Everywhere in Japan, from shops and restaurants to banks and offices, we are welcomed by a statue representing a beckoning cat… this is the maneki neko, one of the most common lucky charms in Japan, thought to attract good luck in business and prosperity.
They are also used as in house ornaments, and they are available in all sizes and materials, at nearly every gift shop (probably the best known being the Nakamise street, near Senso-ji Temple), so every tourist may have one…