Visiting Gotokuji Temple

Yesterday I visited a cutest cat temple. I’ve seen these little statues so many times in my life. It’s fun to know where they originated.

Gotokuji Temple, located inTokyo, is a Buddhist temple that is said to be the birthplace of the maneki-neko, or “luck-inviting cat figurine.”

Temple legend states that during the early 17th century, Ii Naotaka (then the second lord of the Omi-Hikone Domain) escaped from being caught in a sudden thunderstorm after being invited inside the temple by a cat that lived there.

To show his gratitude to the cat, Naotaka decided to dedicate the temple to the Ii clan.