Cincinnati, OH -- The Lucky Cat Museum in Cincinnati is filled with thousands of lucky cats. But not the sit-on-your-lap kind or the Broadway musical variety.

But rather beckoning cats dating back hundreds of years in Japanese culture.

Lucky cats in the United States are commonly found in Chinese restaurants despite their history in Japan.

  • Started Collecting Fifteen Years Ago
  • More than 2,000 in the Collection
  • Cats Date Back Hundreds of Years in Japanese Culture

Micha Robertson bought on lucky cat at a Goodwill store 15 years ago. Now, she has more than 2,000 in her collection. A collection so big she operates the Lucky Cat Museum, 2511 Essex Place, in Cincinnati's Essex Art Studios.

Robertson isn't sure how she got to where she is now with the collection.

“I've always collected cat stuff and been a fan of Japanese culture,” Robertson told Spectrum News. “Collecting both came naturally but I didn't actually start collecting lucky cat until about 15 years ago.”

Robertson said visitors to the museum are often surprised at the different varieties of lucky cats. They come in all shapes and sizes and even have a different paw pointed up.

Robertson said the left paw is calling for customers and the right paw is calling for money.

Maneki-neko is what lucky cats are called in Japan, which actually translates to beckoning cat. In Japan, to become someone means to use your hand with palm down and moving forward, usually with the fingers curled. In America, that gesture is largely associated with movements by an actual cat.

Having a lucky cat is thought to bring its owner good luck.

Robertson isn't sure how much her collection is worth.

 

Several of the figurines she owns date back to the early 1900s. Some even come in the interactive variety at her store. Two slot machines adorn lucky cat images and Robertson provides the coins to play, but you can't actually win anything.

 

 

 

The Lucky Cat Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 3 p.m. To 6 p.m and admission is free. The museum also has a gift shop.