Tokoname, the city of cats: Special feature on beckoning cats
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There are lots of cat motifs all over the city! The maneki-neko is a lucky charm unique to Japan. Tokoname City is a major producer of this lucky charm, and there are many unique maneki-neko and cat motifs scattered throughout the city.
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We promote tourism with the slogan "Happy Come On TOKONAME," which expresses our desire that "everyone who visits Tokoname City will be able to experience its various charms, feel happy and joyful, and go home with the power of happiness (happiness) that will give them energy for the next day."
There are lots of cat motifs all over the town!
In this special feature, we will introduce you to the charms of Tokoname's beckoning cats, recommended spots, cute and unique sweets and souvenirs!
Let's go on a journey to Tokoname, the "Cat Town," to meet cute cats!
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Table of Contents
- A charming two-headed cat! Tokoname-style beckoning cat
- Baigetsu Tomimoto Doll Factory: 80% of the nationwide market share for beckoning cats
- Tokoname's Maneki-neko (beckoning cat) spot
- "Otafuku" and "Omusubi" (AEON Mall Tokoname)
- Mount Ontake Dounji Temple
- Where to buy a maneki-neko
- Tokoname.com (inside Aeon Mall Tokoname)
- Hotaru-ko
- Cat-themed souvenirs and sweets
A charming two-headed cat! Tokoname-style beckoning cat
The maneki-neko was born in Asakusa during the Edo period from a story that an old woman had a dream in which a cat appeared to her, and when she made a clay figurine, good things happened to her. This started a boom, and they began to be made in small numbers all over Japan as lucky souvenirs. Tokoname-yaki maneki-neko are known as "Tokoname-kei" and are characterized by their large round eyes and two-headed figures. The raised paws of the cat have meanings, with the right paw being said to invite money and the left paw being said to invite people. The color of the cat's body also represents various wishes, and the design is still evolving today.
【The meaning of the colors of the Maneki-neko】
Cherry blossoms: Love luck Blue: Safety luck Yellow: Good match luck Green: Success luck Gold: Financial luck White: Good fortune Black: Protection from misfortune Red: Health luck
Baigetsu Tomimoto Doll Factory: 80% of the nationwide market share for beckoning cats
Maneki-neko (beckoning cats) have captured people's hearts since ancient times. Maneki-neko (beckoning cats) have been made in Tokoname since before the war, but at the time, they were made with a slender body shape similar to that of a real cat. However, in the 1950s, the founder of Umezuki Tomimoto Doll Factory, together with his friend who was a sculptor, came up with a bold idea to create a cat! A round head, big eyes and a cute, chubby body. This unique design captured people's hearts and quickly spread across the country. Boasting a history of about 80 years since its founding, each and every Tokoname-yaki maneki-neko at Umezuki Tomimoto Doll Factory is handmade by artisans. There is a wide variety, from small, cute maneki-neko to large maneki-neko! Now, they are exported not only throughout Japan but also overseas, and are loved by people all over the world.
It is also sold in stores in the city.
Wide variety of body sizes and colors
basic information
Address: 2-161 Hojicho, Tokoname City
Business hours: 9:00-12:00/13:00-17:00
Holidays: Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays, Golden Week, Obon, New Year's holidays
Tokoname's Maneki-neko (beckoning cat) spot
Tokoname City is a major producer of beckoning cats, and there are plenty of beckoning cats in the city! We'll introduce you to some of the most popular spots.
Watchful cat "Tokonyan"
The menu is filled with Tokoname-made tableware, local ingredients, local sake (Shiraoi), and the hospitality that is unique to Tokoname. "Tokoname Chirashi" (photo below) is a hand-kneaded chirashi sushi using seasonal local fish caught at the time, such as black porgy, zenme, and sillago. The tableware is of course made by a local artist. If there is any tableware that interests you, please feel free to ask.
