Manekineko

By Verity Limond, Maria McKeever,

Benita Murinda & Leah O'Doherty
 A Japanese
lucky charm,
known as a
'beckoning cat.'
 Features
The Manekineko is a common Japanese figurine which is
believed to bring good luck to the owner. They are usually
made of ceramic or plastic.
The figurine is of a cat beckoning with an upright paw,
and is usually displayed at the entrance of shops,
restaurants and other businesses.
Manekineko have either the right or left paw raised,
sometimes they have both raised but it is not very
common. A common belief is that when the left paw is
raised it brings in customers, while the right paw brings
good luck and wealth and the higher the raised paw, the
 Features
The most common colour for a Manekineko is white but they can also
come in black, gold and red. White cats are thought to bring out the
happiness of its owner, along with purity and positive energy.
Manekineko usually have some sort of decoration around their neck,
the most common decoration is a collar, bell and decorative bib.
Antique examples of Manekineko are made of carved wood or stone,
handmade porcelain or cast iron. Modern examples are typically
ceramic, but can also be made of other materials, including plastic
and wood. Expensive Manekineko can be made of jade or gold. The
moving-arm type are usually made of plastic.
 History
Many people in Japan believe that the Manekineko is from
Tokyo, however others believe it originated in Kyoto.
There are many different legends and myths about how it
came about, which we will discuss throughout our
presentation.
 History
However, the first historical record of the Manekineko was in
1852, a painting by Utagawa Hiroshige, know as Joruri-machi
Hanka no zu. In this painting you can see the Manekinkeo
being sold in a temple in Tokyo, known as Sens-ji.
There was also evidence of the charm in a newspaper in 1876.
In 1902, there was an advertisement found in a newspaper for
Manekineko, showing that they became quite popular at that
time.
This is the
painting by
Utagawa
Hiroshige
 Myths
There are many myths
and folkstories
thatattempt to explain
theorigins of
theManekineko.
These are the
following:
 The Stray Cat andThe Shop
It is believed thata shopkeeper of astruggling shop took
in a stray catdespite the fact that he was ina financial
crisis.
In gratitude the cat supposedlybeckonednew customers
into the shop, bringing good luck tothe shopkeeper.
Todayit is seen as a good luck charm for many businesses.
 The Temple Cat
It is believed that a wealthyfeudallord, Il Naotaka, was
taking shelter under a tree when a thunderstorm struck.
He sawa cat beckoning him to a temple whichwas run by
a poor priest.
The wealthy man stayed the night and becamefriends
with thepriest.
Apparently, the temple becamevery successful andwhen
the cat died aprototype was made in its honour, being the
first manekineko.
 TheSaviour Cat
The emperor during the Kufonreign was allergic to cats and banned
them all from the palace.
The PrinceTogamashu became attachedto a catand they were
banished from the kingdom.
One day a wealthy merchantwho wasvisiting the palace saw the cat
wave at him. He was dumbfounded!
He had told the emperor that he was not going to make a deal with him,
but because of the cat he changed his mind.
The emperor allowed Togamashu to return to the temple with his lucky
cat.
 Culture: Japan
In Japan, manekineko are often kept on the third
floor of a building, because the number three is
lucky.
Sometimes they are found in bedrooms or studies
because it is believed this will ensure the
inhabitant's success.
Manekineko frequently appear in books, computer
games, managa and anime.
 Culture: Hello Kitty
The popular Japanese
character Hello Kitty is based
on manekineko.
Like manekineko, Hello Kitty is
based on Japanese bobtail cats
and is friendly and welcoming.
 Culture: Chinese Connection
Many people thinkmanekinekocome from China,
because they are often seen in Chinese shops and
acupuncture clinics.
They are commonly seen in Chinatowns in the USA and
are mistakenly called the 'Chinese lucky cat' or 'golden
cat'.
Manekineko in Chinese businesses tend to be gold,
because gold is associated with wealth.
Sources

Websites Photo Credits

www.wikipedia.com www.wikipedia.com
www.luckymanekineko.wordpress.comhttp://www.onmarkproduct
ions.com/html/maneki-neko.shtml