Beckoning Cats Get Makeover to Fit Modern Lifestyles with Sleek Designs to Match with Any Kind of Space

By Hiroaki Ishihara / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:33 JST, March 8, 2026

SETO, Aichi — Sleek, streamlined manekineko beckoning cats made by Chugai Toen Co. in Seto, Aichi Prefecture, are likely to fit in anywhere with their stylish appearance.

Called Setomaneki, the cats come in three sizes: 10, 16 or 27 centimeters tall. The city of Seto is said to be one of the nation’s three major production areas for manekineko.

Fourth-generation Chugai Toen owner Yasuhiro Suzuki, 41, developed the Setomaneki design in 2022 in the hope they would “fit in with today’s diverse lifestyles and bring happiness to many people.”

In making the new style of cats, Suzuki wanted to respect the characteristics of beckoning cats made in Seto, such as their rounded body shape, while pursuing simple designs without drawing a face. He said that would allow the cats to be enjoyed in any space, including traditional and modern rooms just as well as entrances and living rooms.

Suzuki decided to make the Setomaneki in the wake of the sharp decline in sales of beckoning cats as souvenirs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Suzuki realized the need to transform them from mere souvenirs into objects that can be enjoyed in everyday life. “I wondered how much I could simplify the design. It was a great challenge for me,” Suzuki said.

Born in Seto in 1984, Suzuki studied economics at a university in Tokyo and worked for an airline for four years before joining Chugai Toen. Suzuki was appointed as a representative of the company in 2021 and opened a Seto ware painting experience facility in 2023.

By the time he joined the Chugai Toen family business in 2011, he hoped to do something that fit with the times while preserving Seto ware traditions.

Suzuki has also worked with others such as an internationally active textile designer and an illustrator to create collaborative works. He also commissioned a picture book artist to create an original design for the company. “Some of the items have sold out within days of release,” Suzuki said.

Suzuki said traditional Furuseto beckoning cats continue to be popular, too. Seto ware has a long history of evolving with changing lifestyles, with tableware, ornaments and decorations having been produced. “I want to convey the depth and charm of Seto ware through the various forms of beckoning cats,” Suzuki said.

Museum of 5,000 beckoning cats

Chugai Toen operates the Maneki-Neko Museum, displaying about 5,000 beckoning cats collected from across Japan.

It opened in 2005, coinciding with the 2005 Aichi Expo, to share the charm of beckoning cats dating back to the late Edo period (1603-1867).

The history of how the cats became popular is introduced and the characteristics of beckoning cats from other major ceramic production areas are also explained.

Visitors can learn about how Tokoname ware cats from Aichi Prefecture have a plump body and hold a koban — a thin, oblong gold coin — while Kutani ware beckoning cats from Ishikawa Prefecture are adorned with a vibrant painted design.