Gotokuji: Visiting the Lucky Cat Temple in Tokyo

I’ve had Gotokuji bookmarked for a while, ever since I saw the sea of Maneki Neko (Lucky Cat) on Instagram a few years back. Gotokuji is located in Setagaya, one of the coolest neighborhoods in Tokyo. Finally, I got the chance to give them a visit!

Here is how my visit to Gotokuji went:

What is Maneki Neko?

Maneki Neko is a well-known symbol in Japanese culture. It is a white cat with red details and one of its paws raised. The name “Maneki Neko” translates to “beckoning cat“, a fitting name because the cat is believed to beckon good luck and fortune.

But pay attention to which paw is raised – when the cat has its right paw up, it will bring fortune or money. When the left paw is raised, it will attract more people or customers. This is why you’ll often see Maneki Neko at the entrance of a restaurant or retail shop with its left paw raised.

While there are many stories about how Maneki Neko originated, one of the stories is that it first appeared at Gotokuji. Hence, that’s why Gotokuji became a lucky cat neighborhood.

Tips for visiting Gotokuji

Having made the journey to Gotokuji myself, here are a few tips that can make your trip easier:

• Set aside about 2 hours – Gotokuji is not a big area. You can probably wrap up a visit there in just under two hours.
• Plan to visit after 10 AM – I would also recommend that you visit after 10 AM. Most of the businesses only open at 10 AM.
• Don’t visit on a Monday – Daikenzan Gotokuji, the temple with all the Maneki Neko figurines, is open every day, but some businesses in the area are closed on Monday. So if you want to do anything else in the area aside from visiting the temple, avoid coming by on a Monday. You’ll most likely come to a very quiet neighborhood.
• Bring Cash – While most of Tokyo seems to have adopted touchless payment or payment using IC Card, I did not see this option in the smaller cafes in Gotokuji, so bring cash if you plan to get snacks!

And, here is what you can do in Gotokuji:

1. Visit the Maneki Neko Statue at the exit of Gotokuji Station

If you’re coming to the area via the Gotokuji Station on the Odakyu line, right outside the station you’ll see the first Maneki Neko item around the neighborhood: A statue right at the exit of the station!

2. Wait for the rare Maneki Neko Train on Setagaya Line

If you’re coming to Gotokuji via Sangenjaya station, you’ll have the chance to transfer to the Setagaya Line. Unlike the other trains in Tokyo, Setagaya Line is a light rail line operated by Tokyu Corp. The trains on this line are smaller, usually either solid pink, green, or blue. But once in a while – you might get lucky and get on the special Maneki Neko train!

I was indeed very lucky on my very first visit to Setagaya. The first train I came across was a Maneki Neko train, and I gleefully boarded, thinking this was how all the trains would look on that line. Imagine my disappointment when my friend, who lives in the area and commutes daily using the Setagaya line, told me that the Maneki Neko train is quite rare – there is only about one Maneki Neko train for every 10 trains!

I haven’t seen the Maneki Neko train since that first visit, but I also haven’t been trying too hard. You could try waiting for them if you have the time, but I can’t tell you how long you’ll have to wait.

If you do get lucky, here are a few Maneki Neko details you can look forward to inside the train:

3. Visit Daikeizan Gotokuji

One of the main reasons why visitors come to Gotokuji is to visit none other than the famous Daikeizan Gotokuji, a Buddhist temple believed to be the birthplace of Maneki Neko.

Access Info: Admission to the temple is free. The temple is open every day from 6 AM to 5 PM. Learn more about Daikeizan Gotokuji here.

Once you enter the gate, there are a few other notable sights you can see before you get to the Maneki Neko part.

Turn left from Butsu-den behind the Komainu statue, and you’ll see a smaller gate with a black Maneki Neko statue. That’s how you’ll know you’ve come to the right place – Shofuku-den Maneki Neko.

Inside, you’ll find an abundance of the Maneki Neko figurines that have made this temple famous. They come in many sizes, the smallest one is just a little bit bigger than my fingernails! Super adorable.

You can then spend as long as you want taking photos of the cat figurines. In my experience, the temple was popular with foreign tourists, but it was not crowded. Still, it would be difficult to get a photo of the cat hallway without anyone in it. For context, I visited on a Thursday in December, at around noon.

Pay attention to the notice pasted all around the temple, which explains how you can use Maneki Neko. I saw quite a few Maneki Neko figurines with scribbles on them, so I guess those people did not see this notice.

The notice did not elaborate further, but what you’re supposed to do is buy a Maneki Neko figurine from the temple shop, make a wish, and bring the figurine home. The figurine is believed to help make your wish come true. Then, when your wish has come true, you can bring back the Maneki Neko figurine to the temple so that the good luck will stay with you.

If you’d like to write your wishes and leave them at the temple, you can purchase these wooden Ema instead:

However, when I visited the temple in December, they unfortunately sold out of all items so I could not purchase anything. The cat figurines of all sizes and both wooden emas were already sold out.

4. Exploring around the Gotokuji neighborhood

As soon as you get off the train and exit Gotokuji station, you’ll find a small street filled with shops, bakeries, and cute cafes. I find it quite charming! It has a similar vibe to Shimokitazawa or Jiyugaoka, but even smaller.

I’m sure you would have noticed that many of these shops sell Maneki Neko goodies, as well as a little Maneki Neko figurine or statue at the front of their shops.

And if you remember what I said before, take note of which paw is raised on the cats in front of the shop – yes, the cats in front of the stores all have their left paw raised! This is because the shops are hoping to attract more customers to the store.

Although not Maneki Neko-themed, coffee lovers will be glad to know that you can find good coffee in this area. One of them is right on that small street, called Iron Coffee.

5. Get Maneki Neko-themed pastries

Of course, because this is Japan, you can expect people to completely play into the Maneki Neko theme! Many bakeries and cafes would sell Maneki Neko-themed pastries.

Here are two places that I tried during my visit:

1. Shofuku-yaki Maneko Neko at Rarasand Setagaya

Opening Hours: 10 AM – 8 PM

Right on the small street outside Gotokuji Station, Rarasand should not be difficult to find.

They have a few Maneki Neko pastries. The one that I tried was Shofuku-yaki, which is very similar to the beloved Taiyaki but shaped like Maneki Neko instead. It goes for 280 – 330 yen depending on the filling you choose.

2. Maneki-Neko Dorayaki at Mahorodou Sougetsu

Opening Hours: 10 AM – 6 PM. Closed on Mondays.

Closer to Gotokuji Temple, on the other side of the railroad, is a small cafe selling cute Maneki Neko Dorayaki. Dorayaki is a classic Japanese snack, made of two pancakes with azuki (sweet red bean) filling, and the one they sold here is stamped with a Maneki Neko shape.

You can have the dorayaki to-go for 280 yen, but if you want to sit inside, you must buy a drink to go with it. I wanted to sit inside so I had the Dorayaki with a hot Houjicha (roasted rice tea) and the bill came out to be around 520 yen.

The restaurant played into the cat theme as well, by serving them on a cat-shaped ceramic plate.

I have this habit of turning over ceramic ware after I’m done eating because I want to find out where the shops get their plates. Well, I had a nice little surprise when I turned over the cat plate…

Such a cute, unexpected delightful detail 🐾 🥹 I love this about Japanese culture!

And with that, my lovely afternoon in Gotokuji is a wrap. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

See you next time 🐈 🐾