Japanese Mythology / Bakeneko

I have currently gotten on a major Haruki Murakami kick. I noticed a common theme of cats in both Kafka on the shore and The wind-up bird chronicle. Does anyone have any suggestions for a collection of traditional mythology about cats (and in particular Bakeneko) translated to English which they could recommend to help me better understand the role of cats and broader Japanese mythology in these novels? Thanks in advance!

Actually, the first thing that came to my mind was The Cat Who Went to Heaven, a children's book set in Japan that involves cats' role as taboo in Buddhism.

It's not directly related to your query but you might find I am a cat interesting as a cat's view on Meiji Japan.

Fudoki by Kij Johnson is a historic fantasy about a cat woman. I don't know whether it will help answer your question.

(Johnson wrote a much better book about a fox woman, called The Fox Woman naturally enough, which is based on a Japanese tale. It has much more folklore and mythology in it.)

ejfertig-sama,

in THE CAT WHO THOUGHT TOO MUCH i deal with jpse views of cats --- do not have much mythology, but do look and ask me if you have Qs

There is a wonderful traditional folktale, "The Boy Who Drew Cats" that may give you some insight into the mythology of Japan in regards to cats.

There's a good section cats in myths and legends of Japan it may be helpful(:

i believe that chamberlain's Things Japanese treats the tailessness of cats in japan & has quite a bit re legends related = most editions of his book were called Things Japanese but touchstones only gives the unpoetically reversed title probably insisted on a north american edition = it has nothing to do w cats, but how ironic there are almost a dozen 'things japanese' now!

>8 keigu: our copy of the 1902 edition is entered thus:
Things Japanese; being notes on various subjects connected with Japan for the use of travellers and others
Check our book list.
Wonky touchstones: Things Japanese Chamberlain