Maneki Neko Shiro - White, Happiness

Meaning of Maneki Neko

In Japan, the beckoning cat brings good luck, happiness and prosperity. From the Japanese words Maneki ‘to invite’ and Neko ‘cat’, it literally means ‘the cat that invites you in’. Known as the lucky cat, this is one of the most famous lucky charms in the world. It can be seen in businesses, restaurants, shops and homes all over Japan.
Maneki Neko raises one front paw inviting people to come in while holding an ancient Japanese coin called a koban with the other. It usually wears a necklace with a rattle to ward off evil spirits.
Originally Maneki Neko was white but, over the years and with the influence of Feng Shui, other colours appeared, each with a specific purpose: gold for prosperity, black for protection, white for happiness, orange for success, tricoloured for luck in general, the latter being the most popular today.

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.

Maneki Neko, a good luck gift

Our Maneki Neko are hand-painted. Models of the same colour may have slight variations in design depending on the painter's inspiration. This makes each one unique! Search and find the one that inspires you the most, for yourself or as a gift for someone you care for.

Amulet designed in Japan and made in Vietnam using recycled paper from Japan.