culture corner: Good Luck!

As the rare four-leaf clover sprouts in the fields of Ireland and fortune cookies are cracked, eaten, and analyzed on the streets of China, in Japan people flock to the local teras (temples) and jinjas (shrines) and even to the 100-yen stores for a little good luck insurance.

Japan has many symbols for good luck, protection, and fortune—the most familiar of these is the maneki-neko, or “Beckoning Cat.” Many shops display these famous cat figurines with one paw raised to beckon to customers and usher in wealth. Most maneki-neko have a collar, a bell, and a decorative bib around their necks. These were popular accessories worn by cats belonging to wealthy families; the collar to identify the cat, the bell to keep track of its whereabouts, and the bib as a display of wealth.

Not only is the maneki-neko a symbol of prosperity and good luck, but the various colors they come in are also symbolic. While green cats are believed to bring academic success, purple ones are said to hone one’s artistic side. Gold cats, of course, are the bringers of wealth, and the recently created pink cats are Cupid’s catty companions. Black and red (“ power colors”) cats are supposed to keep away illness and evil. Women are particularly keen on the black maneki-neko since they’re believed to keep away stalkers. White maneki-neko are the second-most popular type and symbolize purity. The calico maneki-neko is considered the luckiest of all because they are modeled after the rare Japanese bobtail cats.

There are many legends surrounding the origins of the maneki-neko. One legend is that a cat appeared to a feudal lord rested under a tree during a thunderstorm. It beckoned him to follow it into the old decrepit temple where it lived. When the feudal lord did this, the tree was struck by lightning.The wealthy man, in thanks, became friends with the temple priest and gave money so that the temple became prosperous once more. When the cat died, the lord had a statue made in its likeness.

Often, around shogatsu (New Year’s), thousands rush to the nearest tera or jinja to purchase ornate pieces of cloth framing a sheet of paper with ancient kanji written or stitched on them called omamori, meaning “honorable guardian.” These charms, depending on which ones you buy, can bring general protection and good luck or offer specialized fortune while driving, during childbirth, while taking a prestigious exam, for a job interview—there is a fortune for anything. Contrary to the Western belief that a black cat crossing your path means bad luck is around the corner, in Japan it’s quite the opposite, so there’s no need to panic. Even seeing a spider in the morning is considered lucky. (At night, it’s a different story.) And in a land where the number 13 doesn’t mean anything, a trip to buy brocade omamori and maneki-neko statues is chosen over spending hours on your hands and knees hunting for the elusive four-leaf clover.

—Mina Furusho