イラストレーター 浦野周平さんと宗介、雫

以前住んでいた家の近所で、野良猫たちの世話をしているおばさんに遭遇したのがきっかけです。近所にひとりはいますよね “猫おばさん”と呼ばれるような、猫を保護したり世話をする人って。その猫おばさんが一匹の子猫を持って僕らに近寄り、「この子お願いできるかしら！」って。

そうそう。でも当時はペットを飼えない賃貸マンションに住んでいたので、さすがに飼うのは無理だな、と思いながら隣にいた妻（当時は結婚前）を見たら、物言いたげに僕の顔をじーっと見てまして。

（浩美さん）はい。前から猫を飼いたいなって思っていたんです。子供のころ実家で飼っていたこともあって猫好きで。それで偶然なのか、何かの縁とでも言うんでしょうか、そのおばさんに会ったころ、ちょうど猫の首輪をつくっていたんです。自分好みのデザインをして販売してみようと思って。

妻の圧力に負けて子猫を引き取ることに。それが宗介です。当然猫を飼う準備も持ち帰る準備もしていなかったのですが、その猫おばさんが全て用意をしてくれました。

だからすぐ引っ越さなきゃねってことで、この家を建てたんです（笑）。あのとき宗介に会っていなかったら、こんなにも早く建てていませんでした。

ドアを締めていても猫がトイレに行けるように、通り穴を開けました。猫たちは今もそこを通って、僕の仕事部屋に邪魔しにきます。あと人用のトイレから猫のトイレを掃除できるようなビルトインにしたり、玄関の手前に扉をつけたり。すべて猫のためです。

夫婦で昼飯を食べようと出かけたとき、都電脇の踏切の側で子猫を見つけたんです。ちょうどカラスにいじめられていて、目もあいていない、鳴くこともできない、しかも炎天下にいた。そんなの見たら放っておけるわけないですよね。

目、鼻、口の中を怪我していて、お腹には蟲も。保護したあと病院に連れて行き、しばらくは僕の仕事部屋で面倒をみていました。普段はしないんですがエプロンを付けて、日々の締切りに追われながら雫の世話もせっせと（笑）。雫は今２歳くらいで、当時の追った鼻の傷は残っていますが、もうすっかり元気な大人です。

初対面は僕が雫を抱っこして。宗介は興味深々だったんですが、雫は獣を見るような目で怯えてましたね。

宗介は猫にも人にも優しいんですよ。自分がご飯を食べているときに雫が来ると、雫の後ろに並んで、食べ終わるのを待ってしまう。それにうちの末っ子が泣いていると、すぐ僕らに知らせに来ます。もちろん子供の泣き声はこっちにも聞こえているんだけど、たまたま手が離せないこともあって。知らせたあとはまた子供のところに戻って、じーっと見守っている。

そうみたい。でも宗介はすごく淋しがりやで、甘えたがり。家族が出掛けようとするときも、帰ってくるときも鳴いています。宗介に「今日は留守番ね」なんて言うと、本当に切ない顔をするんですよ。

人間に例えるとギャル（笑）。ツンデレでこちらが撫でさせてって言うと逃げちゃって、放っておくと後ろに来ているような子です。

サマンサタバサとか好きなタイプです、人間だったら（笑）。あと安室ちゃんとかね。嵐の二宮君も好きで「雫ちゃん、お部屋にニノのポスター貼らないの？」って聞くと「パパ買ってきてー」とか言っちゃうかんじです。

田舎の郵便局員さんですかね。配達先のおばあちゃんのうちで、お茶しながら世間話しを聞いてあげてたら日が暮れてしまう。郵便局に戻って上司に「ごめんなさい。今日も１通しか配れなかった」って謝るんだけど、宗介くんならしょうがないよねって言ってもらえるような。そんな愛されキャラですね。

宗介の愛情表現がちょっと下手でケンカになるかな。しつこくしすぎて、そのうち雫に怒られてしまいます。

我が子ですね。宗介が長男で、雫が長女。あと……、徹夜の友！

家族が寝ていても宗介だけはいつもそうっと仕事部屋に来てくれるんです。気づくとキーボードの側で丸くなってる。雫も来るんですが、宗介とは違って「邪魔するわよ」って雰囲気で来て、深夜なのに朝ご飯をねだられます。そのときはシレっと宗介も便乗してきて（笑）。

うーん。寝ている雫を見て、俺も寝ようかなって思うことはありますね（笑）。プリンターの上で仰向けになってる雫、すーごく気持ち良さそうなんですよ。根を詰めて仕事をしているのが馬鹿ばかしくなっちゃいます。

