Maneki

The maneki neko (招 き 猫 lit. "calling cat"), also known as the "cat of fortune", is a Japanese lucky charm, which depicts a cat intent on calling the viewer to himself. For Westerners it may seem that the Maneki neko is greeting, the Japanese however, unlike Westerners, use to call with a gesture by holding the hand up, palm outwards, and bending the fingers downwards, bringing them up repeatedly. ; the pose of the cat exactly emulates this gesture. According to Japanese culture, these sculptures would bring good luck, as according to many local legends, every time a cat takes this pose on its owner, a large dose of luck will pour.