What if one random meeting of a stray cat was sufficient to totally transform a person’s life forever? It did for photographer Masayuki Oki in Tokyo, and the outcome is a portfolio that has engaged hundreds of thousands of people globally. His camera does not only take photographs of cats it captures their wits, their vulnerability, and their unapologetic eccentricities in a manner that makes humans pause from scrolling and crack a smile.
Ten years ago, Oki began touring Tokyo’s streets and Japan’s cat islands by felines, capturing feline life in all its unadorned glory. His Instagram is a feline fantasyland of cats in mid-yawn, mid-pounce, or mid-conspiracy, every photo filling with an air of storytelling that’s personal and shared. There is always a feeling of waiting, asking questions, and tipping his cap to the four-legged saviors in every shot.
From the moment that first stray locked eyes with him in a park, Oki’s journey has been one of discovery not just of cats, but of himself. Here are seven fascinating insights into the man, his craft, and the cats who have become his muses.
1. The Life-Changing Encounter With Busanyan Senpai
In 2013, during a work break at a Tokyo park, Oki encountered a gray stray with a spiral-patterned coat. The catalyst for the hobby that later became his profession was the cat, Busanyan Senpai. “It was an American shorthair-like spiral patterned gray cat and wondered how it ended up there,” he explained to DIYP. This moment of enlightenment led him from the world of fashion to the streets, with a camera in hand.
What started as a few rounds of shots initially soon turned into daily outings, Oki seeking new cat faces in the city. This initial meeting did not only introduce him to a subject it gave him a lifetime endeavor and way of engaging with the world that was innovative.
2. From Fashion to Openings
Prior to becoming a professional, Oki worked for women’s fashion and only utilized a camera for job-related reasons. Photography was a hobby in 2009, yet it came to the forefront after meeting Busanyan Senpai. It was sluggish and passion-driven when he first started studying the intricate emotional lexicon of cats.
He found that they had intricate relationships, like humans do. “I learned that these cats had complex emotion, expression, and gesture,” he said. That encouraged him to move beyond adorbsome selfies, rather attempting to take complex, narrative-rich photographs.
3. Dawn-to-Dusk Devotion
The commitment of Oki to his work is evident in his work ethic. On Japan’s cat islands, he photographs from sunrise to sunset, editing his photos in the same day. This demanding schedule allows him to capture natural moments of expression and interaction that otherwise pass by unseen.
He often refers to the cats as “teachers.” “At times I am quite certain that the cats are educating me to accept the moment,” he told Bored Panda. It places him in a waiting and patient state of mind, be it dealing with a mischievous kitten or a watchful cat.
4. The Equipment That Captures It
Although Oki is a timing professional rather than a technology professional, he does have a system of choice. He shoots with Canon EOS-1D X Mark III to get speed and reliability. In cute cat islands, he shoots a Canon 24-70mm F2.8L II USM so that he is close without frightening his subjects. With increasingly more nervous cats, he uses a Canon EF70-200mm F2.8L IS III USM so that he can take candid photographs from afar.
That versatility allows him to be able to get into any mood of a cat whether they’re in the midst of a nap, a stalk, or an out-of-control staring contest.
5. Humor in the Everyday
Cats in Oki’s photos aren’t posed they’re caught mid-action, often in hilariously awkward positions. Whether it’s a cat mid-yawn that looks like a roar or two felines frozen in a comedic standoff, his images highlight the humor woven into daily feline life.
They are recallable because they happen naturally. In a country where cats are considered lucky, for us to be permitted to catch them acting like this is another form of cultural attraction.
6. Lessons Learned From Cats
Oki’s decades of watching cats have taught him a thing or two not only about photography technique. In a previous interview, he confessed, “I didn’t know that cats go all out to woo their way into getting food. I was a corporate worker and not a very friendly person. My career was not shaping up, so I tried to use the friendliness that I learned from cats to amplify it.”
Whereas it did not manage to catch his corporate life, it offered a new approach towards grasping connection, flexibility, and the magic of charm.
7. A Mission to Make Cat Lovers Happy
His photographs have been seen by more than half a million Instagram supporters as well as printed in calendars and books, and his mission is plain but true “I want to make all the cat lovers of this world happy with my photos.”
Each photo is a tiny present a greeting to stay for a while, smile, and enjoy the individual personalities of cats that may otherwise be overlooked. It’s this genuineness that’s got dedicated following returning again and again.
Masayuki Oki’s journey from fashion worker to celebrated cat photographer is a reminder that passion can be sparked in the most unexpected moments. His images don’t just document cats they celebrate their individuality, humor, and quiet wisdom. For anyone who’s ever paused to watch a street cat stretch in the sun, his work offers a familiar joy proof that sometimes, the best stories are told without words.
