Sometimes maneki neko has the right arm raised to protect and attract wealth. The right arm is associated with money and good fortune. The left paw can be raised to invite happiness and entry, such as customers for a business or friends to a home. Shop owners decorate their front spaces with the traditional cat in hopes of prosperity and good fortune and as a warm invitation for customers to enter. The boom in Japanese pop culture during the “Cool Japan” era of the 1980s and 90s—coinciding with the second wave of Chinese immigration to the U.S.—further embedded the maneki-neko into mainstream culture. If the home has an office, this wealth-generating workspace and the fortune-bringing cat should be in or near this corner, with the cat facing southeast if possible. Where to See and Learn More Grateful to the cat for saving his life, the ruler made it a patron of the temple where it has been venerated in its very own shrine ever since.

The maneki neko statue is often white, but it can come in various colors, each with a special meaning. Types of Maneki-NekoBibsare often red and worn for protection; this aligns with jizo statues seen in shrines and temples. Whatever the precise location of the statue’s origin, one thing is for sure: The cats bring in good fortune. The reason for their prevalence seems to be linked to their real-life analogs. In 1602, an imperial decree set free all cats in Japan, intending to capitalize on the felines’ natural ability for pest control, especially in the sericulture community. After the decline of the silk trade, cats by extension remained as talismans for a business’s prosperity.

This image is used as an amulet designed to attract business and promote prosperity. It is to be found at the entrance of restaurants and shops, where, with its ingratiating feline qualities and uplifted paw, it may invite customers and bid them enter,” Ball continues. In Western culture, domestic cats make great pets. But in Japanese folklore, feline friends have protective powers and symbolize good fortune. Knowing this, it should come as no surprise that the maneki-neko is believed to represent one particularly legendary cat.This coin was an early Japanese currency during its feudal Edo period and would still be valuable today. It’s yet another representation of welcoming wealth. Items Maneki Neko Carry Cats have long been regarded highly in Japanese culture, and beloved pets are sometimes said to have mystical associations. It’s said that in caring for pets, we receive their care, too. Thus, it’s believed that good fortune comes to the caretaker. Where to Place Maneki Neko