Cat town, Yanaka
Yanaka is often referred as cat town because there are so many street cats. While you are strolling through this old residential town located next to Ueno, you may encounter street cats. Actually, I had chances to take pictures of them while walking or guiding in Yanaka. Maybe this town is comfortable not only for humans, but also for cats.
There are many people in this neighborhood, who are kind enough to feed them.
Cat doll shop, Yanaka do
In this town there is a unique shop, which sells mainly ceramic cat dolls.
These cat dolls are referred as Maneki Neko. Maneki means to invite and Neko means Cat.
However, what are they inviting?
The answer depends on which hand they are raising to invite. If they are raising their left hands they are inviting people. If they are raising their right hands, they are inviting fortune or more directly money.
366 different Maneki Nekos!!
In this shop you will be surprised by the big shelf hanging so many Maneki Neko straps. The display says they have 366 different face Maneki Nekos. Why 366? It is a number of days in a year. That means they have different Maneki Neko for each birthday of the year.
How come?
This is a cat for my birthday. It comes along with a small slip of paper, fortune teller. It tells my character. It says, "You are talkative and attentive to others. If only you had the ability to earn money to live with. "
Hey kitty cat. How come you know that?! It is top secret, isn't it?
Ha ha ha..
Shop Info
Kaiun Yanaka Do
