"Ukiyo-e Cat Encyclopedia: A Whole Lot of Cats" [Hiroshima Museum of Art]

This is an exhibition filled with round, purring cats curled up and appearing in a purring manner.

Even though cats have become house cats and have become accustomed to human society, they still retain the ecology and habits of hunters that have been passed down for 10,000 years. The behaviors that we think of as "cat-like" are remnants of those habits, and their charm has been expressed in paintings.

In Japan in particular, keeping cats as pets became common during the Edo period, and cats began to appear in a variety of original paintings and ukiyo-e woodblock prints. In particular, the works of the ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a cat lover who was always surrounded by cats, give us a glimpse into the lives of cats and humans at the time.

Through ukiyo-e prints depicting cats, this exhibition vividly explains the ecology and history of cats, as well as their relationship with humans, and encourages visitors to reconsider the profound depth of the society in which cats exist, rather than simply viewing them as "cute."

We will introduce the charm of cats with plenty of love, including some cat-related facts that cat lovers will love.