The temple where Ii Naotaka, lord of the Hikone domain, is said to have been beckoned through the gate by the temple cat and escaped a thunderstorm, the origin story of the maneki-neko. Countless donated maneki-neko line the side of the Shofukuden hall.
Legend Site
Gotokuji Temple (Birthplace of the Maneki-neko)
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Positions on the map are a rough guide to the area where a legend or sighting is set. Most pins are placed at representative points of a municipality or prefecture (outside Japan, a city position rounded to about 10 km, or the country), not at the exact place.
Municipality points: Geolonia address data (CC BY 4.0), based on the Address Base Registry (Digital Agency of Japan) / Country points: Natural Earth
| Encyclopedia | Maneki-neko (Beckoning Cat) |
|---|---|
| Location | Tokyo Setagaya |
| Type of place | Historic site or landmark |
| Map position | Approximate position (Municipality), not the exact place |
A cat figurine with one paw raised, beckoning customers and good fortune. A raised right paw is said to invite money, a raised left paw customers. Its origin is told in several stories, such as Ii Naotaka at Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo, and the lucky charm has spread worldwide.