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Japanese Culture and
Social Customs Part1 |
Maneki Neko
 If you see the figure of a cat sitting with one paw raised to its ear and the other one holding an old gold coin or an old fashioned money book, it is the famous good luck symbol known asgManeki Nekoh. A Maneki Neko is usually put on the counter or in the lounge of a shop. Some cats are used to decorate the exterior of shops. If you want to see one in realityCdrive about 2km north from the city municipal office to Namekawa- cho along the Route 6. You can see an extra large Maneki Neko looking in front of you on a high tower. (see the picture) The Maneki neko beckoning with its right paw is supposed to bring in money, and the one beckoning with its left paw is believed to attract customers. A white cat is supposed to protect good luck, a black one protects us from evil, and a golden one brings monetary fortune. The history of Maneki Neko goes back to the Edo period. There are several stories relating to the good fortune brought by cats, like the one that notes a cat saving the life of a man who had got lost by beckoning him in the right direction. It has been believed locally that when a cat washes its face, it attracts customers. And it became the custom in to put up cat entertainment districts figure in the pose of in order to attract customers. According to cat researchers, they use their whiskers as sensors. Cats rub their whiskers when it gets humid before rain or when they feel stress from someone approaching. This face washing was misconceived as signifying the invitation of customers. Maneki neko may be a mere superstition, but they are those who believe that they have actually been helped through this belief. These days, there are even shops using a blue-eyed Maneki neko ,which are calledgDollar Catsh, for the benefit of westerners. |