The Cat Anniversaries you didn't know about

As you may know by now, especially if you are a regular reader of City-cost, February 22nd annually is "Neko no Hi", aka "Cat Day", in Japan. A day dedicated to cats. Among the hundreds of anniversaries each year in Japan, it is one of the better-known ones. But did you know that it is not the only cat related anniversary each year? Let's have a look at four of the other cat related anniversaries annually in Japan.

Another that shares its anniversary on February 22nd annually is Disney Marie Day ディズニー マリーの日. The Disney Marie Day is dedicated to the beloved white kitten from the Disney animated movie The Aristocrats, a favorite among "kawaii" fans and merch collectors. Also in February, but on the 20th, is Cat Health Checkup day 猫の健康診断の日 which was created to encourage owners to schedule annual vet visits, in the lead up to Cat Day.

In addition, every month, there are cat anniversaries on the 22nd - Nyanmaru Day にゃんまるの日 and Denyaazu Day デニャーズの日. Both play on the nyan-nyan sound associated with cats and which is represented by the numbers 2-2, for the 22nd. “Nyanmaru Day” is celebrated on February 22 as the birthday of Maruhan’s mascot character Nyanmaru, created to embody the company’s message of bringing joy to people. Likewise, "Denyaazu Day" celebrates the official Denny’s Japan mascot trio, the Denyaazu, created by Seven & i Food Systems. 

Together, these mini‑anniversaries show just how deeply cats are woven into Japan’s pop culture, language, and everyday joy — far beyond the most famous February 22nd "Cat Day" celebration.