Japanese Symbol for
猫neko
cat · kitty · lucky cat
Readings
Meaning
Cat. Cats (猫 — neko) are enormously popular in Japan. The country has more cat cafes than anywhere in the world, cat islands (猫島 — neko-jima), and the maneki-neko (beckoning cat) is one of Japan's most iconic luck symbols.
Example words
招き猫
maneki-neko
beckoning cat (lucky cat)
猫カフェ
neko kafe
cat cafe
猫舌
neko-jita
cat tongue (sensitive to hot food)
猫背
neko-ze
hunched back (cat back)
三毛猫
mike-neko
calico cat (three-color cat)
猫にこんばんは
neko ni koban
casting pearls before swine (gold coins to a cat)
招き猫 (maneki-neko — beckoning cat) with a raised paw is one of Japan's most recognized symbols of good luck — the raised right paw invites money; the raised left paw invites customers. Japan's Tashirojima (田代島) is the most famous 猫島 (neko-jima — cat island), where cats outnumber humans and are considered sacred protectors of fishermen.
Hiragana and katakana are the keys to reading Japanese. Our free trainers get them locked in fast.