This is the name given to the lucky charm that is still worn today in Japan. It can be found in many forms, but always has one paw raised.

The origin of the Beckoning Cat begins at the temple at Gotoku-ji, where the monks were starving. One day a cat was sitting outside the temple, when a group of wealthy Samurai rode up. The cat beckoned to them and they followed it into the temple. Once inside, it began to rain heavily, and they passed the time learning about the Buddhist philosophy. Later, one of the Samurai came back to learn more, and eventually gave the temple a large estate. His family were all buried there, and near their tombs a small cat-shrine was built to the memory of the Beckoning Cat. It was also said that a bolt of lightening struck the ground exactly where the samurai had been standing, after they had entered the temple.

There is another explanation as to the origin of the Beckoning Cat. According to this tale, a famous woman in Yoshiwara was attacked by a snake, her cat seeing the danger, tried to warn her but was killed. The woman had an effigy of the cat carved in wood, and copies of this carving then became popular as lucky charms.

The temple, in the western suburbs of Tokyo, is popular today and is still visited by cat-lovers.

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