"I Don't Know What Came Over Me, I Did It"... Quit My Job and Only Chased Ugly Cats [Japanese Side]

Resigned from the company I barely got hired at... Only took photos of cats
Misunderstood as suspicious behavior after taking 200,000 photos for photo book publication
"I was a high school graduate unemployed, but with goals, it's a lifelong growth story"

Recently, August 8th was World Cat Day. In Japan, a country where more cats are kept than dogs and which independently celebrates Cat Day on February 22nd, quite a few articles commemorating the day were published. Every time this happens, one person inevitably draws attention: Masayuki Oki, a photographer specializing in cats.

Originally an ordinary office worker, he says that cats led him to become a photographer. Today, we share the story of Masayuki Oki, who exclusively photographs cats.

Oki was born in 1978 in Kobe, Japan. He originally worked at a clothing store. Since it was the fashion industry, he sometimes had to take photos himself. Gradually, photography became a hobby. He posted two photos a day on social media as a hobby, and thanks to consistently uploading photos, some customers occasionally took notice. Still, he never made a firm decision to pursue it as a career.

Mr. Masayuki Oki taking a photo of a cat. (Photo by TV Tokyo website)

He did not graduate from university, and only after turning 30 did he move to Tokyo and barely got a job as a delivery person at a clothing store. He often felt a sense of emptiness, feeling he had not achieved anything significant. In media interviews, he said, "I originally graduated from high school with no particular job and moved to Tokyo after turning 30, but for a long time, I couldn't find a job." He thought he might live as an unemployed person for life. He also disliked meeting people and was awkward in social interactions, so even after getting a job at the clothing store, he worked in delivery, a non-face-to-face role. Then, the store owner asked him to take photos for the website, and he picked up a camera for the first time.

In 2013, while taking a short walk during work at a park, he encountered a cat that looked somewhat squashed and ugly rather than cute, unlike other cats. He liked cats and often took photos of cute ones, but this particular cat stayed on his mind. With his boss's permission, he went to photograph this cat again during his break. He posted the photos on social media, and by chance, a foreigner from another country commented "Awesome" on the photo. Surprised that someone unknown to him anywhere in the world appreciated his work, he began seriously photographing cats.

As he got more involved in cat photography, Oki searched how to write a resignation letter while working as usual, wrote one using A4 paper from the company and an envelope from the company pantry, and immediately submitted it to his boss. Usually, people resign after securing another job or having a next plan, but he quit right away. Oki himself says, "I must have been possessed by some evil spirit to do such a thing."

Cover of Masayuki Oki's photo book 'Busanyang (Ugly Cat)'. (Photo by Amazon)

After that, Oki devoted himself to photographing this ugly cat. He named it "Busan-ya Senpai," derived from the Japanese word "busu (ぶす)," meaning ugly. From then on, instead of cute cats, he started capturing cats yawning with mouths wide open, frowning deeply, stretching, and other ugly but somehow endearing expressions.

In fact, cats are not just the cute images seen on social media. Those who actually keep cats witness all sorts of behaviors. Oki believes what sets him apart is capturing those moments that make people say, "Yes, my cat does that too!" He then published a photo book featuring only photos of ugly cats.

Cover of the calendar made from Masayuki Oki's photo book "The Desperate Cat". (Photo by Amazon)

To photograph cats, he traveled across Japan from early morning with his camera, and was reported several times as a suspicious person. When he submitted cat photos to professional photographers for review before publishing his photo book, the number of photos exceeded 200,000. Such dedication is remarkable for a hobby. This photo book of ugly cats became a huge hit, and his subsequent photo book, "Too Desperate Cats," sold over 80,000 copies, achieving great success.

Oki says that although all cats may look the same, each one is a completely different animal. Having photographed cats for nearly 10 years, his perspective has changed. People think cats are aloof and cool, but in reality, they are animals with very strong emotional ups and downs. Their interests change frequently, they have hierarchical relationships among themselves, and even parent and child cats can have bad relations at certain times, which is very similar to humans.

A yawning cat photographed by Masayuki Oki. (Photo by Masayuki Oki, Instagram)

In a media interview, Oki said, "Every time an action occurs, a new choice unfolds before my eyes. Among them, what I can choose broadens my perspective with bold daily thoughts." He added, "Anyone who wants to can always be in a growth phase. Occasionally taking reckless actions and stepping away from what you have built can make anyone, no matter their age, become like me." Oki, who found it difficult to interact with people and feared society's gaze, seems to have a very warm perspective when looking at his subjects.