
Animal’s mysterious actions make staff wonder if it was their manager returning in feline form to say one final goodbye…
If you’ve ever visited Japan, you may have noticed that the country is home to a lot of stray cats. Whether they’re enjoying life on one of Japan’s 11 cat islands, or lazing about at the cat temple, these strays have been connected to unusual events and are often believed to have powers beyond our understanding that are so great they can even find lost pets and reconnect them with their owners.
Now there’s a stray that’s got people wondering about the mysteries of the feline world yet again, after it arrived at the front of a Japanese convenience store one day and refused to move, forcing customers to step around it as they went in and out of the store.
What makes this cat’s actions even more of a mystery is the fact that it took place on the anniversary of the previous store manager’s death. Twitter user @ringroad1 captured the scene at a 7-Eleven in Gunma Prefecture earlier this month, snapping a pic of the cat and the sign which had been placed next to it by staff.
The sign reads:
“This cat suddenly came to our store early this morning. We led it far away from here but it has returned. We tried to lure it with pet food but it will not move.
Today is the anniversary of the death of our store’s manager so we’ve decided to see this situation as a special day. Please forgive us for the hindrance.”
だそうです。 pic.twitter.com/Jsd97N2ouO
— 高崎Ring Road (@ringroad1) July 10, 2019
According to the person who posted the tweet online, the cat refused to move, even though people walked past it and others called out to get its attention. It continued to stare fixedly into the store without shifting its gaze.
People online were immediately intrigued by the mysterious situation, leaving comments like:
“This is incredible! It’s like the manager loved the store so much they returned to it as a cat.”
“Three cats sit outside our house every day and I swear it’s my aunt and grandmother and grandfather.”
“These things really do happen – when someone on my mother’s side of the family passed away, a cat turned up shortly afterwards and took up residence in the family home.”
“Welcome home, store manager.”
Heightening the mystery is the fact that after the special day passed, the cat became weak and was taken to a pet hospital. While the fate of the feline remains unknown, people can’t help but feel this cat really was the manager saying one final goodbye to the store it once loved.
It seems we still have a long way to go before we can understand all the secrets of the feline universe, but if spirits of people really can manifest themselves in animals, it would go some way to explaining why cats like these are so proficient in the language of humans around them.
Source: Twitter/@ringroad1
Featured image: Pakutaso
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

How to find a lost cat: Unique method from Japan proves to be surprisingly effective
7-Eleven’s edible cat paw proves Japanese convenience store sweets are on a whole other level
Stray dogs head to convenience stores in Thailand, receive free rabies shots and flea care
Eating all the cat treats at Japanese convenience store Family Mart
Convenience store in Sendai celebrates its foreign workers with a special store display
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Japan has only one airport named after a samurai, so let’s check out Kochi Ryoma【Photos】
New Japanese menstrual product seeks to help women spot unidentified iron deficiencies
Sadako now has her own YouTube channel, hopes to upload videos about her daily life
Here are the top ten foodie factory tours for the fall throughout Japan
An overnight trip on the Sunrise Izumo, Japan’s awesome Tokyo-Shimane sleeper train【Photos】
Octopus tentacle ear plugs coming to Japanese capsule toy machines
7-Eleven Japan’s sakura sweets season is underway right now!
Charges dropped against alleged group that broke into vending machine after Noto earthquake
Now you can own the eyes of “once in a millennium” idol Kanna Hashimoto
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Is Sapporio’s Snow Festival awesome enough to be worth visiting even if you hate the snow? [Pics]
Japan has trams that say “sorry” while they ride around town…but why?
Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season
Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky
Japan’s new “Cunte” contact lenses aren’t pronounced like you’re probably thinking they are
Shibuya Station’s Hachiko Gate and Yamanote Line stairway locations change next month
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
Starbucks Japan adds new sakura Frappuccino and cherry blossom drinks to the menu
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
When a Japanese convenience store opens in the countryside…
Kyoto woman arrested for stealing cat from pet shop, offers strange justification to police
Turn your kitty into a Japanese sweet with Felissimo’s new Anmitsu Nyanko Cushion cat bed
Family Mart becomes Family Nyart with new range of sweets for Cat Day in Japan
Korean man arrested for boiling 600 cats alive, selling the meat for use in soup
New convenience store chain to rival 7-Eleven opens in Japan
Family Mart’s Shibuya Cat Street shop hosts first-ever rescue cat photo exhibition for Cat Day
Japanese convenience store’s cheap knockoff croissant — is it any good?
Japanese netizens share amazing anecdotes of cats understanding human speech
Cat says good morning to its owner in Japanese【Videos】
Japanese cat wows the internet with an insatiable hunger for vegetables
Tochigi man arrested for shoplifting animals from hardware store to feed to his cat
Japanese cat island reveals all its cats will soon be gone
Is Japan’s Cat Island in danger of turning into the Island of Fat Cats?
Japanese cat enjoys walks in the rain with his adorable tiny umbrella【Photos】
Japanese convenience store’s new “phantom” cream doughnuts are sinfully good
Family Mart unleashes sweet cats in Japan for Cat Day, but do they taste as good as they look?