Maneki-neko Cat Temple: Tokyo's Temple for Cat Lovers招き猫 Tokyo tourist attractions

Gotokuji Temple: Tokyo's Temple for Cat Lovers Tokyo tourist attractions　Videographer Yukinari Saito
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Do these white cats look familiar to you? These cats, called maneki-neko (招き猫), can be found all over Japan, usually in businesses and restaurants, to bring in luck. At Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, you can find a never-ending collection of maneki-neko. The cat figurines at the temple come in many different shapes and sizes, and you can even buy one to bring home. Visit Gotokuji and adopt a lucky maneki-neko figurine!
Gotokuji Temple’s History
Gokuji Temple’s history dates back to the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333), and was established around 1480. During the Edo period, the temple as designated as the family temple for the Ii clan, who ruled the present-day Shiga prefecture area.
Gotokuji is a 10-minute walk from Gotokuji Station on the Odakyu Line. It is an easily accessible temple for those living in the Shinjuku metropolis area.
Maneki-neko Legends
There are a few legends explaining the origin of the maneki-neko figurines. One in particular is related directly to Gotokuji Temple.
The legend takes place in the early Edo period (1603 - 1967). Ii Naotaka, the ruler of the Hikone fief during the time, walked past a small temple. In front of the temple was a white cat that beckoned him to come inside.
Soon after entering the temple, the skies began to thunder and heavy rain poured. Naotaka was grateful to the cat for sheltering him from the terrible weather, and decided to revamp the temple and call it his family temple.
The maneki-neko was created in honor of the white cat that helped Naotaka, and is revered at Gotokuji to this day.