Stray cats are like lucky pennies — when you find one on the street, you can’t help but feel as though you’ll be having a great rest of the day.

Japanese photographer Masayuki Oki can probably relate. Strolling down the streets of shitamachi Tokyo, Oki snaps photographs of the adorable felines that cross his path. Shitamachi, or “under city,” is the lower part of Tokyo located along the east of the Sumidagawa River. It still largely retains the old social and traditional norms of Japan, and is an area popular for its nostalgic atmosphere. Add to that some quirky, carefree street cats, and there will naturally be a flood of picture-worthy city scenes.

The photographs taken by Oki has been compiled into a book titled “Busanyan,” literally translating to “ugly cat” (even though we all know they’re far from it). You can purchase the photo book on Amazon, or you can head on over to Oki’s Instagram to see many of the cats he has stumbled upon so far.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.