Takihyo Co., Ltd. (head office: Nishi Ward, Nagoya City; Representative Director, President and CEO: Kazuo Taki), a textile trading company founded in 1751, is delighted to announce that to mark 2026’s “Cat Day” on February 22, it has launched a new apparel brand called “nyaunyau.” Created through a collaboration with popular illustrators ayanariai, suikaneko, and Michiyo Hara, the brand offers garments that come with a built-in donation. Through this initiative, part of the sales revenue from the products will be donated to the public interest incorporated foundation the Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who will use the money to fund TNR*1 and TNTA*2 activities aimed at addressing regional problems related to stray cats, and reducing the number of cats who end up getting euthanized.
*1. TNR: Trap ⇒ Neuter ⇒ Return
*2. TNTA: Trap ⇒ Neuter ⇒ Tame ⇒ Adopt

【Background and Story Behind the Initiative】
The sad reality is that even at this very moment, many cats are being euthanized in Japan. In addition, there is no end to local problems surrounding stray cats. Can the apparel industry do something to help address this situation? Based on that question, we started to take on the challenge.
The brand name “nyaunyau” is filled with a modest but heartfelt wish: “A brighter future for cats, in a euthanizing-free world.” What we were aiming for was not some kind of special social contribution activity, but a system whereby supporting animal welfare activities would be naturally built into the everyday act of “choosing clothes.” By choosing cute clothes because they believe in fashion’s power to “convey a message” and “spread empathy,” people will get to do something to help save cats without even knowing it. Wanting to create a cycle of kindness like this, we reached out to three illustrators who are currently creating works inspired by a deep love for cats, and with that, the collaboration was born.
We are confident that the images of cats depicted through their warm gaze will touch the hearts of everyone who sees them, and quietly but surely spread interest in this social issue.

【Print images (examples)】 Illustrations provided by: from the left, ayanariai, suikaneko, and Michiyo Hara

【Overview and Features of the Products and the Initiative】
This initiative consists of selling apparel such as printed and embroidered T-shirts with designs featuring illustrations of cats drawn by popular illustrators, and for each item purchased, donating 22 yen to the public interest incorporated foundation the Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals through the manufacturer (us). The donations will be used to help fund spaying and neutering ownerless cats and holding adoption events to find them new families. The products went on sale in late January, and are primarily available through general merchandise stores nationwide.

Feature 1: “Cocreation” with three popular illustrators who share the same vision
The products feature unique artwork by artists who care about the future of cats. These are ayanariai, who began drawing cats after meeting a rescued one; suikaneko, who creates heartwarming illustrations while living with rescued cats; and Michiyo Hara, who uses “sakura neko” (“cherry-blossom cats”)—the symbol of TNR activities—as a motif. The story behind the products means there is “a point to choosing them.”

Feature 2: A highly transparent “donation system” that anyone can easily take part in
To mark “Cat Day” on February 22, we have set up a clear donation scheme of “22 yen per product.” “TNR activities” and “supporting adoption events” will lead to fundamental solutions to the problems, so focusing the purpose of the donations on these has created a system that ensures that the consumers’ sentiments really will get delivered to where they are needed on the ground.

Feature 3: A commitment to “manufacturing” as an apparel maker
We have adopted printing technology that will faithfully reproduce the delicate touch and warm worldview of the watercolor pictures each illustrator paints. We are pursuing comfortable materials and designs that will be easy to incorporate into everyday outfits, and ensuring that the items’ quality as apparel products will mean they can be lovingly used for a long time.

【Prospects for the Future】
Never stopping at simply developing products, Takihyo will go on striving to solve problems and create value by promoting cocreation projects together with stakeholders such as companies, creators, and consumers.

・ Illustrator Profiles
ayanariai
Expresses warm worlds using watercolors. After rescuing a stray cat in 2014, she became fascinated by the beauty of cats’ behavior and ways of expressing themselves, and has been including them in lots of her works ever since. She is currently based in Kyoto.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayanariai/

suikaneko
An illustrator residing in Kanagawa Prefecture who lives with rescued cats. Aiming to create “heartwarming illustrations,” she draws animals and plants in a simple, cute style. She currently updates her illustrations every day on Instagram.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suikaneko_illustration/

Michiyo Hara
An illustrator who lives in Osaka. She creates works based on the theme of “the lives of cats kept entirely indoors.” Since 2019, she has also been featuring “sakura neko” cats with a V-shaped notch in one ear in her art, in order to spread awareness of TNR and rescued cats.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mimumoco/

・ About the Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was established as an incorporated association in 1948 through cooperation from volunteers in Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries, with the aim of spreading awareness of animal welfare thinking and promoting animal welfare activities. Subsequently, it was reorganized into a foundation in 1955, then reorganized again into a public interest incorporated foundation on April 1, 2012. It has been promoting the spread of animal welfare thinking and activities throughout society ever since it was first founded.
Official website: https://jspca.or.jp/