The “cat temple” Gōtoku-ji is located in the Setagaya district. The complex was built in the 17th century during the Edo period. There is a lovely legend about its history:
In the 17th century Edo period, a poor monk lived in a small, run-down temple in Setagaya. Despite his poverty, he took cats into the temple and shared his meager meals with them. One day, Lord Naotaka Ii of the Hikone district was out hunting when a storm suddenly came up and he took shelter under a mighty tree near the temple. At the entrance to the temple, he noticed a cat named Tama raising one paw as if to beckon him to the temple. Curious, he left his cover and went to the temple to get a better look at the strange cat. Just as he reached the temple, lightning struck the tree under which the ruler had been standing, completely destroying the large tree. Naotaka Ii was so grateful that he declared himself the patron of the temple, renovated it and turned it into his family temple.
I actually met Tama-San, or rather one of his descendants there, but he didn’t want to pose for a photo shoot. He’s a cat after all…
Setagaya
You can take a specially decorated “Maneki-Neko” train there, but it is extremely crowded and doesn’t run very often. So I took the Odawara Line to Gōtoku-ji station. Upon arrival, a completely different world than in Marunouchi greeted me. Small shops, narrow streets, a residential area almost reminiscent of Italy – a real suburban life. It’s hard to believe that Setagaya is actually the most populated district in Tokyo Prefecture!
I strolled through the streets. It wasn’t very busy at lunchtime and I reached the temple in a few minutes. Compared to Asakusa or Meiji-Jingu, it was very peaceful. There were surprisingly few tourists around. Probably because the temple is a bit off the beaten track and there is nothing else worth seeing nearby.
Maneki-Neko in Gōtoku-ji
The temple is a typical Buddhist complex, with a beautiful garden and a few interesting lanterns. The complex includes a three-story pagoda renovated in 2006 and a historic bell. The main attraction, however, is certainly the Shofuku-den, the shrine dedicated to the beckoning cat.
There are over 2000 Maneki-Neko in all sizes sitting on numerous shelves! You can buy a Maneki-Neko in the shop and put it there, along with a wish (which you don’t write on the cat, but on a separate wooden board). I preferred to take mine home as a souvenir. Now it sits next to Hubi’s urn and both look after us – the fat one was a little lucky cat too.
In any case, you shouldn’t be too late in the shop. When I arrived at around 3 p.m. there was only one cat left per person, and many sizes were no longer available at all. It’s a shame, I would have liked to have taken a few more as gifts.
I enjoyed the nice weather for a while, drew water from the fountain, and hoped to meet more cats besides Tama-San, but they were all busy. At around four o’clock I set off again, this time to the Miyanosaka stop, where I took the tram. That was even more relaxing and I felt like I was in an anime.
All in all, a very nice trip off the beaten tourist track that I would highly recommend to everyone (not only) cat lovers. Entry to the temple is free and the complex is open until 6 p.m.
Pictures – click on the photo for more information:
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