Yokohama-raised cute cat-shaped matryoshka "Nekoshika" holds first solo exhibition

Nozomi Narita

The cute form of the Matryoshka dolls, a representative Russian folk art, is a perfect match for the heartwarming expressions of the cats drawn by Narita, and they are so adorable that you can't help but smile when you look at them.

Nekoshika first entered a group exhibition five years ago, and has since been exhibited and sold at handmade exhibitions and Seiyosha's open office. Gradually, its popularity spread through word of mouth and social media, and now it is holding its first solo exhibition.

Nekoshika, a pure coffee shop

--Congratulations on your solo exhibition. I heard that it was a big success and all Nekoshika were sold out over the three days.

Narita: Thanks to you all. I made a lot for this solo exhibition, but they all sold out, which I'm very happy about. Thank you very much to everyone who came to the exhibition.

--This time, there are a lot of Yokohama-themed Nekosikas, such as "Nekoshika at the Jazz Cafe" and "Nekoshika in Chinatown."

Jazz Cafe Nekoshika

Narita: One set of Nekoshika consists of five animals (plus a house), so I always decide on a theme when making them.
This time I tried drawing various things depending on the season, such as "Summer Nekoshika," "Bridal Nekoshika" for wedding celebrations, and "I want to eat sushi! Nekoshika" with sushi as the theme.
The Yokohama theme is my hometown, but I've also had solo exhibitions in places that are typical of Yokohama, such as Yamashita Park and Chinatown. There are a lot of food motifs (laughs).

--And there's a lot of alcohol too (laughs). There's also Nekoshika from Akita.

Akita Nekoshika

Narita: I was asked to make this by someone from Akita, and I learned a lot about Akita by researching its famous products and learning about the area.
For example, in Akita, there is a field trip called "Nabekko Excursion" where people bring ingredients for Imoni, a dish that all Akita residents have experienced. Local things are a great way to learn about things that people outside of the area don't have a chance to know, so it's really fun.

--Local Nekoshika! It would be a sight to see not only Nekoshika from Yokohama, but also from Kanagawa Prefecture and all over the country.

Narita: I'd like to try visiting all 47 prefectures one day (laughs).

Nekoshika tumbler

--Are you planning another solo exhibition? Where can you usually purchase Nekoshika?

Narita: I would like you to see the actual product before purchasing, so I have suspended mail order for now. In addition to my solo exhibitions, I have been to many group exhibitions with a cat theme, and I am participating in "Neko Neko Ten 4" which is being held in Nagoya until August 14th. In October, I plan to participate in "ZOOtsumo 2016 presented by tumo" which will be held in Shibuya.

We also hold exhibitions irregularly at the open office of Seiyosha in Isezakicho.
We have posted an announcement on our website, so please check it out.

--I'm looking forward to seeing what theme the new Nekoshika will have this time.

Narita: Thank you.

Nekoshika strap

The exhibition was held in the Imperial Building, a retro building near Yamashita Park that was built in 1930. During the exhibition, Yokohama was packed with people as it was the first three-day weekend of the summer holidays and there was also a fireworks festival.
This time, in addition to matryoshka dolls, there were many other types of nekoshika on display, including nekoshika straps and tumbler doll nekoshika dolls.
Some people may have purchased it as a souvenir from Yokohama.

Nekoshka was born in Russia and raised in Yokohama, and we would like to support him as he sets out on his journey across the country from here in Yokohama.