The 12 winners of Japan’s cat most likely to bring good fortune, selected by 猫壱, have been announced. From 421 entries submitted nationwide, 3 cats were selected in each of 4 categories by 3 judges. The judging was conducted by 3 people, including cat photographer Oki Masayuki (沖 昌之), and photos of the winning cats and the judges’ comments will be published.
猫壱 announced the 12 winning cats in its photo contest “Japan’s Cat Most Likely to Bring Good Fortune” on 29 September, Cat Day. The total number of entries reached 421, a record high.
Awards were presented in 4 categories, with 3 cats selected in each: the “Welcoming Millions of Visitors” award, the “Looks Exceptionally Healthy” award, the “Somehow Auspicious” award and the “Cats and Gold Coins, Somehow or Other” award. Photos of the winning cats were presented together with the judges’ comments.
The judging was conducted by cat photographer Oki Masayuki (沖 昌之), Neko no Kimochi magazine’s editor-in-chief Manabe Yoko (真辺 陽子), and Takahashi Kei (高橋 慧) of 猫壱 Company. The key judging criteria were the cats’ “good-fortune appeal” and their owners’ affection, rather than the technical quality of the photographs.
The feature concluded by offering perspectives on happiness shared by cats and people through stories about the good fortune cats bring to everyday life and comments from the judges.