There was one in my grandmother's kitchen. White with orange and black patches, one paw raised, sitting on a small shelf near the window. I never thought much about it as a child — it was just part of the room, like the teapot or the calendar on the wall. It was only later that I started to wonder about it properly.

The 招き猫 — maneki neko, the beckoning cat — is one of the most recognizable figures in Japan. You see it in shop entrances, restaurant counters, and household shelves across the country. Most people outside Japan know it too, though often without knowing its name or where it came from.

The story behind the raised paw

The most well-known origin story comes from Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo. In the Edo period, a feudal lord was passing near the temple when a cat raised its paw as if beckoning him. He followed. A moment later, lightning struck the spot where he had been standing.

Grateful, the lord became a patron of the temple. It grew prosperous. And the beckoning cat became a symbol of the fortune that can come from following an unexpected invitation.

Today, Gotokuji is filled with hundreds of small maneki neko statues left by visitors — row after row of white cats, paws raised, each one placed there as a quiet prayer. If you ever visit Tokyo, it is worth the trip.

Left paw, right paw

You may notice that some maneki neko raise the left paw and others raise the right. It is not just a design variation. The left paw is said to invite people in — traditionally associated with drawing customers to a business. The right paw invites wealth and good fortune. Some figures raise both, which, depending on how you look at it, is either double the luck or simply covering all possibilities.

What the colors mean

The classic maneki neko is white with the tri-color markings of a Japanese bobtail cat. But the figure comes in many colors, each carrying its own association: black for protection, gold for wealth, red for health. Pink is a newer addition, associated with love. White, the most common, represents happiness and positive energy in general.

Whether you put much weight in these meanings or not, the range of colors reflects something real — that people have been bringing their particular hopes to this small figure for a long time.

More than decoration

What I find interesting about the maneki neko is how ordinary it became. It is not a sacred object kept at a distance. It sits in kitchens, on shop counters, next to cash registers. It gets dusty. It sometimes loses its paw and gets repaired. It is a familiar presence — which is, in a way, exactly what it is supposed to be.

In Japan, it is commonly given as a gift when someone opens a new business, moves into a new home, or embarks on something new. Not as a grand gesture, but as a small, warm wish: may good things find their way to you.

My grandmother's cat is still on that shelf, I think. I should ask.