Nyalan and Deshi

February 25, 2014 4:00 PM

These cats are the "image characters" (mascots) for Jalan, a travel site in Japan. Stars of many adverts, the older cat is "Nyalan" ("nya" is "meow" in Japanese), and his apprentice is "Deshi." They also have their "own" Twitter account and more pictures are on the Jalan Facebook profile. And yet more pictures.
posted by Wordshore (27 comments total)

Oh sweet Jesus, yes yes yes. Cats with little suitcases. My day is now 100% better.
posted by Joey Michaels at 4:02 PM on February 25, 2014 [6 favorites]

There are also ads.

Including one promoting a sale on trips to Japanese spas, although it's kind of kind of hard to tell that that's what it's about.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:32 PM on February 25, 2014 [3 favorites]

As "cute cats doing cute things" pictures go, these seem kind of lame.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 4:38 PM on February 25, 2014

Not to anthropomorphize based on facial expressions, but...based on his facial expressions, Nyalan seems to hate his job. I hope he has a hobby or loving family that he finds fulfilling.
posted by I've a Horse Outside at 4:56 PM on February 25, 2014 [3 favorites]

THEY HAVE LITTLE KITTY BRIEFCASES
posted by The Whelk at 5:02 PM on February 25, 2014 [3 favorites]

They're suitcases, and I think it means they're vacationers.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 5:04 PM on February 25, 2014

The bigger one has a kind of demon face thing happening.
posted by janey47 at 5:07 PM on February 25, 2014

Cats don't need much in the way of clothing, so they use kitty briefcases as their travel luggage.
posted by I've a Horse Outside at 5:08 PM on February 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

I traveled all over Japan using Jalan back in the 1990s. It was great fun to go through the magazine and find deals for hot springs resorts and hotels. I have always wondered whatever happened to it. I am glad to see Jalan made the switch to the internet! It was one of my trusty tools of getting the most out of Japan in that in-between period before the internet changed the way we do everything.
posted by vincele at 5:15 PM on February 25, 2014

I love how Deshi had one of those "new driver" decals on his suitcase when he was just a teeny kitten
posted by avocet at 5:17 PM on February 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

The first few of these were excellent, but after about ten or so it began to remind me too much of Kim Jong Il Looking At Things.
posted by kiltedtaco at 5:24 PM on February 25, 2014

The big cat seems pissed to have a big suitcase on his neck.
posted by Malice at 6:01 PM on February 25, 2014 [3 favorites]

I am guessing that the briefcase necklace trend must be a very new one in Japan. It seems impractical.
posted by NoraReed at 6:21 PM on February 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

This is all the best things. The video of them dressed for dinner has me looking at my boys and plotting...
posted by korej at 6:26 PM on February 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

I thought hmm, cute kitty photos ha ha ok..


and then I got to the one where they are sleeping IN KIMONOS and died laughing.

Why is that so funny?
posted by Tandem Affinity at 6:28 PM on February 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

THEY HAVE LITTLE KITTY BRIEFCASES

If there is any justice they are filled with catnip.
posted by Pudhoho at 6:38 PM on February 25, 2014 [3 favorites]

Jalan is actually a pretty solid travel/reservation site, and they've got a really useful, even intuitive app (which can be kind of rare for some Japanese companies, say, Rakuten, and the utter horror of their pages). Sadly, it's a membership site, and you have to actually sign up with them to make reservations, as far as I've seen. Still, it's great for browsing the area you want to go to and checking out what kinds of places are available.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:06 PM on February 25, 2014

Back in the old days before youtube, digital cameras.Chessie
posted by Jumpin Jack Flash at 7:48 PM on February 25, 2014

The picture with the kotatsu is clearly fake, real cats would go under the table and never leave the nice warm cave.
posted by wildcrdj at 8:53 PM on February 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

As "cute cats doing cute things" pictures go, these seem kind of lame.

You must look at a lot of cute cat pictures if you're 'meh' about this.
posted by panaceanot at 11:55 PM on February 25, 2014

I want a tiny yukata, even though my cat would never wear it.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:07 AM on February 26, 2014 [1 favorite]

Yukata aren't hard to make - two wide rectangles sewn together (the middle fold becomes the shoulders, add narrower (a bit more than half-width) rectangles to the front, angled down from the shoulders to form the "lapel". Sleeves are wide rectangles, just shorter, sewn together on the outer edge and bottom, with a smooth curve on the outer edge. They're open on the inside where they "meet" the body, in quotes because they're only connected at front and back, from a little below your armpit around to the other side.

Really easy to size to anyone / anycat.

I have human-sized kimono and my cats always try to "wear" them -.-;
posted by fraula at 2:38 AM on February 26, 2014 [1 favorite]

I just saw My Neighbor Totoro the other day and between that and these pictures, I'm feeling really nostalgic for Japan (where I spent the early '50s and '60s).
posted by languagehat at 6:25 AM on February 26, 2014

I like the yukata too. And the little saki cups tipped over. Many cute things. Thanks for sharing!
posted by antiquated at 7:31 PM on February 26, 2014

real cats would go under the table and never leave the nice warm cave

For whatever reason, our cats would never go under the kotatsu when we were using one. We'd try. We'd point out how warm and wonderful it was. They'd always look at it, then walk away. Strange cats.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:22 AM on February 27, 2014

Longer video of Nyalan and Deshi, with Deshi as a kitten.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:22 PM on February 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

Japanese 7-Eleven asking public’s help in stopping feline crime
posted by homunculus at 1:15 PM on March 8, 2014