Double Fortune Maneki Neko - Pink

As a Japanese proverb says, ‘Where there’s a smile, luck arrives.’ Attract fortune and prosperity with this Kawaii pink Maneki Neko with the power of the golden carp, which, like the Daruma, symbolizes determination and perseverance. Legend has it that the reward for carps that swim upstream over waterfalls is to transform into dragons. Includes a cardboard stand.

Origin of Maneki Neko

Of the many legends that tell the tale of the origin of this amulet, the most beautiful is the one that was born in the Gotokuji temple in the 17th century.

At the time, the temple had no money and was in a poor state of repair. The old monk who lived there shared what little food he had with a cat. One day a rich feudal lord named Ii Naotaka, a samurai of the Hikone domain, was hunting nearby. Suddenly he was caught in a storm and ran for shelter under a tree. He then saw a cat in the temple waving its paw, as if to beckon him to come in. Curious, as he approached the cat, lightning struck the tree. The cat had just saved his life! The samurai was so grateful that he decided to make donations to the temple, which put an end to his precarious situation.

From that day on, the cat became the symbol of Gotokuji and a famous good luck charm throughout the country. When he died, he was buried with honours in the temple, where hundreds of Maneki Neko can be seen today.