[luvie]

He’s a cute kitty. I guess I’ve never seen him because we only have one Japanese restaurant around here and it’s always too busy to wait for. :)

[left that other site]

Back in the 70’s the Hai-Hai was the only Japanese restaurant in Boston, and the Osaka in Cambridge.

Now there is one on every corner around here, it seems. And they all have a Lucky Cat on the counter.

Here is what Wikipedia says about Lucky Money Cat:

Maneki-neko
The maneki-neko is a common Japanese figurine which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. In modern times, they are usually made of ceramic or plastic. The figurine depicts a cat beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed in—often at the entrance of—shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors, and other businesses. Some of the sculptures are electric or battery-powered and have a slow-moving paw beckoning.