Tokoname Maneki Neko Street
The "Sencha Set" (photo below) is a menu item created to let you actually pick up a teapot and experience it. For customers using a teapot for the first time, we will teach you how to use the teapot and how to enjoy tea. To accompany your delicious tea, please try seasonal Japanese sweets from Heihachido, a long-established Japanese sweets shop in Tokoname.
basic information
Address: Sakaemachi, Tokoname City
"Otafuku" and "Omusubi" (AEON Mall Tokoname)
The giant beckoning cat "Otafuku" greets you at the main entrance of AEON Mall Tokoname. At 6.5 meters tall, it is one of the largest Tokoname-style beckoning cats in the world. It was named "Otafuku" (Otafuku) so that it would bring good fortune to all who visit the area.
The gallery mainly sells works by Mamoru Ikai, Yushi Ito, Yasunobu Inaba, Zenji Sugie, and Masashi Kakukake. The dish for the omelet rice (pictured above) was made by Mamoru Ikai, and the dish for the parfait was made by Yushi Ito.
basic information
Address: 2-20-3 Rinku-cho, Tokoname City
Business hours: 10:00-21:00 (AEON Mall specialty store)
Mount Ontake Dounji Temple
The dishes used in the restaurant are, of course, Tokoname ware. The most popular dish is the "Clay Pot Curry Udon" (photo below), which is served in an original clay pot. It is served boiling hot, so it makes a big impact. Tokoname ware clay pots have excellent heat retention, so you can eat your food warm until the very end.
The back of the master reflected in the mirror
The Goshuin of Master Neigo
basic information
Address: 2-37 Idotacho, Tokoname City
There are other cats all over the town, so try and find them!
Where to buy a maneki-neko
The name of this shop is said to come from the Japanese word "sew". The owner, Ms. Yanagida (left in the photo), originally opened a kimono and Japanese dressmaking class in Nagoya with a friend. Wanting to have her own shop and to be able to balance work and child-rearing, she moved to Tokoname and opened her shop in 2011.
Town Station Tokoname-yaki Yamatane
Based on the concept of "see, make, learn, buy," this complex offers a wide selection of products, pottery classes, and sales of Tokoname's specialty products. There is even a giant 3m-tall maneki-neko at the entrance to this store! Inside the store, there are a variety of maneki-neko with different designs. One that catches your eye is Yamatane's original "Mansuke Cat, Good Fortune and Fortune," which has evolved from the Tokoname style into a modern and beautiful shape. Mansuke Cat was designed by Ina Buhachi, a Tokoname ware prototype maker with 60 years of experience. With its gentle smile and large bell, it looks like it will bring you good fortune.
Laughing Lucky Cat Shrine
There is also a shrine and fortune-telling slips inside the store.
basic information
Address: 7-56 Okujo, Tokoname City
Business hours: 9:00〜17:00
Holidays: Open daily
Tokoname.com (inside Aeon Mall Tokoname)
The popular "Today's Dessert" comes with a coffee set.
basic information
Address: 2-20-3 Rinku-cho, Tokoname City
Business hours: 10:00～21:00
Hotaru-ko
This gallery is located in front of the "Noborigama", a nationally designated important tangible folk cultural property, in the middle of the Yakimono Sanpo-michi. We exhibit and sell beckoning cats, tableware, Jizo statues made by Tokoname ware artists, and unique works by artists from other production areas. "Miru-chan", the store's mascot cat and apprentice cat manager, is also waiting for your visit ♪
basic information
Address: 6-140 Sakaemachi, Tokoname City
Business hours: 10:00～17:00
Closed Thursdays, New Year's holidays
Exhibition Workshop Hall
This studio is located midway along the A course of the pottery walking trail. On the second floor, there is a corner selling works by ceramic artists and a pottery class, where you can casually enjoy painting beckoning cats and ornaments. Since you can paint with a special pen instead of a brush, it is very popular as it is easy for even small children to try! Try making your own original beckoning cat or ornament. On the first floor, the "Ryomen-daki Toenshiki Kakugama" is preserved and exhibited.
