Top 5 interesting facts about the Japanese genius cat (Maneki Neko)

While you will most likely see one White Maneki Neko with orange or black dots. There are quite a few color variations and they all have special meanings:

• White: happiness, purity, and good things to come.
• Triad: Traditional color combinations, considered the luckiest.
• Vàng: rich and prosperous
• Black: ward off evil and disease
• Red: success in love and relationships.
• Green: good healthy

No one can completely agree on how the first Maneki Neko got here. However, most people agree that the first lucky cat appeared during the Edo period in Japan (17th to mid-19th centuries).


There are 2 legends about the origin of the lucky cat. The first legend says that In the 17th century, there was a poor monk who lived in a small temple in Tokyo. Although life is very difficult, he still shares his meager food with his pet cat Tama. One day, the lord Nakaota Ii of Hikone prefecture, on his way to hunt, suddenly encountered a storm and took refuge in a large tree near the temple. He noticed the cat raised one paw as if beckoning him to enter the temple. Curious, he left his hiding place and headed towards the temple to get a better look at the strange cat. At the same time, a flash of lightning fell on the same tree where he was standing. Thanks to the cat, the lord became the temple’s patron, repaired it to become more spacious and renamed it Gotokuji temple in 1697. When Tama died, he was buried in the cemetery for cats in in the temple and the statue of Maneki Neko was made in memory of this special cat that was born from there.


Another legend It’s a really weird story. A Japanese dancer has a pet cat, she loves it very much. One day, the cat tugged at the girl’s kimono and the owner of a brothel thought the cat was possessed by a demon and cut off its head with a sword. The flying cat’s head landed on a snake and killed the snake then saved the woman. The dancer was going crazy over the loss of her cat and one of her guests made a cat statue for her to cheer her up.

On every important occasion such as opening ceremony, housewarming, promotion, … people often choose special lucky gifts and bring fortune. One of the most chosen gifts is the genius cat. In addition to the effect of feng shui, this cat is also an eye-catching decoration suitable for all families. Image Maneki Neko cat there are usually some decorations around the neck but the most common are necklace with bell. This is because in the Edo period (1603-1868) cats were an expensive pet, so to keep it from running away, the owner or wearing a bell around each cat’s neck.

Today, we also see more pictures of this cat holding a big gold coin. This is a Koban coin, used in the Edo period, one is counted as 1 ryou and the coin held by the Maneki Neko cat is worth up to 10 million ryou.

Cat of Fortune in Japan called Maneki Neko means beckoning cat. The cat with its paw raised as if it was waving money back to its owner. Other nicknames are the lucky cat, the money cat and the inviting cat, the lucky cat, and are usually made of ceramic or porcelain. Maneki Neko It is considered a symbol of good luck, bringing good luck to the home, and shops place the statue at the entrance. This belief is said to originate from an old Chinese legend: “When a cat rubs its eyes with its paw, guests will come to the house”.

Maneki Neko It is considered a symbol of good luck, bringing good luck to the home, and shops place the statue at the entrance. If you have the opportunity to visit Japan, you will see the image of this cat in most shops, companies or banks here.

The Fortune Cat is an expression of good fortune from Japan. If you have the opportunity to visit this country, you will be able to easily see the image of this cat present in almost everywhere from retail stores to banks, companies. The product if used as a housewarming gift or a grand opening gift is also very meaningful. The common features of these genius cats are their smiling faces, prominent round bodies and beckoning forelegs. The body of the cat is decorated with eye-catching details such as gold coins, koi fish or lucky letters…

There is actually a the meaning behind the paw that the cat raised. There are 3 types of Maneki Neko cats:

• Cats waving their left paws bring more customers
• Cats waving their right paws bring luck and money.
• If both feet are raised, it means protection for the family or business. It is also believed that the higher the foot is raised, the more customers, money or luck will come to the store.