One cat with its paw up beckoning you forward can be cute. When you’re up against a whole army, though, it’s disconcerting. These cats, known as manekineko, are said to bring good fortune and ...

Teresa Kalina, a 48-year-old bookkeeper and office worker, collects Lladró figurines. She has about 20 of the delicate gray-blue porcelain pieces and wanted some of them on display, too.

Japan is known for its lucky cat figurines, but Mako, a snow-white kitty who watches over a store selling lottery tickets, is a real-life manekineko. To date, customers playing the odds have won a ...

The maneki-neko, also known as the welcoming cat, lucky cat, money cat, happy cat, and beckoning cat, dates back to the 17th century and has since become one of the most popular features in Asian ...