Lore: Maneki-neko
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Introduction: In the modern mortal world, the Japanese maneki-neko (招き猫, lit. 'beckoning cat'), or "lucky cat", is commonly depicted as a figurine, often believed to bring good luck to the owner. It is typically depicted as a calico Japanese Bobtail holding a gold koban coin, with a paw raised in a Japanese beckoning gesture. The figurines are often displayed in shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors, laundromats, bars, casinos, hotels, nightclubs, and other businesses, generally near the entrance.
Originally the use and veneration of these figurines was confined to Japan, but over time cultural exchanges introduced the lucky cats to neighboring nations and over many centuries the maneki-neko became an pan-Asian icon. But such simple representations are cheap commercial replicas created to attract foreigners and tourists and have little or nothing to do with the secret histories of mythical beings.
The real Maneki-neko are yōkai (supernatural phenomena) of the Kaibyō variety (magical cats) which could be anything from an wise old feline that exhibits almost human intelligence to shape-shifting were-cats with magical abilities, but more specifically in this case a mystical figurine inhabited by a living spirit with alien intelligence and a will of its own.
The folklore of the lucky cats began to filter into Japanese daily life starting in the early years of the thirteenth century of the common era and the lore continued to grow both orally and through written works right up to the twenty-first century. The first significant mention of the Maneki-neko in a written form occurred during the early years of the 7th century of the common era and recorded at the request of Empress Genmei in the early years of the 8th century (711 - 712) in Japans oldest known scholarly work the - Kojiki - (An Account of Ancient Matters).
The Kojiki is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the kami, and the Japanese imperial line. It is claimed in its preface to have been composed by Ō no Yasumaro a Japanese nobleman, bureaucrat, and chronicler.
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