Neko Astray

Intro to Neko Astray

This story introduces some of the basics about trains, Japanese gods, cat cafes, and some Tokyo districts. It is about the journey of a cat and the human that helps her through the mean streets of Tokyo. Cats are very much loved in Japan and are quite popular in pop culture. There are cat girls, cat cafes, cat manga, cat islands, lazy cats, cat conductors, lucky cats, etc. They have been rendered as cute figures in pretty much everything.

Buddhist Temple: Buddhism originates in India, and was imported to Japan from China. Buddhism co-exists with Shinto in Japan and temple and shrine can exist in the same religious complex. Buddhism is based on the teachings of Buddha and is about overcoming suffering and the cycle of death and rebirth. There are many sects and traditions, and it has complex mythologies that include many gods, and guardians.

Cat cafe: A theme cafe where you get to interact with cats while having a coffee or a dessert.

Cat shrine: Tokyo has two famous cat shrines where you can pray for luck from a kitty or for a kitty. Gotokuji Temple is a Buddhist temple known for its cat shrine that has thousands of lucky cat figurines. Imado Shrine is the other famous cat shrine that features cat statues and it is known as a shrine for love relationships. Both shrines have a different origin story for the maneki neko.

Conveyor belt sushi restaurant: Kaiten-zushi or rotation sushi where the plates of sushi are premade and placed on a conveyor belt. Diners pick the plates they wish to eat and a bill is tallied up from the number and type of plates at the table.

Gomenasi: Go-men-a-sigh. Sorry.

Gyudon: A beef rice bowl. Sauteed onions and thin strips of beef in a light sauce on top of steamed rice.

Konbini: A Japanese loan word for convenience. Convenience stores are everywhere in Japan, and are very common near train stations. Konbini sell all manner of drinks (including alcohol) and snacks, but are known for their high quality fresh food like tasty onigiri (rice balls), sandwiches, pastries, bento, fried chicken, and other food. They also stock a good selection of household products, stationary, personal hygiene supplies, and even underwear in their small confines.

Konnichiwa: Kon-ni-chi-wa. Informal hello and greeting from mid-morning to early evening.

Maneki Neko: Lucky cat figure or beckoning cat represented by a sitting cat with one paw raised. Usually it is a white cat with the insides of the ears colored red. It is often found in homes and business to bring luck.

Neko: Japanese for cat.

Onigiri: Rice balls. Palm-sized balls of rice with a filling and maybe a wrap of dried seaweed. These are very popular in Japan and are basically their version of a sandwich. There are dozens of flavors including: tuna and mayo, salted cod roe, grilled salmon, pickled plum, and Japanese pickled vegetables.

Shibuya Crossing: The busiest pedestrian intersection in the world. It is a scramble crossing where all vehicular traffic stops for pedestrians to scramble through the intersection from all the corners, then the cars take their turns in alternating directions. The cycle then repeats itself.

Shinto: The native religion in Japan predates Buddhism and has shamanistic elements to it. It is tightly coupled to nature gods/spirits or kami and all things on earth can have a kami representing them. All things on earth also have a spirit. Prayers and offerings to the kami can be for fertility, good harvest, success in business, to luck in love, etc., depending on the kami. Kami respond to human prayers to influence the natural course of events. There is a saying that you are born Shinto and die Buddhist. Shinto Shrines are often family run.

Shinto Shrine: A sacred space that houses the kami it is for. Entering through the torii gate, often red, means you are entering sacred ground. There may be guardian spirits represented too. For example, an Inari or Fox Shrine will have two foxes guarding the approach. There are often sacred trees and objects associated with shrines. Jinja is the Japanese for shrine.

SUICA card: A SUICA is a smart chip debit card that you preload with cash at the train station ticket machines, and is used to pay for train rides by scanning at the entrance and exit gates. The card is used in multiple cities and is valid at many retailers in train stations and even at some vending machines. PASMO is a competitor card with the same benefits.

Sushi: A topping of thinly sliced seafood, omelette, or vegetable is placed on top of a small, palm pressed clump of cooked white rice. The topping can be cooked or raw.

Tendon: A tempura rice bowl. Tempura in a sauce on top of steamed rice.

Tempura: Battered and deep fried seafood and vegetables.