The 招き猫 ( まねきねこ [Maneki Neko]- Beckoning cat) is a prominent part of Japanese culture. Seen in many stores & restaurants, these cats are meant to beckon customers in & bring the owners luck. To foreigners, it looks like the cats are waving, but in Japan, the motion to call someone over looks much like a wave (to me at least, lol.) They’re also called Lucky Cats, and will bring different kinds of luck depending on which paw is raised. Generally the left paw is to bring in customers, while the right paw usually means wealth & general good luck. Nearly all Maneki Neko are holding a koban- a coin from the Edo period in Japan which also signifies wealth & prosperity.
The Lucky Cats are depicted as a Japanese Bobtail, and are usually white with spots. The pokemon Meowth is said to be modeled after a Maneki Neko.
Many times, the figurines are made of plastic, ceramic or porcelain, but it doesn’t really make a difference. Most Maneki Neko are seen wearing a collar and/or a bib. The wiki article says that
“The bib might also be related to the bibs often decorating statues of the divinity Jizō Bosatsu. Protective statues of Jizō can be found guarding the entrances to Japanese shrines and graveyards. Jizō is the protector of sick and dying children and grateful parents of children recovered from illness will place a bib around Jizō as a gift of thankfulness.”
I bought my lucky Cat from a little gift shop when I was in California. /shrug
Poor little fella doesn’t have a bib, but he was only a dollar or two when I got him. Hooray for discount luck!
Origins of Maneki Neko
There are many legends telling where the maneki neko came from. Wiki has the 3 popular ones listed:
The Temple Cat: This story goes that a wealthy feudal lord was taking shelter under a tree near Gotoku-ji temple (in Western Tokyo) during a thunderstorm. The lord saw the temple priest’s cat beckoning to him and followed; a moment later the tree was struck by lightning. The wealthy man became friends with the poor priest and the temple became prosperous. When the cat died, supposedly the first Maneki Neko was made in his honor.
The Courtesan: A courtesan named Usugumo, living in Yoshiwara, in eastern Tokyo, kept a cat, much beloved by her. One night, the cat began tugging at her kimono. No matter what she did, the cat persisted. The owner of the brothel saw this, and believing the cat bewitched, cut its head off. The cat’s head then flew to the ceiling where it killed a snake, ready at any moment to strike. Usugumo was devastated by the death of her companion. To cheer her up, one of her customers made her a wooden likeness of her cat as a gift. This cat image then became popular as the Maneki Neko.
The Old Woman: An old woman living in Imado (eastern Tokyo) was forced to sell her cat due to extreme poverty. Soon afterwards the cat appeared to her in a dream. The cat told her to make its image in clay. She did as instructed, and soon afterward sold the statue. She then made more, and people bought them as well. They were so popular she soon became prosperous and wealthy.
