, 1852 in the style of the
Kaei and
Ansei periods of the
Edo period It is commonly believed that
maneki-neko originated in
Tokyo (then named
Edo) or, sometimes,
Kyoto. The earliest known record of
maneki-neko as figurines is the
marushime-neko, a variation of
maneki-neko made of Imado ware in the late Edo period. One of the earliest records of
maneki-neko appear in the Bukō nenpyō's (a chronology of
Edo) entry dated 1852.
Utagawa Hiroshige's
ukiyo-e "Joruri-machi Hanka no zu," painted also in 1852, depicts the
marushime-neko, a variation of
maneki-neko, being sold at
Sensō-ji Temple, Tokyo. In 1876, during the Meiji era, it was mentioned in a newspaper article, and there is evidence that
kimono-clad
maneki-neko were distributed at a shrine in
Osaka during this time. A 1902 advertisement for
maneki-neko indicates that by the turn of the century they were popular. Temple. The temple is famous for its folklore as the birthplace of
maneki-neko. The most famous folklore concerns
Ii Naotaka during the
Kan'ei era (1622–1624) of the Edo period. On their way back from the falconry, Naotaka's party stopped at
Gōtoku-ji Temple to rest after being beckoned by a cat at the temple gate. A violent thunderstorm soon followed, and they marvelled at the cat's good fortune and thanked the temple priest for his hospitality. As a result, Gōtoku-ji became the family temple of the
Ii clan, and the temple prospered under their patronage. In honour of the cat that brought prosperity to the temple,
maneki-neko was created in later generations. According to a folktale, the operator of an impoverished shop (or inn, tavern, temple, etc.) took in a starving stray cat despite barely having enough to feed himself. In gratitude, the cat sat in the front of the store beckoning customers, thus bringing prosperity as a reward to the charitable proprietor. Ever after, the "beckoning cat" has been a symbol of good luck for small business owners. ==Beliefs==