The Waving Cat Japan Put in Nearly Every Shop Window for Luck

Walk past almost any shop, restaurant, or small business in Japan and there is a good chance a maneki-neko sits somewhere near the entrance, one paw raised in a steady waving motion. The name translates to beckoning cat, and the raised paw is meant to invite customers and good fortune in through the door.

The exact origin story is disputed, with several competing legends. One of the most common versions involves a poor temple priest in Edo era Tokyo who shared his last food with a starving cat. Later, a wealthy lord taking shelter from a storm under a tree near the temple noticed the cat waving its paw as if beckoning him inside, and moments after he stepped away from the tree it was struck by lightning. Grateful, the lord became the temple's patron, and the temple prospered.

The raised paw actually carries specific meaning depending on which one is lifted. A raised left paw is traditionally said to attract customers and people, while a raised right paw is said to attract money and good fortune. Some modern versions raise both paws at once, promising a bit of everything, though some shop owners joke that two raised paws can also be read as surrender.

Color matters too. The classic calico pattern is considered the luckiest, but an all white cat suggests happiness and purity, a black cat is meant to ward off evil spirits and stalkers, and a gold cat is a fairly obvious nod toward wealth. Pink versions aimed at love and relationships have become popular more recently, especially around Valentine's season.

Maneki-neko are typically made of ceramic, plastic, or porcelain, and the battery powered waving version with a slowly moving paw has become a familiar sight in Japanese and Chinese restaurants well beyond Japan's own borders. Many people outside Japan assume the figure is Chinese in origin because of how common it has become in Chinatowns worldwide, though its roots trace specifically to Edo period Japan.

A shrine in Tokyo's Setagaya neighborhood, Gotokuji Temple, claims to be the true birthplace of the legend and displays thousands of maneki-neko figurines left by visitors hoping for good fortune, making it something of a pilgrimage site for anyone curious about where the waving cat tradition actually began.