Maneki Neko is a cat figurine. However, it is not just any kind of cat figurine. The one which sits and has it's front paw raised as if it is calling for someone is the only one that can be called a " Maneki neko".It just sits in your house or in your store. But it does bring the luck, the fortune and the customers into your store. It does invite the happiness to your home!It works as a kind of lucky charm ( something like a St. Christopher's charm) in Japan.
The Charm of Maneki Neko
Japanese merchants are very superstitious. They always keep some kind of lucky charm at the front or back of their stores hoping for lots of customers and thriving business.
There are lots of lucky charms in Japan. For example, the Seven Deities of Good Fortune which include Ebisu and Daikoku. Fuku Suke, Dharma, Otafuku, Tanuki are very popular, also. Even a snake can be considered a lucky charm in Japan. Among so many lucky charms, Maneki Neko is the most popular. Every Japanese knows its existence. Why is it so popular? The reason may lie in its lovely character. Men and women, young and old, everyone falls in love with its round face and big eyes;at first sight.
This is the reason Maneki Neko appears in lots of corporate advertisements. Many different small products borrow the design of Maneki Neko. At the same time, an Angel Maneki Neko which has a ring on the head and two tiny wings on the back, shows the design of Maneki Neko itself has been changed in various ways in order to fit into the modern Japanese society.
The Origin of Maneki Neko
The gesture of Maneki Neko looks like it is inviting someone. It is actually representing a gesture of a cat washing its face.
Before it starts to rain, many cats wash their faces because they can feel the changing weather pattern. The keen sensory of a cat can detect the minute environmental changes, which make a cat uneasy. This is why a cat washes its face. It is trying to ease its anxiety.
Lots of places around the world have the proverb, "If a cat washes its face, it will rain."

Some people think an old saying from 9th Century China, "If a cat washes its face and ears, it will rain." might have been the origin of Maneki Neko folklore.

Do you think a person will really visit you when a cat washes its face ? Since a cat is a sensitive animal, it becomes nervous when it notices a person approaching. When it becomes nervous, a cat sometimes starts wandering around or washing its face.
These behaviors comfort the cat. A cat washes its face to relieve the anxiety toward the approaching visitor. But for a human being, it looks like " If a cat washes its face, a visitor will come."
This concept was combined with the fact that the gesture of a cat washing its face looked like a beckoning gesture. So, the people started a simple belief that if a person placed a figurine of a cat raising its front paw (which represents a beckoning gesture) the customers would come in.
The Paw of Maneki Neko
right paw left paw
There are two different kinds of Maneki Neko. One raises its left paw. The other raises its right paw. The legend specified that the one with its left paw up invited customers or people, and the one with its right paw up invited money or good fortune. The origin of this legend was not clear.
According to the research done by Maneki Neko Club, about 60% of Maneki Nekos have their left paws up. The majority of Maneki Nekos made in earlier times seem to have their left paws up. The left paw up, which invited customers, might be the original pose of Maneki Neko. However, people's lust for money in modern day Japan reflects the increasing number of Maneki Nekos with its right paw up. The height of the paw has a meaning, also. The range of height could be anywhere from around the mouth to well over the tip of the ear. The legend says that the higher the paw, the farther the Maneki Neko invites the customers or the fortune.
The Gesture of Beckoning

The Japanese beckons by showing the palm of the hand. ( See the picture on the left). On the other hand, the Americans beckons by showing the back of the hand. ( See the picture on the right)The Maneki Neko reflects these cultural differences. The Maneki Neko shows the palm of its paw in Japan. However, the Dollar Cat, the Maneki Neko made for exports, shows the back of its paw.

The color of Maneki Neko

Tri-colored Maneki Neko Maneki Neko comes in many different colors. The most popular one is the tri-color. The tri-colored cat has been considered as a lucky charm world wide. The male Tri-colored version has been especially revered as the lucky cat by sailors all over the world. Genetic study indicates the chances of a tri-color gene expressed in male cats are very small. The rarity of male tri-colored cats have been well-known in Japan for a long time. This is the reason why many Maneki Nekos are tri-colored.

White Maneki Neko The second most popular color is white. Since the image of white is purity, some theories point out that the White Maneki Neko indicates purity by its white color. But my personal opinion is that it is just for the convenience of the manufacturers.

Black Maneki Neko You will see quite a few black Maneki Nekos. They are the talismans against evil.This belief might have originated from the legend of the magical black cat. The black Maneki Neko has gained popularity among the ladies to ward off stalkers.

Maneki Neko with some other colors You may occasionally come across a red Maneki Neko. Red exorcises the evil spirits and illnesses. The trendy Maneki Nekos may be gold or pink. The gold one invites money and the pink one attracts love.
Maneki Neko Apparel
Maneki Neko has a red collar with a bell. This is reminiscent of the custom during the Edo era ( 1603 - 1868). A cat was an expensive pet up until the middle of the Edo era. The affluent ladies cherished their cats. They gave their beloved cats red collars made of Hi-chiri-men ( a luxury item in Edo era) and small bells to keep an eye on their cats. Maneki Neko sometimes wears an apron on top of the red collar. This is probably from an Edo custom, also. This custom might be influenced by the traditional belief in which an apron was placed around the neck of a Ji-zou ( a statue of Buddha along side of the roads ) to wish for children's uneventful growth.
In an average group of 10, usually two Maneki Nekos will have a Koban ( a gold coin in the Edo era). Although the real Koban was one-ryou, the Koban of Maneki Neko is TEN Million-ryou !!

Now you know….. maybe…. more than you want to know but, you know.