Those ‘lucky cat’ figures? They’re not what you think
Numerous myths surround the maneki neko, but one thing is certain: these wealth-magnet felines are of Japanese origin, not Chinese
Maneki neko (literally, beckoning cats) have been bringing fortune and luck to people since at least 1852. We can pinpoint the date because that was the year ukiyo-e master Hiroshige Utagawa depicted them in a street scene.
Traditionally, maneki neko were white-glazed ceramic, porcelain or wooden cats with a raised right arm. Now, they are commonly found in kitschy gilt plastic, with a cheap, tiny motor and a couple of batteries tucked inside to power the perpetually swinging limb.
But they’re not waving hello. They are inviting fortune to come forth (or, I guess, drawing you in to visit prosperity on their adoptive establishment). Often Westerners mistake their come-hither gesture for a wave, because their paw is raised to eye level with “fingers” facing down. Westerners tend to turn their palm up and flap their fingers towards themselves as a beckoning gesture. But in some Eastern cultures, wiggling your fingers like that has rude connotations and could earn you a punch in the eye.
Enthusiastically adopted by the fortune-hungry Chinese diaspora (perhaps the reason for their diaspora in the first place), these cats are a common sight in Chinese restaurants, shops and homes. So much so that many mistakenly believe they originated in China. But nope, in a rare reversal of the never-ending “Who did it first, the Chinese or the Japanese?” cultural debate, Japan emerges victorious.
One popular fable revolves around the Gotoku-ji temple, on the outskirts of Tokyo: in 1622, during a tempest, a temple cat motioned to the powerful local boss to take refuge, just in time to save him from a deadly lightning strike. In gratitude, he became a generous temple patron. To thank the cat for the fortune it brought, the monks created a dedicated shrine that, over the years, became filled with thousands of maneki neko honouring their feline predecessor. Visitors leave offerings in the hope of absorbing some of that cat’s fortune and often leave with their own lucky charm.
A few other, often contradictory, origin myths exist. The one that resonates the most for me is the legend of the impoverished shopkeeper feeding a starving stray cat, which became the first maneki neko, bringing fortune by hanging out in front of the shop and beckoning customers. On my home turf of Sai Ying Pun, a still-traditional quarter in Hong Kong’s Western District, lucky cats embody this folklore.
