Suku-chan the mascot cat is seen at the Daikokuza movie theater in Urakawa, Hokkaido, on Dec. 17, 2024. (Mainichi/Haruka Ito)=Click/tap photo for more images
URAKAWA, Hokkaido — The oldest movie theater in Hokkaido has gotten a new mascot cat after its predecessor passed away of old age. The third feline mascot, 7-month-old Suku-chan, has become a local star with his friendly character and is ready to welcome visitors, even though the theater is struggling financially especially during the harsh winter of Japan’s northernmost prefecture.
The Daikokuza theater in the town of Urakawa welcomed its first mascot cat some 10 years ago. A neighborhood outdoor cat named Chibi, affectionately called Chitan, started hanging out in the theater’s lobby and became a local celebrity.
After Chitan passed away in 2019, Tora-chan the pet cat of theater owner Masahiro Mikami, 73, and his wife Kazuko, 56, took over. As she was an old cat, Tora-chan would sit on the ticket counter and rarely moved.
Daikokuza lost its feline mascot when Tora-chan died of old age a few years ago.
It was around May 2024 that the century-old theater found itself a new feline companion. The couple were contacted by their daughter who had married and moved to a ranch in Hokkaido. She told them that a stray delivered three kittens in a barn. One of the three apparently died instantly, while the second one was taken by either a fox or racoon.
Thinking they could not let the last surviving kitten die, the Mikamis adopted him, named him Suku and nurtured him at their home next to the theater.
Suku-chan grew up healthy and sound and started wanting to go outside. He would sit on the bench in front of the theater to welcome visitors and wander around in the lobby. He has snuck into the screening room three times just before movies started, only to be carried out by guests.
The movie theater Daikokuza is seen in Urakawa, Hokkaido, on Dec. 17, 2024. (Mainichi/Haruka Ito)=Click/tap photo for more images
Suku-chan the lucky cat?
Daikokuza was founded in 1918. Currently, the Mikamis, its fourth-generation owners, run this 48-seat mini-theater. It holds four screenings a day, showcasing films from socially conscious documentaries to human dramas from Japan and abroad, as well as blockbuster movies.
However, the theater is located in a small town with a population of about 11,000, far from urban areas. It’s not uncommon for there to be days without a single audience member or screenings with only one guest.
Amid such circumstances, a film that hit the Daikokuza screen in July 2024 became an unusual three-month, long-running hit. At one point, hopes were placed on Suku-chan as a potential “lucky cat.”
But soon, the snowy season arrived, and the number of customers dwindled. While Daikokuza has never really produced profits, the owners cover the deficits with income from their dry-cleaning shop and are determined to keep the town’s valuable cultural beacon alive.
Even so, the couple have no intention of using Suku-chan as a tool to attract customers. They also don’t post about him on social media. “It’s not that we are against it; we just happen to not do it,” Masahiro explains, adding, “Cats are free creatures. As long as he can live naturally, that’s all that matters.”
Currently, Suku-chan comes to the theater about once every other day, but if asked, the Mikamis may bring him over from their home. The theater is closed on Wednesdays. The screening schedule is available on Daikokuza’s official website https://www.daikokuza.com/
(Japanese original by Haruka Ito, Hokkaido News Department)
In Photos: Movie theater mascot cat keeps cultural lights on in small Hokkaido town
AloJapan.com