The Role of the Cat in the Art and Culture of Japan

The article is devoted to the interaction and transformation of a mythological, mystical creature (cat) with a female image in Japanese painting. The subject of the study is the images of cats and women on scrolls and engravings of the XVIII-XX centuries. Attention is focused on the modern mythological aspect of Japanese culture. The aesthetic canons of beauty perception in the context of the national culture of Japan, based on Shintoism and Buddhism, are emphasized. Comparative historical and iconographic research methods were used in the analysis of cultural, philosophical and art-historical scientific materials. The relevance of the topic is due to the revival of interest in the mythological heritage of Japan, the transformation of mythological images and their feminization in modern popular culture. The novelty of the research lies in the comparative analysis of female images and mythological images of cats in Japanese classical painting and modern kawaii culture, based on the philosophical and aesthetic traditions of Japan. The novelty of the research lies in the comparative analysis of female images and mythological images of cats in Japanese classical painting and modern kawaii culture, based on the philosophical and aesthetic traditions of Japan. An attempt is made to compare the mythological images of cats and female images in both traditional and modern artistic images. It is concluded that national traditions and mentality are of great importance for the evaluation of Japanese mythological images, despite the historical period of time. Of particular importance is the perception of female images in kawaii, due to the aesthetic and religious foundations of Japanese society, given that the myth is firmly embedded in popular culture. It is emphasized that the kawaii culture is an independent aesthetic phenomenon.