Sleeping Cat | Kiyoka Nozue, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care
2025.07.01
At a shop selling traditional Japanese accessories, I came across a Kutani-ware sleeping cat. It had an elegant and soft sleeping face, with beautiful chrysanthemum and arabesque patterns on a white base. I fell in love at first sight and bought it. According to the shopkeeper, while a *maneki-neko* (beckoning cat) actively invites good fortune, a *nemuri-neko* (sleeping cat) waits for it patiently while sleeping. It carries the message "let's take it easy," making it the perfect good luck charm for people with busy lives. I brought it home and, on an auspicious day the shopkeeper told me about, I displayed it in my living room. I realized I hadn't often bought good luck charms before, but on second thought, I live surrounded by many of them, even if I don't buy them myself. Every New Year, I receive an *omamori* (amulet) and display *kagami mochi* (mirror rice cakes). At my parents' house, there was a wooden bear carving from Hokkaido and a roaring tiger. There were also *okame* and *hyottoko* masks, *daruma* dolls for exams, zodiac ornaments, and *netsuke* charms for wallets, among others. A *shisa* (Okinawan lion-dog) that my eldest son made from clay in elementary school is also smiling on my office desk.
In every country around the world, there are various good luck charms rooted in the local culture, religion, and history. People pray that any difficulties they might face will be small, that they will somehow overcome them, and that they can live happily and peacefully. Good luck charms are perhaps things that gently accept and support these wishes. I like the vague feeling that good luck charms give, the sense that "it feels like they're helping." Because they gently encourage and gently admonish, my mind calms down a little, and I can feel a bit more positive. We are supported by the people around us, but we are also supported by many other things as well.
To return to the topic of the sleeping cat. Speaking of sleeping cats, the "Nemuri-neko" carving at Nikko Toshogu Shrine is famous. Its peacefully sleeping form is said to symbolize peace and coexistence. Come to think of it, when I gaze at my own sleeping cat, I feel as if it's saying to me, "You've worked hard, let's take it easy." I suppose what I lack or what I'm seeking is projected onto it, making it seem as if the sleeping cat is saying these words.
Before I knew it, the number of cats in my house had increased. In other words, I've been buying more. Their charm has also grown. Thank you. Thanks to them, I feel relaxed and calm. For those who want to listen to their inner voice, why not try placing your favorite good luck charm nearby and talking to it?