- Source:
- @s_sekko / Wiki / @ana_not_kutu
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You probably don't need to have visited Japan to be familiar with a Maneki Neko (Beckoning Cat)--a traditional Japanese figurine of a cat that is thought to bring good fortune and especially wealth. The feline figurine usually has an extended paw that moves back and forth in a "come here" motion that is supposed to be beckoning money. You'll usually find them at the front of shops and stores, as a prayer for good business.
Source: Wiki/Maneki-Neko
If you thought they were just good-luck charms, then think again! It turns out they are real--and so is their craving for money! Several Japanese Twitter users, including @s_sekko and @ana_not_kutu, have spotted a real-life Maneki Neko in Fukui Prefecture's Echizen at the Gotanjoji temple. Gotantoji temple is actually somewhat of a temple for cats, as it takes in and looks after strays and neglected felines. Coincidentally, this come-to-life Maneki Neko was stealing from a Maneki Neko fortune box!
As it turns out, even a cat obsessed with money is easily distracted by the potential of anything to be turned into a bed, and the thieving feline quickly goes to living out everyone's fantasy of sleeping on a pile of money. Like many of the cats that seek refuge at Gotanjoji, this cat is quite used to humans and super friendly--which is probably why it had no problem trying to steal money in broad daylight.