Japan's Unofficial Cat Day Celebrated with Cat Character Poll
The Japanese website Hollywood Channel hosted a poll surveying readers about their favorite cat character:
10. Jones from the Alien film franchise

9. Tama from Tama and Friends

8. Marie from Disney's film The Aristocats

7. Tom from William Hanna and Joseph Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoon franchise

6. Sony Computer Entertainment's mascot character Toro

5. Nameneko -- a craze that took off in Japan in the 1980s of dressing cats up in doll clothes and taking their pictures

2. Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service

2. Doraemon

2. Sanrio's Hello Kitty character

1. Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro

The Japan Pet Food Association established February 22 as Cat Day in Japan in 1987, because the pronunciation of February 22 in Japanese sounds similar to the Japanese onomatopoeia word "nyan nyan nyan," the sound that a cat makes.
ANN
10. Jones from the Alien film franchise
9. Tama from Tama and Friends
8. Marie from Disney's film The Aristocats
7. Tom from William Hanna and Joseph Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoon franchise
6. Sony Computer Entertainment's mascot character Toro
5. Nameneko -- a craze that took off in Japan in the 1980s of dressing cats up in doll clothes and taking their pictures
2. Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service
2. Doraemon
2. Sanrio's Hello Kitty character
1. Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro
The Japan Pet Food Association established February 22 as Cat Day in Japan in 1987, because the pronunciation of February 22 in Japanese sounds similar to the Japanese onomatopoeia word "nyan nyan nyan," the sound that a cat makes.
ANN