Maneki Neko

The ''maneki-neko'' (招き猫, ) is a common Japanese figurine which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. In modern times, they are usually made of ceramic or plastic. The figurine depicts a cat, traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail, with a paw raised in a Japanese 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. Some ''maneki-neko'' are equipped with a mechanical paw which 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 of keychains, piggy banks, air fresheners, pots, and numerous other media. ''Maneki-neko'' are sometimes referred to simply as "lucky cats".

Common features

''Maneki-neko'' are traditionally depicted seated, holding a koban coin, with one paw raised in a beckoning gesture. To some Westerners (Italians, Spaniards and Greeks are notable exceptions) it may seem as if the ''maneki-neko'' is waving rather than beckoning. This is due to the difference in gestures and body language recognized by some Westerners and the Japanese. The 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. Some ''maneki-neko'' made specifically for some Western markets will have the cat's paw facing upwards, in a beckoning gesture that is more familiar to most Westerners.

''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. 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.

Battery- and solar-powered ''maneki-neko'' are a modern iteration.

Colors

Originally, ''maneki-neko'' were white, but over the years with the combination of Feng Shui, different color variations were born. 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.

Composition

Antique examples of ''maneki-neko'' may be made of carved wood, stone and metal, handmade porcelain or cast iron.

Origins

History

It is commonly believed that ''maneki-neko'' originated in Tokyo (then named Edo), while some insist it was Kyoto. ''Maneki-neko'' first appeared during the later part of the Edo period in Japan. The earliest records of ''maneki-neko'' appear in the Bukō nenpyō's (a chronology of Edo) entry dated 1852. Utagawa Hiroshige's ukiyo-e "Joruri-machi Hanka no zu," painted also in 1852, depicts the Marushime-neko, a variation of ''maneki-neko'', being sold at Senso temple, Tokyo. In 1876, during the Meiji era, it was mentioned in a newspaper article, and there is evidence that kimono-clad ''maneki-neko'' were distributed at a shrine in Osaka during this time. A 1902 advertisement for ''maneki-neko'' indicates that by the turn of the century they were popular. Beyond this the exact origins of ''maneki-neko'' are uncertain.

Some have noted the similarities between the ''maneki-neko'''s gesture and that of a cat washing its face. There is a Japanese belief that a cat washing its face means a visitor will soon arrive. This belief may in turn be related to an even older Chinese proverb that states that if a cat washes its face, it will rain. Thus, it is possible a belief arose that a figure of a cat washing its face would bring in customers. In his ''Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang'', China's Tang Dynasty author Duan Chengshi (803?–863) wrote: "If a cat raises its paw over the ears and washes its face, then patrons will come". Statues of cats washing their ears (though very different in style to ''maneki-neko'') have been found as early as the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 to 534 AD).

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.

In popular culture

Because of its popularity in Chinese and Vietnamese communities (including Chinatowns in the United States), the ''maneki-neko'' is frequently mistaken for being Chinese in origin rather than Japanese, and is therefore sometimes referred to as a "Chinese lucky cat" or ''jīnmāo'' ("golden cat"). This cat is also prevalent in China domestically, and is usually referred to as zh, t=招財貓, s=招财猫, hp=zhāocáimāo, j=ziu1 coi4 maau1.

A ''Pokémon'' named Meowth is based on ''maneki-neko''.

Netta performed her song "Toy" in front of two walls full of ''maneki-neko'' at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. She won the competition after collecting 529 points at the final.

A ''maneki-neko'' is also seen in the production logo for Funimation.

Lucky Cat Lolla, the mascot of the music festival Lollapalooza, is a rendition of a ''maneki-neko''.

Science fiction author Bruce Sterling wrote a short story titled "Maneki Neko," first published in ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' in May 1998.

Mike Goutokuji, the stage 1 boss of Touhou Kōryūdō ~ Unconnected Marketeers, is a maneki-neko.

Gallery

File:PD-Maneki Neko.JPG
File:Collection of gold and white Maneki Neko in store window.jpg
File:Yellow Maneki Neko.jpg
File:BellRingingManeki-neko.jpg
File:Gotokuji-manekineko-a-october2015.jpg
File:Fortune Cat.jpg
File:Maneki neko by pixietart in Chinatown.jpg
File:Fortune Cat, Japan.jpg
File:Yellow maneki neko - Tokyo area - dec 13 2017.jpg
File:Triplemanekineko-aug30-2014.jpg

See also

* Bakeneko
* Daruma doll
* Fukusuke
* Hello Kitty
* Jin Chan (Money Toad)
* List of lucky symbols

Notes

References

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{{Superstitions

Japanese popular culture
Japanese dolls
Japanese folk religion
Japanese folklore
Japanese folk art
Cats in popular culture
Superstitions of Japan
Lucky symbols
Figurines
Cats in Japan
Cats in art
Cat folklore