There is a famous cat temple in the name Gotokuji temple in Tokyo which is quite popular among visitors. Located in Setagaya district of Tokyo, Gotokuji temple is a Buddhist temple that is said to be the birthplace of the maneki-neko, or “luck-inviting cat figurine.It has 10,000 figurines of white cats making it one of the rare sights inside a place of worship. Visiting the lucky cat temple is believed to bring along good luck for worshippers.
These small statues, which display a cat sitting up and beckoning with its front paw, have become quite popular all over the world with cat-lovers. Though there are many different kinds of maneki-neko raising either their right or left paws, Gotokuji temple specializes in the right-pawed version of this good-luck symbol.
Legend related to the temple
It is believed that during the Edo period (the final era of traditional Japanese government), there was a cat that helped Gotokuji Temple’s priest and his servants from a thunderstorm. The cat beckoned lord and his servants to safety with a waving gesture and that’s why you’ll see all cat statues have their one paw raised. While it rained outside, the lord enjoyed tea with the priest and later the lord gave rice and land as a gesture of thanks.
Nowadays, people can witness a number of cat statues put on display surrounding a figurine of the goddess of mercy, Kannon. The temple grounds are dotted with cat statues. Besides, there are several cat-related art on the streets around the temple.These cat statues are considered extremely lucky and are widely famous for bringing good luck and prosperity.
How to arrive the destination
Gotokuji Temple can be reached easily from central Tokyo. Reach Shinjuku station, then move towards the Odakyu line Hon-Atsugi direction that will lead you directly to the Gotokuji station, which will take around 30 minutes. The temple of Gotokuji is less barely a few minutes walk from the station. The temple remains open for visitors every day between 6 AM and 6 PM.
