The Cat Figurine You Always See at Izakayas: More Than Just Decoration? The Hidden Meaning [Sunday Japanese Culture]

Saved from Lightning... The Cat That Brings Good Fortune
Different Meanings Depending on Paw Position and Color

Have you ever seen a white cat figurine with one raised paw, gently beckoning, placed on the counter of a Japanese restaurant or izakaya? This cat, now quite familiar in Korea as well, is called the Maneki-neko. But when did this cat start appearing in restaurants? Today, let me share the story of the Maneki-neko.

Manekineko. Pixabay.

In Japanese, Maneki-neko is a compound word formed from "maneku," meaning "to invite" or "to beckon," and "neko," meaning "cat." It literally means "the cat that beckons." The Maneki-neko we know is typically a white cat with one paw raised, but in fact, the meaning differs depending on which paw is raised. A cat with its right paw raised is believed to attract money, while one with its left paw raised is said to invite people or customers. There are even so-called greedy cats that raise both paws. The height of the raised paw also has significance: the higher the paw, the farther away the luck it attracts; the lower the paw, the more it brings small fortunes that are easy to encounter nearby.

There are several theories regarding the origin of the Maneki-neko, but the most widely accepted one is that it began at Goutokuji Temple in Setagaya, Tokyo. During the Edo period, a feudal lord (the term for local rulers in medieval Japan) was returning from falconry and passed near the temple, where he saw a cat beckoning at the temple entrance. Curious, he entered the temple, and suddenly lightning struck outside. It seemed as if the cat had called him in to save his life, so from then on, he enshrined his ancestors' memorial tablets at the temple. The cat that saved a person was deified and came to be known as a bringer of good fortune. Even today, thousands of Maneki-neko figurines are displayed at Goutokuji Temple.

There is another story as well, related to the present-day Asakusa Shrine. A poor old man living in Asakusa, Tokyo, was struggling to make ends meet and had to let go of the cat he had lovingly raised. Suddenly, the cat appeared in his dream and said, "If you make an image of me and enshrine it, fortune and virtue will follow." So he crafted a cat-shaped figurine out of porcelain and sold it near what is now Asakusa Shrine. It became very popular, and he became wealthy.

There are other theories too. Some say that the origin of the Maneki-neko lies in the popularity of gold and silver cat ornaments in Tokyo, or that porcelain cat figurines, revered as sacred beings even before the Maneki-neko appeared in the Edo period, were the original inspiration. It seems that the Maneki-neko evolved like a local folk belief in various regions.

Various Maneki-neko. Japan Craft Hall website.

The Maneki-neko began to spread widely during Japan's industrialization era. As Maneki-neko figurines started being made from porcelain or plastic, industrialization made mass production possible. With mass production and Japan's period of rapid economic growth, the Maneki-neko became the quintessential gift for celebrating a new business opening. As a result, it came to be placed at the entrance of restaurants and offices everywhere, serving as a charm to attract good fortune.

Here's another interesting fact: although the Maneki-neko is usually white, there are also Maneki-neko in other colors. The familiar white Maneki-neko is believed to bring luck and invite good fortune, but the black Maneki-neko is thought to ward off evil.

In the West, black cats are considered symbols of bad luck, but in Japan, they are seen as animals with keen night vision or strong spiritual power, so the black Maneki-neko is used to repel evil spirits. The red Maneki-neko is associated with health and longevity, as red has long been considered a color that repels the god of smallpox. Recently, Maneki-neko in pink or gold and other colors have appeared, reflecting wishes for romance, wealth, and more. The Maneki-neko continues to change with the times.

There is even a museum in Japan dedicated solely to the Maneki-neko. The "Maneki-neko Museum" in Aichi Prefecture houses 5,000 Maneki-neko items, including local toys, antiques, and everyday goods collected from all over Japan.