Tokyo ‘lucky cat’ Gotokuji temple a haven for social media mavens
TOKYO: The Gotokuji temple in Tokyo has long attracted spiritual visitors with its thousands of figurines of beckoning white cats, thought to bring good luck. Of late it has brought in another breed - Instagrammers.
Around 10,000 figurines of white cats seated with a paw raised are strewn around the temple, providing tempting fodder for social media mavens.
"I actually Googled 'Instagram spots Tokyo,'" said Emily Lin, a 25-year-old tourist from Hong Kong. "This was named one of the most 'Instagrammable spots'.
Mr Ying-Chi Hsueh, 31, a photography student from Taiwan, also said he had been drawn to the temple by the felines.
"I saw a picture on Instagram and I came here using Google Maps," he said.
They were among dozens of visitors there last week, snapping shots of the temple's "maneki-neko" or "beckoning cat" figurines. Today is International Cat Day.
"The maneki-neko gives you the chance to appreciate what you have, the people you meet," Gotokuji's deputy priest Tessai Kasukawa told AFP.
"The feeling of appreciation will bring you good luck."
And the figurines have certainly brought luck to the temple, which says it is seeing a growing number of visitors.
"Now with the Tokyo Olympics coming up (in 2020), we receive many international visitors. They spread the word about the temple, making this place globally famous." - AFP
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