Guides
Maneki-neko meaning: left paw or right paw?
The lucky cat is everywhere — but what does it actually mean? Here’s the short version.
It beckons, it doesn’t wave
In Japan you call someone over with your palm facing out, fingers moving down. That’s the gesture of the Maneki-neko: it invites people in.
Left paw or right paw?
The raised paw decides what the cat invites:
- Left paw: customers, guests and friends — the choice for restaurants and shops.
- Right paw: money and good fortune — popular at home and in offices.
- Both paws: everything at once. Some say that’s greedy; others call it efficient.
What the colours mean
- Calico (white, black and orange): the classic and the luckiest.
- White: purity and happiness.
- Gold: wealth.
- Black: protection against bad luck.
- Red: health; pink: love.
The coin and the bib
Most cats hold a koban, a gold coin from the Edo period. Often it says 千万両, “ten million ryō” — a fortune. Ours says 千貫, “a thousand kan”: kan is also the counter for pieces of nigiri, so our cat wishes you a thousand pieces of sushi.
The red collar with a bell recalls the collars of cats in wealthy Edo households.
Where the legend comes from
The best-known story is from Gōtoku-ji temple in Tokyo: a temple cat beckoned a passing lord inside, just before lightning struck where he had stood. The lord became the temple’s patron, and the temple is full of cat figures to this day. Imado Shrine in Asakusa and other places tell their own versions.
Where to put your Maneki-neko
Traditionally it faces the entrance, so it can greet whoever comes in — at a shop counter, by the front door or in the hallway. Our lenticular poster works best where people walk past it: the wave only happens when you move.