Tokyo - Myogi Shrine (Nekonu Shrine)

#SeptemberGoodPlaces2025 The sky in Tokyo that day was as soft as a bowl of clear soup sprinkled with sunshine. I took the train to the suburbs, my destination being Myogi Shrine, the shrine said to be "guarded by cats." The air after leaving the station was filled with the scent of the mountains, slightly sweet and clean, making me want to breathe deeply. Ascending the stone steps, between moss-covered stone lanterns, the first cat lay quietly in the sun. Its eyes were half-closed, like a divine messenger half asleep, unfazed by people and unconcerned with the camera. When I whispered "Ohayo," it simply twitched its tail—in that instant, I felt I was being allowed into its territory. More and more cats appeared along the way. One crouched beside the money box, guarding a wooden stake with peeling red paint; another curled up on the heater at the amulet counter, as if tending to incense; and yet another gracefully ascended the steps of the shrine, its tail held high, as if leading the way. A clergyman smiled and told me, "They're the residents here, true 'Myogi-no-mori'." The path behind the shrine led down to the forest. Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the maple leaves, falling on the cats' backs. I was sitting on the stone steps, eating a rice ball from a convenience store, when an orange and white kitten approached, its eyes as gentle as the ink on a prayer book. It didn't snatch the food, but simply sat quietly beside me. The scene was as tranquil as a Japanese painting. I couldn't help but pray— May every cat in the world be treated with such sunshine and tenderness. May every lonely person, on their way to the shrine, encounter a cat willing to sit with them for a while. I smiled and thanked him. Turning around, the orange-and-white kitten was lying by the torii gate, gently patting the fallen leaves with its paws, as if waving goodbye. On the train back home, I placed the amulet in my palm. The mountains outside the window receded, but the cat's gaze lingered in my heart. Soft and quiet, like a blessing from the gods.