Giant Cat Unveiled at New Museum in Japan’s Hanno City, Saitama Pref.; Kenji Yanobe Exhibition Purr-fect for Cat Lovers

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:23 JST, March 4, 2025

Cat-themed art works, including one giant piece, are on display at the Hyper Museum Hanno, which opened Saturday in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture. The museum focuses on an interactive experience as its visitors encounter the art works in nature.

The museum is located inside Metsa Village, a commercial facility beside Lake Miyazawa in the city.

On opening day, visitors, including families, arrived on an artificial island in the lake and had fun observing the art works, including a giant cat, which are allowed to be touched.

The museum comprises a refurbished building of the commercial facility and outdoor exhibition sites including the island, which takes up about 50 meters in the lake.

The special exhibition for the museum’s inauguration is titled, “Kenji Yanobe Exhibition Ship’s Cat Island,” created by the modern artist.

Huge cat artworks are placed at the entrance of the building and on the island. The exhibited Yanobe works include such unique pieces as a cat posing like the “Mona Lisa.”

A boat service to transport visitors to the artificial island will be available every day until Sunday. After, the boat service will only be offered on weekends and national holidays.

The special exhibition lasts throughout the end of August. Same-day museum tickets are priced at ¥1,200 for adults and ¥700 for those age 4 to senior high school students. To board the transportation boat, an additional fee is charged.