Themaneki-neko (招き猫,lit. 'beckoning cat') is a commonJapanese figurine which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. In modern times, they are usually made ofceramic orplastic. The figurine depicts a cat, traditionally acalicoJapanese Bobtail, with a paw raised in a beckoning gesture. The figurines are often displayed in shops, restaurants,pachinko parlors, dry cleaners, laundromats, bars, casinos, hotels, nightclubs, and other businesses, generally near the entrance,[1] as well ashouseholds.[2] Somemaneki-neko are equipped with a mechanical paw that slowly moves back and forth.
Maneki-neko come in different colors and styles and vary in degrees of detail. Common colors are white, black, red, and gold. In addition to statues,maneki-neko can be found in the form ofkeychains,piggy banks,air fresheners, pots, and numerous other media and merchandise.Maneki-neko are sometimes referred to simply as "lucky cats" or "calling cats".[2]
Maneki-neko are traditionally depicted seated, holding akoban coin, with one paw raised in a beckoning gesture. This may be confused for a waving gesture by non-locals.[3][4] The typical Japanese beckoning gesture is made by holding up the hand, palm down, and repeatedly folding the fingers down and back, thus the cat's appearance. Somemaneki-neko made specifically for western markets will have the cat's paw facing upwards, in a more familiar beckoning gesture.[5]
Maneki-neko can be found with either the right or left paw raised (and sometimes both). The significance of the right and left raised paw differs with time and place.[6] A statue with the left paw raised is to get more customers, while the right paw raised is to get more money. Hence it is also said that the one with left paw is for business and the right is for home.[7]
Battery- and solar-poweredmaneki-neko are a modern iteration. Those sources power a simple circuit that regulates a current going through acoil, whoseelectromagnetic field subsequently "pushes" a magnet mounted to the end of the waving arm.[8]
Antique examples ofmaneki-neko may be made of carved wood, stone and metal, handmade porcelain or cast iron.[6]
Originally,maneki-neko were white, but over the years with the combination ofFeng Shui, different color variations appeared. The original white color is to get good luck and overall good fortune, while black is to ward off evil, red is for good health, yellow or gold is for wealth, and pink is for romance.[7]
It is commonly believed thatmaneki-neko originated inTokyo (then namedEdo) or, sometimes,Kyoto.[6] It is a common theory thatmaneki-neko as figurines originated fromImado ware sold inAsakusa during theEdo period (1603–1868). During theTenshō era (1573–1592) of theAzuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1592), clay suitable for pottery was discovered in Imado in Asakusa, and local people began to make Imado ware. In the Edo period, potters from theMikawa Province moved to Imado in Asakusa and further developed Imado ware, and in theGenroku era (1688–1704),Imado dolls were made, which is thought to have given rise tomaneki-neko.[9] The earliest known record ofmaneki-neko as figurines is themarushime-neko, a variation ofmaneki-neko made of Imado ware in the late Edo period.[10]
One of the earliest records ofmaneki-neko appear in the Bukō nenpyō's (a chronology ofEdo) entry dated 1852.Utagawa Hiroshige'sukiyo-e "Joruri-machi Hanka no zu," painted also in 1852, depicts themarushime-neko, a variation ofmaneki-neko, being sold atSensō-ji Temple, Tokyo. In 1876, during the Meiji era, it was mentioned in a newspaper article, and there is evidence thatkimono-cladmaneki-neko were distributed at a shrine inOsaka during this time. A 1902 advertisement formaneki-neko indicates that by the turn of the century they were popular.[10]
There are a variety of tales in the folklore of Japan concerning the origin ofmaneki-neko. Several Buddhist temples andShinto shrines that appear in folklore, such asGōtoku-ji,Jishōin Shrine [ja] andImado Shrine [ja], are claimed to be the birthplace of themaneki-neko.[11][12]
The most famous folklore concernsIi Naotaka during theKan'ei era (1622–1624) of the Edo period. On their way back from the falconry, Naotaka's party stopped atGōtoku-ji Temple to rest after being beckoned by a cat at the temple gate. A violent thunderstorm soon followed, and they marvelled at the cat's good fortune and thanked the temple priest for his hospitality. As a result, Gōtoku-ji became the family temple of theIi clan, and the temple prospered under their patronage. In honour of the cat that brought prosperity to the temple,maneki-neko was created in later generations.[13][14][9][10][11][12]
The second folklore concernsŌta Dōkan, a warlord of theMuromachi period (1336–1573) who later became the first to buildEdo Castle. During theBattles of Ekodahara and Numabukuro [ja] against theToshima clan, Dōkan was outnumbered and lost his way. It was then that a cat appeared and beckoned him to enter theJishōin Temple [ja], where he was later able to turn the tide and win the war. Dōkan was so grateful to the cat that he donated a sculpture of the cat to the temple, and themaneki-neko was created in later generations.[11]
The third folklore concerns an old woman who lived near theImado Shrine [ja]. She had abandoned her cat out of poverty. One day, the cat came to her in a dream and told her that if she made an ornament of the cat, she would be blessed with good luck. The old woman made an ornament of the cat out of Imado ware, a local speciality, and sold it at theAsakusa Shrine, where it became very popular and made her rich, and themaneki-neko was created.[11][12]
The fourth folklore concerns anoiran (courtesan) named Usugumo inYoshiwara during the Genroku era of the Edo period. Usugumo was an oiran who worked in Miuraya and always carried a cat with her. People rumoured that Usugumo was a woman bewitched by a demonic cat, and the owner of Miuraya, believing the rumour, cut off the cat's head and killed it. The cat's severed head bit a giant snake lurking in the toilet, saving Usugumo's life. A regular customer gave Usugumo, who was grieving over the cat's death, a wooden carving in the shape of a cat, which was imitated and sold in Asakusa, giving rise tomaneki-neko.[14][9]
According to a folktale, the operator of an impoverished shop (or inn, tavern, temple, etc.) took in a starving stray cat despite barely having enough to feed himself. In gratitude, the cat sat in the front of the store beckoning customers, thus bringing prosperity as a reward to the charitable proprietor. Ever after, the "beckoning cat" has been a symbol of good luck for small business owners.[6]
Superstitions about themaneki-neko include it being able to "beckon...customers into shops" and "bringgood fortune and prosperity into households", and it being an embodiment of "fertile, life-enhancingfeline energies."[2]
Because of its popularity in Chinese communities (includingChinatowns in the United States),[6] themaneki-neko is frequently mistaken for being Chinese in origin rather than Japanese,[13] and is therefore sometimes referred to as a "Chinese lucky cat"[6] orjīnmāo ("golden cat"). This cat is also prevalent inChina domestically, and is usually referred to assimplified Chinese:招财猫;traditional Chinese:招財貓;pinyin:zhāocáimāo;Jyutping:ziu1 coi4 maau1.
Hikone City's mascot,Hikonyan, a famous mascot in Japan, was created based on the folklore ofIi Naotaka and themaneki-neko ofGōtoku-ji Temple. Hikone City is home toHikone Castle, aNational Treasure that was the base of theIi clan for generations.[13][11][12]
For the2015 Trinidad and Tobago general election, won by the then oppositionPeople's National Movement (PNM), amaneki-neko was utilized by the PNM in itscampaign advertising days before election day, featuring amaneki-neko waving goodbye to thenPrime MinisterKamla Persad-Bissessar alongside headlines of scandals linked to herPeople's Partnership administration taken from the front page of local newspapers.[15][16]
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