Do Japanese Idols Wear a Cat?

Sometimes you may hear that “Japanese idols wear a cat.” Wear a Cat（猫をかぶる） /neko wo kabuɾu/ refers to behaving or expressing oneself differently from one’s true self. It also includes showing a different side of oneself that is unlike one’s true self, depending on the situation. This expression also indicates that a person who appears gentle, innocent, or harmless at first glance is a very fierce character.

Is 猫をかぶる a good word?

Sometimes we need to pretend to be someone else in certain situations. Does that mean 猫をかぶる “wearing a cat” is a good thing? The answer is NO. Japanese usually use 猫をかぶる as a bad meaning.

The examples of 猫をかぶる situation

She seems quiet and reserved, but when she’s with her friends, she wears a cat （猫をかぶってる）and becomes the life of the party.
He was always wearing a cat（猫をかぶっていて）, so, polite and respectful in public, but when he got home, he became verbally abusive to his family.
She wore a cat（猫をかぶっていた）during the job interview and pretended to be interested in the company’s values, but once she was hired, she showed her true colours and didn’t care about anything but her success.

A similar word is ぶりっ子

There is a similar word called ぶりっ子 /buɾikko/ , a Japanese expression used to describe someone who is pretending to be cute or innocent to gain attention or favour. It often involves speaking in a high-pitched voice, using exaggerated gestures, and acting helpless or naive. This behaviour is considered manipulative and insincere in Japanese culture.

The examples of ぶりっ子

That idol is clearly playing up her cuteness （ぶりっ子している /buɾikko ʃiteiɾu/）, but since she’s cute, we forgive her.
She was using her ぶりっ子 voice to talk to the guy she liked.
She was acting like a ぶりっ子 to get her boyfriend to buy her things.
The actress was criticized for her exaggerated ぶりっ子 behaviour during the interview.