Temple Gate Polytechnic

What is the story of maneki-neko, the Japanese beckoning cat?

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Monday, July 3, 2023
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But how did the cat come to be, and what does it mean in Japan?

Key Points: 
  • But how did the cat come to be, and what does it mean in Japan?
  • As in the rest of the world, cats were useful in catching rats and mice.
  • Because they were precious, some cats were kept on leashes to keep them close, rather than letting them run wild.

A symbol of good fortune

    • They probably first appeared in the Buddhist temples Gotokuji, Saihoji, or Jishoin, all located in Edo, today’s Tokyo.
    • At the Gotokuji temple, the legend is based on the story of Ii Naotaka (1590-1659), the lord samurai of the Hikone domain.
    • The cat became the temple’s symbol and brought them continuous good fortune.

Economic prosperity

    • Clear evidence of this is found in Utagawa Hiroshige’s ukiyo-e print from 1852, which depicts a stall selling numerous doll cats.
    • But these cats look slightly different from many cats we see in the 21st century; they hold no koban gold coins.
    • These cats, as seen in today’s Gotokuji cats, wore a bell around their necks, and were said to bring good luck to the owner.
    • By then, bells around cats’ necks were typically replaced with coins – perhaps linked to Japan’s increasing economic prosperity.

‘Cool Japan’

    • In addition to the Tokyo temples mentioned above, there are many places where you can meet the cat.
    • Seto City in Aichi Prefecture, an area where ceramic cats have been produced over 100 years, is home to the Maneki-Neko Museum.
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