If you didn’t know Japan has an official Cat Day, don’t worry, you’re not alone. But once you learn about it, it’s impossible not to love.

Every year on February 22, Japan celebrates Cat Day. The date is a wordplay thing: “2-2-2” can be read as nyan nyan nyan, which sounds like a cat’s meow in Japanese. Cute logic. Very on brand.

And while Cat Day started as a fun, internet-friendly holiday, it’s grown into something much bigger. Especially when convenience stores get involved.

What Is Cat Day, Exactly?

Cat Day in Japan is equal parts fun, fandom, and appreciation. It’s a day where cat lovers celebrate everything from their own pets to internet-famous cats, cat cafés, and rescue organizations.

You’ll see:

• Cat-themed posts all over social media

• Limited-edition snacks and merch

• Special events, collaborations, and charity efforts

It’s not a public holiday, but culturally, it’s very real. And people look forward to it every year.

FamilyMart’s “Family Meowth Operation” Is Basically a Cat Festival

This year, FamilyMart went big with a campaign called “Family Meowth Operation!”, a Cat Day project so popular it breaks sales records every year.

Starting Tuesday, February 10, stores rolled out 17 new cat-themed items, many of them created in collaboration with mofusand, the wildly popular cat illustration series known for its round, fluffy, extremely expressive cats.

Think less “simple promotion” and more “entire store temporarily taken over by cats.”

The Snacks Are Cute… Like, Dangerously Cute

FamilyMart didn’t just slap a cat on the packaging. They leaned all the way in.

There are paw-shaped desserts, cat-face buns, and even tail-shaped breads. A few standouts include:

• Paw Tart (Strawberry & Chocolate)
  A chocolate custard tart topped with strawberry mousse shaped like a cat’s paw. It’s cute, seasonal, and honestly looks almost too good to eat.

• Paw Print Mochi Dorayaki
  Soft dorayaki filled with smooth red bean paste and chewy mochi, stamped with an adorable paw print.

• Twin Cat Buns with Caramel Filling
  Two cat-face manju in one pack, filled with a caramel-style sweet bean paste.

• Cat Cookies (Caramel Milk Flavor)
  Milk and caramel cookies shaped like cats, made with French fermented butter.

There are also waffles, jelly cups, gummies, Hi-Chew, sweet potato snacks, and even a cereal bowl set, all tied into the cat theme and sold in limited quantities.

Translation: if you see it, you grab it. Because it probably won’t be there tomorrow.

It’s Not Just Snacks, There’s a Heart Behind It

What really sets FamilyMart’s Cat Day campaign apart is that it’s not only about cute food.

For the second year in a row, FamilyMart is running a Pet Food Drive alongside Cat Day. Select stores across Japan are hosting donation boxes where customers can drop off unopened pet food.

All collected food is donated to the Japan Animal Welfare Society, where it’s distributed to rescue groups and community cat organizations around the country.

On top of that, a portion of sales from select Cat Day products is also donated to support local cat welfare efforts.

So yes, you can buy a paw-shaped tart and also help cats who need it. That combination is very hard to argue with.

Why This Feels So “Japan”

Cat Day works so well in Japan because it hits a few cultural sweet spots at once.

It’s playful without being loud.
It’s seasonal and limited.
It turns everyday places into something a little magical.

And most importantly, it blends fun with thoughtfulness. You get joy, cuteness, and community impact all wrapped into a convenience store snack run.

That’s why campaigns like this don’t feel gimmicky. They feel intentional.

Why We Love This Kind of Thing at YamiRaku

At YamiRaku, this is exactly the kind of seasonal moment we get excited about. Limited snacks. Cute packaging. Cultural wordplay. A reason to slow down and smile at something small.

Cat Day isn’t about going big. It’s about noticing the little things like a strawberry paw tart, a silly cat illustration, or the idea that buying a snack can quietly help someone else.

And honestly? That’s the best kind of holiday.