characters, 12 photos | Estimated reading time: approx. 3 minutes]

Kyoto International Manga Museum | December 13, 2025 – April 7, 2026

"If you touch a cat, you become a cat yourself."
Is that the ultimate paradise for a cat lover, or is it a bottomless hell? I visited the exhibition currently being held at the Kyoto International Manga Museum, which depicts such an extraordinary "what if" in "Night of the Living Cat."

Once you step inside, you are in a world dominated by a violence called "cuteness." Like turning the pages of a story, you experience the tension of living with these mysterious creatures, the cats, with all five senses.

I would like to record that momentary detour here.

1. The "cat's will" dwelling in their eyes and the heat remaining on the desk

A former elementary school building built in the early Showa period. Occasionally, the old wooden floor creaks. Even that nostalgic creaking sounds like the approaching footsteps of a cat.
Beyond the silence that the former schoolhouse holds, there now lurks the sign of an irresistible "Nyandemic."

Cats staring at you. In their eyes, there is a definite "will" that is not about being spoiled or fawning.
You instinctively want to reach out and scratch their throats, but in the story, that is the fork in the road of fate. Will you remain human, or will you fall and become a cat?
A heart-pounding sensation begins, similar to a first love, or perhaps something even more dangerous.

What is on display are digital prints that capture the analog brushstrokes painstakingly carved onto paper, with their overwhelming amount of information and intensity. In every fine line, the unique vitality of a living creature and a brazen richness of expression breathe.
There was certainly the presence of the author, holding their breath and running their pen across the desk, packaged within.

Even those who do not yet know the story, when faced with these pictures, should easily understand why humanity so readily surrendered to cats.

2. Once you touch, that's it. A dangerous balance where seriousness and cuteness intersect

The clever part of this work is that the almost comical earnestness of "running away from cats with all one's might while wearing an extremely serious face" is the poison of this story, and at the same time, the magic that draws the reader in.
The hard, serious lines reminiscent of gekiga only serve to cruelly accentuate the relentless softness of those "fluffy" cats.

To all cat lovers.
No matter how dire the situation the characters find themselves in, rest assured. They will never hurt a cat. Even when their own lives are about to flicker out, what they fear most of all is "hurting a cat."

Questions for the two creators who built such a hopelessly funny and lovable world were lined up on the panels.

Walking through the venue, I suddenly realize something. I recognize the tension this work radiates from somewhere.
It is exactly like that precarious anticipation we feel in our daily lives when we timidly extend a finger to a cat we've just met, asking, '...Will you let me touch you?'

3. Immersing yourself in the work down to your very gut

After enjoying it enough with your eyes, you must also make your stomach a part of the story.

At the attached 'Maeda Coffee,' menu items recreated from the story make an appearance.

When I peeked at the menu as if invited by Yasunori Oya from the curatorial office, there it was: 'Megokoro Nekome's French Toast.' I'd love to enjoy it with a hot coffee. (There are no real cats inside the shop. Please enjoy your coffee with peace of mind.)

Information

• Dates: December 13, 2025 (Sat) – April 7, 2026 (Tue)

• Venue: Kyoto International Manga Museum, 2nd Floor, Galleries 1, 2, and 3

• Hours: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Last admission 16:30)

• Closed: Every Wednesday

• Admission: Exhibition viewing is free (Museum admission fee is required separately)

• Photography: Partially prohibited (*Photos in this article were taken with special permission)

Bonus: On the way home, the shadow of a cat.

When I headed to the shop with a pleasant sense of fatigue, there were about 3,000 items there to stimulate worldly desires. (Original goods, related products for special exhibitions and events, etc.)

I found it. That 'apron.' Not only those who love the story, but anyone who has bowed down to the magic of the creature known as a cat will surely find it impossible to just walk on by.

I may not be able to do something as grand as saving humanity, but at the very least, I want to protect the sense of awe for 'soft things' that these palms remember.
It was a blissful 'fluffy panic' experience, holding such a funny and slightly bittersweet determination in my heart.

Please be sure to share any 'un-cat-believable events' that have happened around you in the comments section.

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Next time, we are planning 'Why do cars turn? Understanding it with your fingertips — The "blueprint of the world" assembled by parent and child' (Updated every Wednesday).

*This article was written and published with the permission of the Kyoto International Manga Museum.
*Please refrain from reprinting or secondary use of the posted images.
© Hawkman/Mecaroots/Mag Garden/Nyailivi Production Committee

Reporting, text, and photography: Gen Irie (IRIE ART LOG)