Cat/Neko. Why Cats? What is Maneki-Neko?

Let’s make it clear from the beginning – cat in Japanese is 猫 [neko]. So yes, today I want to tell more about cats in Japanese culture.

So why Neko? There several theories of the origin of the word and one of those is that it’s a combination of the sound cats make and the popular ending of Japanese names:

[ne] + [ko] = Cat.

Japanese love cats! Here you will find sculptures, cat-cafes and a lot, no A LOT of cat-themed merchandise. Everything started around 1000 years ago when wealthy people started having cats as pets at home. Paintings, poems, characters (e.g. Hello Kitty, Krocchi), you can even find shrines that worship cats as gods. There is even have a ‘Cat Island’ - Tashirojima Island in Ishinomaki City. In general, it is believed that cats bring good fortune and happiness. Here they celebrate Neko No Hi / cats' day on 22nd of February.

I bet you’ve already seen a Maneki-Neko – the cat with its paw upright. It is believed that this figure brings luck to business that's why you can see those cats in almost every shop or café. According to legend, a wealthy man took shelter from a rainstorm under a tree next to a temple. Suddenly, he saw a cat that was waving, amazed by that he followed it. And just at that moment lightning struck the tree he had been standing under. He believed that his good fortune was because of the cat’s actions and that’s why he donated money to the temple. When the cat passed away, monks made a statue of the cat to honor it.

Where to see Maneki-Neko?

😸Tokoname - gigantic Maneki-Neko figurine named Tokonyan (3.8 meters high and 6.3 meters wide);

😸The Tokoname Maneki-Neko Street - 39 ceramic cats on the wall each made by a separate artist;

😸JazzBar Samurai (JazzBarサムライ) in Shinjuku Ward – drinks, jazz music, and 2,000 Maneki-Neko figurines.

How to buy a right Maneki-Neko?

Have you notices that sometimes those cats are rising different paws?

🐈Maneki-Neko with the right paw - brings money;

🐈With left paw - brings customers.

Which color to choose?

🐈White – happiness;

🐈Black – protects from evil;

🐈Gold – brings money;