寒くなると２匹が猫座りして、くっついていたりするのもかわいい。あと宗介の献身的な姿を見たときは、かわいくもあり、励まされましたね。

東北の震災直後のことだったんですが、さすがに僕も不安で落ち着かなかったんです。でも仕事はしなければいけない。それを宗介は察したのか、仕事中の僕を見守るようになって。ときには眠いのを我慢して、うつらうつらしながらも一緒にいてくれたんです。

（浩美さん）私も夜の授乳中、助けられました。家族が爆睡しているなか、２時間おきに起きて授乳するのが本当辛くて。でも宗ちゃんだけは絶対起きて隣で待っていてくれるんです。寝てもいいんだよって言っても。それには相当救われましたね。

（浩美さん） “ママ”って言うんです。ちゃんと音をくぎってマ・マと。

（浩美さん）マザコンなんですよ（笑）。子供が産まれる前は私にべったりだったし、常に私の側にいて寝るときは腕まくら。今でも子供たちが先に寝ると、ここぞとばかりに寄ってきます。

宗介は家族と一緒に起きて、朝からみんなと過ごしています。雫は子供たちの活動時間が恐いみたいで、その間はクローゼットに隠れている。時折ご飯を食べに来るけど、そそくさと２階へ戻っていきます。それで子供たちがお風呂に入って寝ると同時に、ようやく「私の時間だわ～」って具合で降りてきて、宗介とのびのび遊ぶ。

追いかけっことプロレス、あと子供用の車や積み木を落として遊んだり。お互い毛づくろいをしあったりしています。

掃除機、モップ……、あと実家の犬。優しい宗介でも活発すぎる子は苦手みたい。でも覇気のない犬は好きなようで、兄の愛犬とは一緒に寝ていました。

ぼんやりした生き物が好きなのかな。その中でも雫は活発な方なので、宗介もそれなりにがんばっているのかも。本当は子供のことも好きじゃないんけど、自分の弟だと思っている節があるので、大切にしよう、面倒をみようとしているんでしょうね。

うーん。２匹とも僕らのことは好き（笑）。雫は自分の時間も大切で、宗介は常にみんなと一緒がいい、でしょうね。それから宗介は自分を、浦野家の一番最初の子供だと認識しているようなので、もしかしたら猫ではなく人間だと思っているかもしれないですね。

宗介や雫がいない暮らしなんて……無理！　今まで宗介がいない日が1日だけあったんです。まだ子猫だったとき、栄養状態が悪くて１歳で歯がだめになってしまい、抜歯のために入院して。あのときはなんだか間が抜けちゃいましたね。夫婦で「僕たちってこんなにつまらない間柄だったっけ？」なんて話しちゃったりして。猫を通していろいろな会話をしてきたんだなと気づかされました。

そうなんです。あんなにおっとりとした優しい郵便局員さんはなかなかいませんよ（笑）。雫が来てからは、猫もそれぞれ性格が違うんだってことがわかったし。猫たちと暮らすことの大切さがいっそう増しています。

Illustrator Shuhei Urano with Sousuke and Shizuku

On a glowing sunny day before the rainy season, we came to see Mr. Shuhei Urano, a leading illustrator known as Shu-Thang Grafix in Japan. He works with magazines, advertisements, publications etc. and has his work widely in Japan. He’s married to his wife Hiromi with 2 boys and lives in a house with their beloved cats, Sousuke and Shizuku. In the living room filled with laughs and loves, we had an interview about their life with the cats.

There was a lady who loves and takes care of stray cats in the neighborhood where I used to live. She was famous as “Cat woman”. I think these women are every neighborhood. One day she came over and asked if we could take care of a kitten she had. Apparently it was the start.

Yes. We were living in an apartment where pets are banned. When I was hesitating to answer, my girlfriend (my wife) was looking at me as if she was about to say something.

(Hiromi) YES!! I used to have a cat when I was little and always wanted to have a cat. I love cats. Around the time of when I met that lady, I was making handmade cat collars and was trying to sell. All I felt at that time was that it was a fate.

I had a big pressure not to say no. We were of course not ready to have a cat but that lady prepared everything for us. So, we ended up by welcoming that kitten, Sousuke.

Yes. We had to move out quickly and decided to build a house. I think we wouldn’t have a house this quick if we didn’t meet Sousuke. 

Yes. Everything is for cats. As every door in the house has a cat-path, they can walk through whenever they want. That’s why they always try to get in my way when I work home. We also have 2 doors at the entrance.

