Cats in Spring Rain: A Celebration of Feline Charm in Japanese Art and Haiku

by Aya Kusch

This delightful little book pays homage to the cat through artfully curated Japanese poetry and prints.

No one captures the graces and idiosyncrasies of cats quite like the painters, printmakers, and haiku masters of Japan. From the Edo to the Showa period, many artists turned their gaze toward an unlikely their small feline companions. Closely observed portraits in words ad ink elevate the everyday adventures of taking a nap on a Buddha statue's lap, daintily eating a rice ball, courting the neighbor's cat. This curated collection of poems, prints, and paintings will leave you inspired to cultivate the serenity and wonder embodied by these creators—and by the cats themselves. Presented as a sweet, jacketed paperback with thoughtful design touches, this volume includes each poem in both English and Japanese.

THE ORIGINAL CAT Centuries before the emergence of cat memes and cat cafes, Japanese artists and writers perfected the practice of feline reverence. Cats played pivotal roles in folklore; they were the protectors of scriptures and symbols of good luck and wealth. They also proved to be a wonderful source of creative inspiration. This little compendium showcases Japan's rich cultural heritage.

UNIQUE Surprise your cat-loving friends and family with this unusual twist on the cat-themed gift.

PERFECT FOR POETRY Whether they came to poetry through the works of Instagram poets, or have been reading the classics for decades, any lover of verse will enjoy this thoughtfully curated collection. The writers featured include Bashō, Chiyo-ni, Issa, Shiki, and more—all icons of the haiku form.

ENCHANTING Hokusai, Hiroshige, Yoshitoshi, and These artists masterfully captured the personalities of cats and their humans. These images, with their delicate lines and soothing colors, have endured through time to bring us quiet joy.

Perfect
• Cat lovers
• Poets and poetry readers
• Artists and art lovers
• Anyone who appreciates Japan's arts and culture

Genres: Poetry, Art, Japan, Cats, Asia, Animals, Japanese Literature

134 pages, Paperback

Published May 10, 2022

Reviews

[Flo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat with lantern, Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847 – 1915)

snow is falling–
from the rooftop
the sound of a white cat
— Masaoka Shiki

It is one of the many beautiful pictures in this book, which compiles haiku and paintings about cats and their complex nature, unquestionable charm, and calming companionship. It was easy to pick this collection as the first one in 2023.

silently,
the cats in love
depart
— Chiyo-Ni

I bought the book at a big bookstore in Sydney, where I celebrated New Year's Eve. The bookmark, Mount Fuji, was purchased in Kyoto, where I spent my holidays after a week in Tokyo.

Cat at the entrance of Kaneiji Temple, Tokyo.


Cat spotted at Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto.

Many memories in those photos; in my mind. Marvellous moments with loved ones; pangs of sadness at the thought of absence.

with a cat
growing wistful for
the voices of people
— Santoka Taneda

However, I feel grateful for the opportunities I found last year, the lessons learnt, the goals achieved, the dreams fulfilled.

sleeping, then waking,
after a big yawn
the cat searches for love
— Kobayashi Issa *

And the love found.

I hope 2023 brings more lessons and growth, health, great books, and people we can call family.
Happy New Year.



Jan 1, 2023
* This quoted haiku is one I found when I randomly opened the book to see what poem I might get.

[Ksenia (vaenn) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Маленький, але неймовірно чарівливий артбук - один з тих камінчиків, на яких психіка тримається в оці непевні дні. Добірка хайку, доповнена роботами японських художників, і все це - про їхніх котячих величностей. Прекрасна книжка, якій трішечки бракує екскурсів у культурні контексти - символіку "котячості" в хайку укладачка-перекладачка в передмові трохи пояснила, але хотілося б і про ключики до візуальної складової почитати. Хай там як, а це крихітне диво поліграфії і сенсів, яке вчасно нагадало, що попри все життя триває, дощ падає, а коти - любляться, чубляться й ганяють метеликів.

[Mina ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being honest? This poetry book is really a cellebration to cats (these magnetic felines).

It was good but maybe the form used - the haikus - it would be better appreciated in their native linguage.

