The Story Of The Gotokuji Temple In Japan, A Home To a 1,000 Maneki Nekos (Lucky Cats)

Everyone around the world is familiar with the Maneki Neko, the lucky cat who holds up his paw to invite customers and money into businesses.

But did you know there is a whole temple in Japan dedicated just for them?

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The lucky cat from Japan

According to Wikipedia, The Maneki Neko, literally meaning "beckoning cat", is a common Japanese figurine which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. The figurine depicts a cat (traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed in, and often at the entrance of shops, restaurants, and other businesses.

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Cat lovers paradise

In a residential area of Tokyo, there is a unique temple with row after row of these lucky statues, or in other words, the purr-fect place for cat lovers to pray.

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How did Gotokuji become home to a thousand lucky cats?

According to the Japan National Tourist Organisation, during the Edo period, the feudal lord of Hikone walked past the temple on the way back to his home. The temple's cat beckoned to him from the front gate, so he did what any sensible person would do when given advice from a cat. He went into the temple for some rest. Just then, a severe thunderstorm struck, but the feudal lord was warm and dry inside the temple all thanks to the cat. To show his gratitude he donated a ton of money to the poverty-stricken temple and designated it as his family temple. When the cat died, he was enshrined in the temple grounds, becoming a god called Shobyo Kannon. Visitors to the temple started bringing a maneki neko as a gift after their wishes were granted, which is how they amassed an army of beckoning cats.

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