The Luckiest Cats In Tokyo

It was a dark and stormy night.  A wealthy lord, caught in the violent weather, took shelter under an old tree near Gotokuji temple.  Hoping to wait out the worst of the tumult, the great man wrapped himself tightly against the driving rain.  Suddenly, he spotted a temple cat sitting under the dilapidated gate.  Peering through the rain, the lord tried to make sense of what he was seeing.Was the cat...beckoning?  Overcome by curiosity, he left the protection of the old tree.  In the next instant, lightning cracked and struck the tree where the lord had just been standing.  The beckoning cat had saved his life.

Autumn in Japan is about as perfect as the season can possibly get.  The weather is beautiful, and the mild temperatures last almost until December.  What a welcome relief from August and September's humid misery!  Autumn is also tied with spring as my favorite season during which to visit temples and shrines; the gardens, filled with maples and gingko, are about to explode into fiery brilliance.  On Monday, I had a day off in my schedule, so a friend and I checked a Tokyo temple off our Japan Bucket List.  Gotokuji Temple has been calling my name for months!

Gotokuji Temple is located in Setagaya, the largest of Tokyo's twenty-three wards.  Setagaya is an upscale residential district, with a large park, and the fun and funky district of Shimokitazawa.  I get my hair cut in Shimokitazawa (a blog post for another time), and LOVE the area.  Lots of boutiques, vintage clothing, and jewelry shops cram the narrow streets.  Jiyugaoka, the area consistently voted as "Tokyo's most desirable place to live", is also located in Setagaya, as is Lupicia's flagship tea store and restaurant. 

We got off at the Gotokuji train station and walked about fifteen minutes to the temple.  The walk was pleasant and down a narrow street filled with shops, restaurants, and residences.  The temple, when we arrived at its back wall, was quiet.  So quiet, in fact, that my friend and I got nervous that it might actually be closed.  They can't close temples, can they?!

After walking what turned out to the the long way around the temple, we arrived at the open gate with relief.  Except for a few elderly men sweeping the paths and a group of preschoolers walking in an orderly line, my friend and I were the only ones there.  As a Christian, I have been surprised to find myself feeling feeling closer to God in the environs of a Japanese temple or shrine than almost anywhere else.  Not in the super famous temples that draw huge crowds, but rather in the temples filled with nature, peaceful beauty, and wisps of incense.  My heart and mind become quiet, and I can pause to hear the divine whispers that my hectic days usually drown out.  

The central hall of the temple complex is guarded by a massive, lion-topped incense burner.

A bell tower.

A three-story pagoda.

My American hometown's best Chinese restaurant had a golden beckoning cat in its window, and in Japan, the cats are everywhere.  Japanese (not Chinese) in origin, the feline figurine is believed to bring good luck to its owner.  The maneki neko is especially popular in shop windows, as the cat's raised, beckoning paw is said to lure customers inside.  The red collar and bell were popular attire for cats belonging to wealthy families during the Edo period.

There are many stories that attempt to explain the maneki neko's originas, and Wikipedia's entry tells the story of the feudal lord who took shelter outside Gotokuji's gates.  As the end of the story goes, the lord was so grateful to the cat for saving his life, that he showered the temple with wealth.

A friend of mine told me the story with a slightly different twist- the samurai, Ii Naosuke, was passing by Gotokuji Temple when he saw a cat waving to him from the temple garden.  Curiosity getting the better of him, he stopped at the temple to have tea.  As he was resting in the tranquil garden, a sudden storm descended.  The samurai was so grateful to have been rescued from the storm that he donated a fortune to the temple.

Whether or not these stories are true, Gotokuji Temple believes them, at any rate!  There are maneki neko everywhere, and the temple is the place to go if you are looking for luck, business success, or the return of a lost cat.

Gotokuji's ema, wooden plaques with worshippers' prayers and wishes, are decorated with maneki neko.

Look up! The pagoda has a maneki neko carved into the wall.

Tucked behind the hanging ema and the main hall is this small, inner shrine- the maneki neko jackpot.

Around the corner and to the side of the small shrine, a stand is piled high with white ceramic cats, with more spilling over onto the ground.  So cute!  Worshippers leave beckoning cat charms with the hope that the lucky cat will bring luck to their particular wish.  There were hundreds of maneki neko!

Big cats, medium-sized cats, little cats...cats, cats, cats!

There were also clusters of origami cranes hanging from the eaves.  There is a belief in Japan that
 if one folds one thousand paper cranes, they will be blessed with eternal good luck

I love the itty-bitty ones!

After admiring the multitudes of maneki neko, my friend and I took our shrine books to get stamped.  A large cutout of a maneki neko beckoned us inside.  Maneki neko charms were also available for purchase.  So much kitty cuteness!

We wandered around the gardens for a bit longer before heading back to the train station.  On our way out, we passed another group of preschoolers in their matching hats.  We all happily waved to each other.  "Bye-bye," the children called.  Good-bye, children in your cute hats!  Good-bye, maneki neko!

Gotokuji Temple is accessed via Gotokuji Station on the Odakyu Line.  Take an express or rapid express train to Shimokitazawa, and then switch to a local train.  Gotokuji Station is three stops away.  Exit the station via the west exit and turn left on the street immediately in front of the exit.  Follow the street to the dead-end next to the railroad tracks, and turn left.  The wall of Gotokuji Temple will be up ahead.  When you get to the temple wall, turn right and follow it to the main entrance.  My friend and I turned left, and walked the looooong way around.  On your way back, stop in some of the shops for some cute maneki neko souvenirs!  Continue your sightseeing by shopping in Shimokitazawa, or head up to Shinjuku for lunch.


Disclaimer:  I do my best to make sure all my information is accurate.  However, details may change or I may just be flat-out wrong.  Please let me know if something needs a correction.  Thank-you!