Maneki Neko (Lucky Cat)
A common fixture in many Japanese stores is the sculpture of the Maneki Neko, or literally “beckoning cat.”
The story (or at least one version of it) is that the cat belonged to an old impoverished man, and one day the cat crossed the path of a nobleman on a journey diverting him with it’s beckoning. The nobleman realizes that he narrowly escaped harm (either by thieves, mercenaries, or natural disaster) by following the cat’s beckoning. The nobleman then rewards the owner (who is sometimes a poor merchant, or sometimes a monk) becoming a patron of his (business or temple respectively.)
Another story is that the cat belonged to a wealthy courtesan, and one day began tugging at the sleeve of her kimono and mewling wildly– this disturbed the man of the house and in anger he sliced off the cat’s head in anger. The head flew up and killed a snake that was lurking out of sight. The courtesan was so grieved at the loss of her cat, and the master so remorseful for killing her faithful little cat that he carved for her a likeness of the cat.
The maneki neko is a symbol of wealth, health and prosperity. Holding a coin which represents 1,000,000 yen is not uncommon.