Address: 6-145 Sakaemachi, Tokoname City
Business hours: 9:30-16:30
Closed on Wednesdays and New Year's holidays
Cat-themed souvenirs and sweets
In "Cat Town Tokoname," souvenirs and sweets are all about cats, such as cute beckoning cat-shaped monaka and baked goods with cat illustrations. Bringing home your very own cat as a souvenir is sure to make your days more fun♪
Tokoname baked doughnuts
Chikatsu no Kama, a cafe located in the grounds of Work Center Kajima, a facility that supports employment for people with disabilities, is known for its cute Tokoname Yaki Donuts with a cat branding! These donuts, with their irresistible chewy texture, are overseen by Hitotsumugi, a popular restaurant in Higashiura Town. Made with 100% domestically produced tofu, they are healthy and gentle on the body, and the gentle sweetness that spreads in your mouth makes them an appealing treat. The Kama Neko cookies, a collaboration between ceramist Hikaru Masuda and Work Center Kajima, are also a hit.
basic information
Address: 2-167 Kajimadai, Tokoname City
Business hours: 10:00～15:00
Closed on Sundays, national holidays, and New Year's holidays
Good luck beckoning cat monaka
"Good Luck Maneki Neko Monaka" is a delicious and exciting treat from Okura Mochi, a long-established mochi confectionery store in Tokoname. Stuffing the canned Kintoki mochi from the mochi shop into the crispy mochi skin makes you feel like a craftsman. If you draw a golden Fuku-chan on the enclosed fortune slip, something good might happen!
basic information
Address: 2-2-1 Koie Honmachi, Tokoname City
Business hours: 9:00-18:00 Sweets shop: 10:00-LO17:00
Closed on Mondays (open on public holidays)
*For information on other retailers and online shopping, please see the Okura Mochi official website (external link).
Pawball Financier
The cute financier, shaped like a round cat's paw, is a limited edition product that can only be purchased at the Tokoname City Ceramic Hall and the old-style cafe "Yamahei Hanare" near Tokoname Station! This financier is an irresistible delicacy with its rich aroma of mellow butter and almond powder, and is a product of "cocon3," a popular bakery in Tokai City that is a sister store of "Yamahei Hanare."
basic information
Address: 3-8 Sakaemachi, Tokoname City
Business hours: 9:00～17:00
Closed: Open all year round (except for New Year's holidays)
Lucky cat sable
The "Tokoname Maneki Neko Street" connects Meitetsu Tokoname Station to the starting point of the Yakimono Sanpo (Ceramic Walk) and is home to the giant maneki-neko guardian cat "Tokonyan," a symbol of the town, and the "Tokoname Maneki-neko" popular for its cute, plump design. The "Maneki-neko Sable" is a crispy baked treat made by the "Carret Western Confectionery Shop" in the city. It is a delightful treat with the flavor of butter and Tokoname milk.
basic information
Address: 3-8 Sakaemachi, Tokoname City
Business hours: 9:00～17:00
Closed: Open all year round (except for New Year's holidays)
Motonyan
Motonyan are ornaments hand-painted one by one by Matsumoto, a ceramic artist from "East" who has his studio on the Yakimono Sanpo-michi. When he tried to draw a face on a maneki-neko (beckoning cat), it ceased to be a cat and became "Motonyan," hence the name. Motonyan is charming for its warmth that can only be achieved by hand-drawing and its unique use of color. Why not find your very own special Motonyan? They are on sale at Tokoname City Tourist Plaza, located right outside Meitetsu Tokoname Station.
basic information
Address: 5-168-2 Koie Honmachi, Tokoname City (under the Meitetsu Tokoname Station overpass)
Business hours: 9:00～17:30
Closed: Open all year round (except for New Year's holidays)
Watchful Cat Sticker
Stickers sold at "Tokoname.com" inside Aeon Mall Tokoname. There are many unique designs, from cute drawings of the watchful cat "Tokonyan" to images of him with his right and left paws raised, wearing sunglasses, and taking pictures! They are water-resistant, so you can stick them on your car, etc. Stick them on your favorite items and let Tokonyan watch over you.
basic information
Address: 2-20-3 Rinku-cho, Tokoname City
Business hours: 10:00～21:00
We promote tourism with the slogan "Happy Come On TOKONAME," which expresses our desire that "everyone who visits Tokoname City will be able to experience its various charms, feel happy and joyful, and go home with the power of happiness (happiness) that will give them energy for the next day."
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