A Siberian kitten sent as a gift by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Akita will arrive in the prefecture Feb. 5, according to Gov. Norihisa Satake.
The governor said Tuesday that the 11-month-old male kitten arrived last August at Narita International Airport, where it has since remained in quarantine.
Putin decided to send it after being gifted a puppy from the prefecture last year as a token of thanks for Russia's help following the March 2011 disasters.
Satake, a cat lover who keeps seven of the animals at his official residence, plans to announce the kitten's name upon its transportation to Akita by Russian Ambassador Evgeny Afanasiev.