| Have you ever wondered about... |
Manekineko - Those Waving Cats? |
Source Information: We Japanese, by Frederic de Garis, and Atsuharu Sakai,
Books I, II, and III combined, 2002, Kegan Paul Limited, England.
By Emy Murakawa
If you go into any Japanese establishment, you will almost always see at least one manekineko (beckoning cat). It is usually a ceramic porcelain cat with one paw beckoning in the Japanese fashion, palm down and waving.
The one paw raised is a pose for calling in good fortune. It is believed that if this figure of a beckoning cat is placed in front of stores and inns, it will draw in many customers, thus bringing prosperity. The manekineko is believed to have originated during the Edo period (1603-1868) from a story about a real cat, which brought prosperity to a declining temple by beckoning people passing by in a storm. Among them there was the feudal lord of Hikone, who later became the patron of the temple. It is
 |
believed that if this figure of a beckoning cat is placed in front of stores and inns, it will draw in many customers, thus bringing prosperity. Often, for businesses, the manekineko will have a gold coin or token hanging from its neck, which represents a more overt expression of seeking prosperity over good fortune. The manekineko can readily be seen, especially if you go to J-Town (Little Tokyo) establishments. They are readily available for purchase, too.
|