Hello! It is HUJ (How Unique Japan) again! We always share Japanese features through this webpage!
This time, let us ask you first.
Did you see some unique (and traditional) cat dolls in Japan?
They usually have white hair and raise their hands as if they are about to scratch their face. Those dolls are well-known in Japan.
That is called “Maneki Neko”. In English, the beckoning cat.
This time, we will talk about it.
The meaning of beckoning cat
Why does the beckoning cat raise its right/left hand?
It expresses that. It calls good luck (like calling friends) by waving their hands. Probably, the cat also says Common! We are here!
When the cat raises its right paw, that means to invite money. If it raises the left hand, it says customers. Interestingly, if the doll raises both hands, it is Greedy.
The history
Nobody knows the exact time when it was born or even the location. By the theory (or fairy tale), it was born in the Edo era from 1603 to 1868.
The theory says an elderly and kind woman was living with a cat. She took care of and loved her like her daughter.
However, later on, a poor woman could no longer keep her cat due to her poverty. So, she (very) unwillingly gave the cat to her friend.
One night after that, the woman had a dream about the cat.
She called her and said, “Do not worry about your poverty. Make some cat dolls like me. If you do, you will get good money and luck!”. After the dream, she followed the order and sold the dolls.
Soon after, such a product became famous as the Lucky Charm Cat. It is the beckoning cat story.
About the color
There are three major types of colored cats. They are black, red, and calico cats.
It is interesting because there is a well-known fact that the black cat is an ominous or unlucky symbol.
However, in Japan, people believe that a black cat has a strong sixth sense (in a good way). Thus, the beckoning cat has the black-colored type.
How about red? The color means good health and long life.
This beckoning cat symbolizes the troubling history of smallpox in Japan during the Edo period, when the Japanese struggled to combat the virus.
In ancient times, people believed an evil spirit caused the epidemic.
Besides, they trusted that evil would hate the “Red” color. Therefore, the color signifies protection for good health and a long life.
It is the reason that the color is on the beckoning cat.
The last one is the calico and white cat. It is the most basic color in Japan. But why?
It relates to the genetic mechanism of real cats. Most all-white cats are female.
If there are 1000 white cats, the “Male” would be only one or nearly zero (the ratio is 1000/1!!). Then, the male white cat is supposed to be great luck. That is why that color is on the beckoning cat.
Close
They are about the Beckoning Cat. However, it is not yet. There are still unique cats. Sometimes, the collaboration involves different characters, even of multiple sizes. If you come to Japan, please take a look around. You would find some cats waving their hands at you.
Thank you so much for reading this article!
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