[Casey, with a book · Rating 5 out of 5]

stray cat
asleep on the roof—
spring rain

This charming and meditative book of cat-themed haiku is elevated by the wonderful curation of artworks. (My favorite is called “I would like to cancel my subscription). It includes the Japanese text with each translation, and an index of the artists and authors. This is such a lovely book to have in my collection and would make a great gift, too.

[Mansoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

the cat in love
forgetful of even
the rice on his whiskers
...
it is enviable
how easily
cats give up on love

[Laira · Rating 5 out of 5]

this little tiny small book has just made my night much better and relaxed after having a pretty bad day <3 my personal favorite may be the last haiku: “urayamashi omoikiru toki neko no koi” translated as “it is enviable how easily cats give up on love”. Literally it would mean something like “Envidious is the times where cats can just stop thinking about love”, or something like that. Every Haiku here, despite being cat-related, can be analyzed and interpreted from many different views. The short poems add to the self interpretation. Since they are so short and concise, it is reader’s task to give more meaning to the scene described in the Haiku. I love cats and i love deep thinking at night and i love japanese art and literature.

[ana laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It is enviable
How easily
Cats give up on love”

Leí este poemario de haikus de gatos alado de mi gatita y sentí como me juzgaba.

[Callum McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly charming selection of classic Japanese art and poetry that celebrates our love of cats. Their mischief, aloofness, elegance, fierceness, and affection are all showcased, and the design and layout of the book itself is gorgeous.

I really appreciated the inclusion of the Japanese, phonetic, and English versions of each poem, with the gentle, fleeting, contemplative nature of haiku perfectly suited to the subject matter.

My only criticism is that women writers and artists are very underrepresented. I appreciate it was historically much more difficult for them to pursue the arts and be taken seriously, but I would have liked to see a little more diversity in the creators featured.

Still, this is such a lovely little read and an ideal gift for any lover or cats, traditional Japanese art, and/or haiku.

[Tabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautifully written! I could feel the emotion and intent behind each Haiku! Definitely shows how much cats have always been loved ♡ Here were a few of my favorites:

紅 梅 や 縁 に ほ し た る 洗 ひ 猫 kōbai ya heri ni hoshitaru arai neko beneath the red-blossomed plum tree a washed cat dries —KOBAYASHI ISSA

the female cat grown thin from love, barley, and rice —BASHŌ

with a cat growing wistful for the voices of people —SANTOKA TANEDA

it is enviable how easily cats give up on love —OCHI ETSUJIN

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

so cute !! cat haikus translated from japanese to english !! how yay !!

[Kristyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both the haiku and art here is gentle. The art is more personal and authentic than much of the formal posed art that you see in museums. The haiku often contain the subtle wry humor on cats in love.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it quickly at a museum. Very cute! Loved the art as well.
3.5 stars

[Sam Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

very cute

[Cassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and short. I liked that this translator didn’t try to force the English translations to fit a 5-7-5 syllable scheme and instead chose the most appropriate translation she felt was possible for each poem!

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute

[Eve LeBlanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute and meditative and lovely. Just a simple book of poetry and very short so I wouldn’t recommend it to most but it really was a sweet.

[tessa Janson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

[katie taguchi]

my mom got me this book of japanese haikus from an art museum and yes i’m logging it here and i’m not sorry

[Sophia Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore haikus.
I am so in love with cats.
This was delightful.

[jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

the cat in love
forgetful of even
the rice on his whiskers

[aimeelire]

This is a very nice introduction to the world haiku for lovers of cats who know nothing about it. A short read, but quite pleasant. The translator's note helped me appreciate the fleeting nature of the poems and their purpose. The overall design of the book is quite nice too, and the artworks do a good job accompanying the poems. I like the end notes about the poets and artists too, it helps imagine what their life was like and where the poems stem from, in a way. I'm also glad the Japanese text was included with a transliteration, I think poetry should always come with the original text, it helps to grasp the original quality of the poems.
Greatly composed anthology, obviously translated by someone passionate. :)

With that said, I couldn't help but notice a few typos and mistakes:
First paragraph of the interior sleeve: "cats not only serve as chaming protagonists" (where I suppose "chaming" should be "charming")
p. 79 in the Japanese haiku, the transliteration ends with "neko no koi" (猫の恋) but the Japanese ends with 猫の恋太紙.
p. 113 Ueshima Onitsura: "becaming a renowned poet in the region" (where I suppose "becaming" should be "becoming")

[steph&#x1f338; · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for pictures of cats and some accompanying haikus, you’re in the right place!

