Nekonomics

Nekonomics (ネコノミクス), a term blending neko, the Japanese word for cat, and economics, describes the phenomenon of cat-related economic consumption in Japan. This includes the sale of products marketed towards cat owners, the use of cat imagery to sell products, and the use of living cats to attract customers and tourists. While cats have always enjoyed popularity in Japanese culture, being seen as kawaii (cute) and associated with good health, their popularity and economic impact increased significantly in the early 21st century. The term nekonomics was created around 2015, a pun on Japan's Abenomics economic policy.

The adoption of Tama as the station master of Kishi Station in 2007 led to the station becoming a significant tourist attraction, and sparked a number of copycat attempts to boost tourism using cats. Islands with stray cat populations have become tourist draws, and cats are used to market products and services to Japanese consumers. February 22 has become known as "Cat Day". As of 2024, the size of the nekonomic market in Japan was estimated to be almost ¥2.5 trillion.