Almost everyone has probably seen a Maneki Neko, even if they don’t know what it’s called or what it means. They’re those cats that are often seen in Asian stores, sitting with one paw raised. “Maneki Neko” literally means “beckoning cat”; in Japan, waving with your palm facing outwards is a beckoning motion.

As with most legends, the Maneki Neko’s has many versions, but all are basically the same. A cat appears before some figure, appearing to beckon, saving them from some unfortunate occurrence. The story first popped in the late Edo period (late 1800’s), and is accredited to various emperors and samurai depending on who tells it. The “original” story is that a nobleman saw the cat on the side of the road, beckoning, and went towards it. Doing this saved him from a trap that had been laid for him ahead, and cats became a sign of luck.

Maneki Neko is often seen in shops, partly because it is “beckoning” customers into the shop, but also because the cat is believed to bring in customers, and therefore wealth, because it is lucky. Thus, Maneki Neko can often be seen holding a coin, or as a piggy-bank.

The “Maneki Neko Cult” has even evolved into different colours of cats. The most popular is a white cat with brown spots, which is considered the most lucky, but there are also pure white cats for purity, black cats for dispelling evil, red for good health, gold for wealth, and green for academic achievements. There are even pink cats (though they are not traditional) which are associated with love.

The Maneki Neko are often seen in Anime, either in their actual form, or as a reference (one of the most known is Meowth from Pokemon).

For all of you writing University Exams soon, this Maneki Neko is for good luck!