I love old Japanese ghost movies, especially those that feature ghost cats. Japan produced so many ghost cat films — referred to as kaibyo (mysterious cat) or bakeneko (changed cat, or yokai cat) films in Japanese — that it’s a sub-genre in itself. I’ve watched my fair share, but there is one kaibyo film I just cannot find anywhere: 1937’s Arima neko, aka Ghost Cat of Arima (not to be confused with several other later films from the 50s that share similar titles). Arima neko seems impossible to find in any format. I’m not sure if it’s considered a lost film. I doubt it, as the poster I’m featuring this week is from a 1960s re-release. I also have no idea whether the film is actually any good. But I love its poster — one of my favourites from my collection.

Ghost Cat of Arima

Movie: Arima neko
Director: Shigeru Kito
Country of movie: Japan
Year of movie: 1937
Country of poster: Japan