Saturday is Caturday! Japanese folklore and Maneki-neko & share everything kitty
The Lucky Cat, also known as Maneki-neko 招き猫 , is a beloved symbol in Japanese culture, believed to bring good luck, prosperity, and good fortune to its owner. You may have seen them in Asian businesses beckoning customers into shops. The most well-known story about its origin is the legend of the Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo: A local priest lived in poverty but shared his meager meals with his cat even though he could barely care for himself. He wasn't sure how much longer he could care for the temple. One day, during a thunderstorm, a samurai who had been hunting stopped to shelter himself under a tree. A fascinating calico cat (thought to be a Japanese bobtail) was watching him with its paw in the air. The samurai was intrigued and left the shelter of the tree before it was struck by lightning. The samurai, grateful to the cat, followed the kitty to the temple. The samurai turned out to be a wealthy landowner and provided funding for the temple, which prospered. When th...