So I Heard You Like Cats

I found myself wandering the suburbs today, in search of a temple rumored to worship cats, and boy did I find it. The temple, Gotokuji, a 15 minute walk from the train station with the same name, is actually not very well known, despite its rather large temple grounds.  Within the temple complex are several large gates, a three-story pagoda, a large cemetery and the temple itself, but what reputation the temple has was given to it by none of these, and rather by its curious fixation for cats - a fixation the whole surrounding neighborhood has adopted.

The Maneki-Neko, the iconic white cat with its paw drawn upwards so as to invite good luck, is rumored to have drawn its origin from this very temple (amongst other places in Japan, but none of these claims can be confirmed nor denied.) And sure as hell, if you walk around the temple grounds a little bit, you'll eventually stumble upon a rather impressive collection of the little buggers, lining the floor and shelves on either side. 

Whoa!

 As much as I agree that you don't really need a reason to love cats, I was curious as to why this temple in particular had a profound obsession with them, and did a little research on the side.
 As legend would have it, the feudal lord Ii Naotaka found himself wandering Edo, when a sudden storm hit. As he waited for its passing under a tree, he noticed a cat beckoning to him with its paw, and, just like any sensible fellow, decided to follow the cat. Lucky for him and his preference for domestic animals over dry clothes, though, the tree was struck by lightning an instant after he left its protection, and the cat lead him to the then-humble Gotokuji temple, where he took shelter. In reward for the cat having saved his life, he bestowed upon its owner, the temple's priest, generous funding with which the temple expanded, and made an icon of the beckoning cat.

 Nowadays, if you go to Gotokuji, you're sure to find a bunch of wooden tags suspended on poles in the temple grounds, upon which cat owners from all over write wishes for their cats. It might be worth a visit if you don't mind making the trip!