This book features art and haiku side-by-side. The art wasn’t created to correlate with each haiku, but it’s still fun to look at.

This book gives us each haiku in written Japanese, romaji (how you would pronounce the written Japanese), and then the English translation. I love that format, because as this book and many others note, translating poems is hard! Especially when it’s a haiku. I really enjoyed the inclusion of the originals because it allows the reader to read that and interpret it themselves too/see how it would sound.

I wish the name of each art piece had been written/labeled but there is an index in the back showing each art piece and it’s illustrator/blurb. There is also a section in the back filled with blurbs on each author and artist which I really enjoyed.

I enjoyed this book and would definitely considering purchasing a copy for my coffee table.

[ChiChi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a little jewel-box treasure for cat, haiku and art lovers. Aya Kusch has translated the haiku and curated this beautiful collection, which makes for a wonderful read and would make an exceptional gift for anyone who loves felines and poetry. Each poem is presented in English, plus traditional Japanese characters, and phonetic pronunciation. At the end there is a biography section for each of the poets and artists represented.

My favourite illustration is Cat at Night by Shoda Koho (1871-1946) who worked in woodblock prints, and my favourite haiku is

crickets chirp
while the cat sleeps
beside the wood stove

by Ueshima Onitsura (1661-1783) who started writing poetry at the age of eight.

Great read!

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of historic haiku about cats accompanied by traditional Japanese artwork featuring cats. All of the poems are recreated in 3 forms, Japanese calligraphy, transliterated Japanese, and English. There are short biographies of all the poets and artists featured in the book, as well as a note about the challenge of translating haiku into English and preserving poetic form.

This is a very quick read and feels like a coffee table type of book you'd get for your favorite cat lover. (Though the book is side table-sized, it is only a little over 15 cm tall.) I liked the artwork selected, possibly even more than the haikus.

No content issues.

[Julie Thomason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful little collection, As a fan of both cats and all things Japanese this was a must reader my. As I write Haiku I found the introduction and the notes on the pets interesting. This is a book to have in a place of contemplation to pick up and dip into. The subtle simplify of the words yet moves deep inside you always facades me about this poetic form. Reminding us of the beauty to be found in the simple things of life that add depth if we take time to reflect on them. $ stars because I wish there had been more content.

[Rebecka · Rating 5 out of 5]

a sweet book that celebrates our feline friends, through japanese haiku and art. it’s a very beautiful little book that was very relaxing to flip through. some art pieces are stunning, most of them depicting a geisha with her cat. is that the ultimate beauty? possibly.

my favorite haikus are:

snow is falling-
from the rooftop
the sound of a white cat

and

heart elsewhere,
a cat chews
on a moonflower

i like the calm breath of a haiku, and these are all centered around cats. obviously this is five stars, full and bright.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend from a whole different country gave this to me as present while I was visiting their home country 2 weeks ago, it was a very delightful and enjoyable read, very much exactly crafted for my interests and myself. It was very relaxing and the art designs inside are absolutely gorgeous. I'll slip it in my pocket everytime I go out just in case I encounter cats. Thank you Lys, missing you.

Like a cat's licked fur,
Some snow remains
In the mountain crevices🧏

[Lenore Kuipers-Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful little book! It is full of all Japanese Haiku poetry. It has an introduction that explains the process of how each poem was translated from Japanese to English. Both the Japanese and English are included. Most of the illustrations look to be pen and ink. Some poems are reflective, some humorous.
In the back of the book there is a biographical write-up of each poet, and each illustrator.

[Linda Fairchild · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a treasure of a book! It's a small book with perfect haiku and pictures. I love the small size and the beautiful quality of the paper. I gave it to me my friend who has a Turkish Van pure white cat, and of course, I read it out loud to the cat (Bianca) before I wrapped it up in exquisite wrapping paper!

[Natalie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the spring rain, this was such a palate cleanser, washing away the old to allow new concepts to enter. The book is beautifuly done, the art intertwining the poetry. The haiku is written in its original Japanese language (kanji), as well as the English alphabet. The translation is also very well done. This will leave a smile on your face and renewed positivity!