Exhibition | Sendai, Miyagi: "If Cats Exhibition" - The Absurdity of Okoma and an Affectionate Gaze Toward Cats

Arrived in Sendai the day before to participate in an event

I arrived in Sendai the day before to participate in the 4/18-19 Sendai Whole Design Market.

Since I was there, I wanted to enjoy Sendai beyond just the event!

First, I visited the Sendai Castle Ruins to see the equestrian statue of Date Masamune,
and the next place I headed to was
the "If Cats Exhibition," which had just started at the Sendai City Museum.

This was a traveling exhibition I had been curious about but kept missing.
Having traveled through Nagoya, Kyoto, Niigata, and Hiroshima, this exhibition concludes in Sendai.
I was able to see it on its very first day in Sendai.

This exhibition focuses on the works of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, an ukiyo-e artist known for his love of cats,
and introduces about 130 items, including ukiyo-e prints and illustrated books from the Edo to Meiji periods
related to cats and their anthropomorphic or personified depictions.

It felt like it showed not just "cute cats,"
but the very playfulness of the Edo period—the imagination to liken non-human things to humans, and to depict humans as cats.

The "Okoma Story" that left the biggest impression on me

A storybook featuring the anthropomorphized cat, Okoma.

Okoma, a cat from a dried bonito wholesaler, elopes with a tabby cat she is in love with,
and gets caught up in a series of strange events and overly intense cats.

It is a tumultuous tale of a cat that keeps rolling along with momentum, where fantasy triumphs over logic.
There were many moments where I was surprised by the direction it took,
and I found myself drawn in as I followed it with my eyes.
It is funny, strange, and sometimes quite absurd.

However, because the values and sensibilities are different from today's,
there were many parts where I wondered, "How should I take this?"
But even that feeling of not being able to immediately grasp it was interesting.

There are things that cannot be fully read with modern sensibilities alone,
and perhaps encountering that gap is the real thrill of looking at old stories.
The exhibition commentary included a section tracing the inheritance and spread of this "Okoma Story," centered on the "Oborozuki Neko no Soshi" (The Tale of the Hazy Moon Cat),

and it was impressive to see it positioned not just as a strange tale, but within the flow of imagination surrounding cats.

The affectionate observational eye of a cat-loving artist

And above all, what I marveled at was the observational eye toward cats.

To say that a cat-loving artist drew cats
is not enough; they observed them so closely.

Their gestures, expressions, the softness of their bodies,
and the way they are a bit selfish, a bit goofy, yet strangely charming.

They weren't just drawing them to be cute;
the perspective born from affection for the creature that is a cat
was truly alive within the paintings.

Even though they are anthropomorphized, they are still cats.
Even though they look like people, they are still cats.

I think that exquisite balance is what makes Kuniyoshi's paintings so interesting.

Things I could take home because photography was allowed

Since photography was allowed at this exhibition,
I was able to enjoy not just the works themselves,
but also the colors of the exhibition space, the 3D cat panels, and the way each section was presented
thoroughly afterward.

Of course, it is different from the experience of seeing the real thing,
but when I look back at the photos later, I can remember little by little where I stopped and which works caught my eye.
In the sense that the lingering feeling continues after seeing the exhibition,

I thought that exhibitions where photography is allowed are wonderful.
The venue was set up with many photo spots,
and it seems the layout was designed so that visitors could also enjoy taking pictures of the materials.

The catalog and a souvenir for myself

I also bought the catalog and a souvenir for myself on the way out.

The catalog is for looking back at things slowly later.

I am happy that I can revisit at home the things that inevitably slipped away while walking through the exhibition.
I also got a keychain drawn with lines that look like scribbles.

Even though they look like casual doodles, the lines are eye-catching,

and I really like it, including its unpretentious feel.

After the exhibition, I took a break at the cafe.

For this exhibition, there were also
limited collaboration menus available at Cafe Mozart Teo on the 2nd floor of the Sendai City Museum.
I went to the cafe looking forward to the cat mocha shortcake, but

unfortunately, it was sold out.
I switched to the fruit tart.
The happy time of eating something sweet

while the lingering impressions of the exhibition were still in my mind
became a wonderful memory of Sendai.

An exhibition that doesn't end with just being cute.

The "What If Cats Exhibition"
didn't just end with being an exhibition of cute cats.

It had humor.
It had mystery.
There were also parts that left me puzzled by the differences in eras.

It was an exhibition where you could experience both the affectionate observations of cat-loving artists
and the uninhibited imagination of the Edo period.

I think it's an enjoyable exhibition not only for cat lovers,

but also for those who enjoy slightly quirky stories and the humor of anthropomorphic expressions.

◆Special Exhibition "What If Cats Exhibition"

Venue: Sendai City Museum
April 17 - June 7, 2026
Opening Hours: 9:00 - 16:45
Last Admission: 16:15 Closed: Every Monday
*Open on May 4, closed on May 7
Admission Fee: General 1,500 yen, High School/University Students 1,000 yen, Elementary/Junior High Students 800 yen