HYOGO, Mar 23, 2026 (News On Japan) - A 1,400-year-old piece of pottery excavated from an ancient burial mound in Himeji shows clear paw prints, raising the possibility that they are the oldest known traces of a cat in Japan, suggesting the animal may have been present earlier than previously believed.
The small, distinctly shaped paw impressions were found on Sue ware pottery unearthed in 2007 from a kofun burial mound in Himeji. Subsequent analysis indicated a high likelihood that the marks were left by a cat, based on their size and the absence of visible claw impressions.
In Japan, cats are first mentioned in historical records from the early Heian period, but the pottery dates back roughly 200 years earlier, hinting that cats may have already been familiar to people well before their documented appearance.
Osamu Komurasaki, a section chief at the Himeji City Archaeological Research Center, suggested that the animal likely wandered nearby while the pottery was still semi-dry. "It is possible that the cat was moving around when the Sue ware had not yet fully hardened," Komurasaki said.
Himeji City announced on March 23rd that it has decided to designate artifacts excavated from the burial mound, including the pottery bearing the paw prints, as important tangible cultural properties. The city plans to further strengthen efforts to preserve and utilize these historical items.
Source: YOMIURI