When we were about to go have lunch one day, we found a kitten being attacked by crows at the ditch next to railway track. Her eyes were still closed and she couldn’t even cry. She was there under blazing sun. We couldn’t leave her alone. So…

―　I see. How was she when you rescued her?

We took her to a vet as soon as we rescued her. She had injuries in her eyes, nose and mouth. There were bugs in her stomach, too. I took care of her in my work space for a while. I got busy with both work due date and Shizuku. I usually wear an apron but I did when I was taking care of her just like a mama (laugh). She is about 2 years and still has a scar on her nose but she is grown up well.

When they first met, I was holding Shizuku in my arms. Sousuke was very curious about her. On the other hand, Shizuku was like looking at a wild beast.

Sousuke is nice from cats to people. You know, here is what happens. When our baby boy cries, you can’t always go there right away to take care of although you hear he cries. Then, Sousuke comes to me as if to tell me “Hey, he’s crying”. Once he lets me know, he goes back to the baby and watches. When Shizuku comes to him while he has a meal, he stops eating. He goes behind Shizuku and waits for her to finish her meal.

I think so. On the other hand, he easily feels lonely and tends to fawn on you. Whenever we leave and come back home, he cries. What a sad face he shows when we tell him “You have to stay home today”.

If she was a human, she would have been a Gal (laugh). She can be hot and cold. She follows you when you leave her alone but tries to get away from you when you try to stroke her.

He would have been a mailman in countryside who would have tea to chat with an old lady until the sunset. He would go back and have to apologize his boss like “I’m sorry I could deliver only one mail”. However, the boss would say “It’s you, Sousuke. That’s all right” as if everyone loves Sousuke. He would have been a loved one.

Sousuke is not good at expressing his love. Sometimes it can be too much and gets Shizuku angry.

They are my children. Sousuke is my first son and Shizuku is my first daughter. They are my stay-up-all-night buddies when I have to work.

Sousuke always comes to my work space and stays next to the keyboard even after my family went to bed. Shizuku on the other hand comes but always has a let-me-bother-you face. Then, she always begs breakfast at midnight. When that happens, Sousuke begs, too.

Hmm, no. It’s just like looking at sleeping Shizuku makes me feel like sleeping, too. You know, she looks very comfortable sleeping on her back on a printer. Sometimes, it makes me feel that it’s crazy to work this hard when I see them sleeping. 

I love watching them squeezing to each other and stay together. When Sousuke is devoted, it makes me smile but also encouraged.

Just right after the Great East Japan earthquake and Tsunami in 2011, I was also anxious and couldn’t focus but had to work. I think Sousuke sensed how I was feeling and started to watch me work. I could tell when he got dizzy with sleepiness but he always stayed awake with me.

(Hiromi) I was saved, too. I had to wake up every 2 hours at midnight to feed my baby during lactating. It was such a hard time but Sousuke always stayed up with me. I often said to him he could go back to bed but he never did. That was a big help to me.

―　Such a sweet cat. Well, is there anything he is good at or something you can be proud of him?

(Hiromi) He can say “Mama” if you listen to hi carefully.

(Hiromi) He is a mommy’s boy (laugh). He used to stay with me all the time before my son was born. Even now, when my boys go to bed early, he comes to me for a chance.

Sousuke gets up as we get up in the morning. Shizuku seems she doesn’t like boys around. She usually hides behind the closet and comes out only for meals. While the boys taking a shower and after the boys go to bed, she finally comes out to the living room and plays with Sousuke. 

They wrestle on the floor, tag each other like chasing and play with boy’s cars or blocks. They groom each other, too.

Vacuum cleaner, mop…, and the dog in my parents place. He was okay with my brother’s dog that isn’t energetic and even he was sleeping with this dog.

I would say he would be okay with animals that are not energetic. Shizuku is energetic one so I think Sousuke is trying to keep it up with her. I don’t think he loves kids, either. It seems like he need to take good care of them because he thinks they are his brothers.

Hmmm. Both of them love us (laugh). It seems like Shizuku need her own space and time. Sousuke, on the other hand, likes being with us. I think he thinks he is the first son in the family so it’s more like he thinks he is a human himself, not a cat.

Well, I can’t think of the life without them. There was only a day that Sousuke stayed in the vet for a night. We were alone and felt something was missing at home. We were even chatting like “Were we this boring without cats?”(laugh) We were very much realized that we have lots of to talk through our cats.

We have never met such a gentle and peaceful mailman before (laugh). We have been learning that cats have characteristics and are different one to another especially since Shizuku joined in our family.

We realize how nice to have cats in the family day by day.