In Japan, cats have a very special place in mythology and culture. It is believed that cats, only if they are not black, bring good luck.
Do cats bring good luck or bad luck in Japan?
The Legend of the Cats
According to an old Japanese legend, a man was looking for shelter under a tree during a storm when he saw a cat waving its paw at him. Intrigued by this gesture, he approached the cat when suddenly lightning struck at the place where he had been standing. The man decided that he was lucky thanks to the cat's actions. Thus, the alluring cat's paw has become a symbol of good luck, and the Maneki-neko figurines (cats with a raised paw) bring all the blessings of the world to its owner.
According to an old Japanese legend, a man was looking for shelter under a tree during a storm when he saw a cat waving its paw at him. Intrigued by this gesture, he approached the cat when suddenly lightning struck at the place where he had been standing. The man decided that he was lucky thanks to the cat's actions. Thus, the alluring cat's paw has become a symbol of good luck, and the Maneki-neko figurines (cats with a raised paw) bring all the blessings of the world to its owner.
Black cats in Japan are no more fortunate than anywhere else in the world. They are disliked, they try to avoid and consider them a bad sign. But if in my country you can, for example, you hold on to a button to break the curse of a black cat, then with Japanese black cats such magic is powerless. Therefore, a cunning Japanese will patiently wait until someone else passes along the street that the black cat crossed, or even turn around and choose another road.
How do you treat black cats in your country?
