Maneki Neko: The Beckoning Cat
The Maneki Neko Cat
The Maneki Neko, sometimes known at the ‘welcoming cat’ by Westerners, is a popular symbolic figurine seen throughout Japan. Meant to represent the Japanese Bobtail cat, this figure is usually made out of ceramic and can be found at the entrance to many businesses and shops throughout the country. The small cat figurines are well-known as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.
The name Maneki Neko, which literally means to beckoning cat in Japanese, was given to this particular cat due to the various legends that existed throughout the late 1800’s. As the legends have it this cat had beckoned various Japanese people out of harm’s way. One such famous story is about a cat that helped his poor owner by saving a rich man’s life. The rich man had been standing near a tree in the rain when the cat beckoned him away. Moments later the tree was struck by lightning and the rich man realized the cat had saved his life. In order to repay his debt to the cat, he went to seek out its owner and discovered the poor man. He then offered the poor man some money and brought in wealthy people to congregate in the temple. When the cat died it is said the owner had built a tombstone above the grave that shows the cat beckoning with his paw.
The cat statue itself sits on its hind legs and is sometimes holding a gold coin called a 'koban' in one hand. The other hand is lifted up above eye level with the fingers pointing outward to represent a welcoming gesture. To westerners this gesture can best be described as what we do when we try to show someone’s height with our hands. Usually our fingers are extended forward, held above our head, with our hand extending parallel to the ground. This gesture throughout Asia means to “come here” which is quite different from the west. In Western society we use an open hand and wave in an upward motion, conversely in Asia their palms are facedown and they wave their fingers and wrist inward. In Asia using an open palm to gesture in this manner is only meant for animals, although now-a-days this is becoming less relevant.
The Maneki Neko can be made out of various materials which will determine the expense of the 
figure. Some examples of materials are ceramic, plastic, silver, gold and jade. Moreover, the cat isn’t always of the statue variety, it can also be discovered in various other forms such as pencil cases, piggybanks, key chains, stickers, lunchboxes and more. The memorabilia has become more commercial over time.
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