Maneki Neko

What does 'good luck' look like and how do you achieve it?

The Japanese have been doing it for centuries! Lucky symbols, lucky numbers, lucky charms and luck-creating rituals - how is it that a disciplined and hard-working country like Japan is so invested in the idea of luck? And what, exactly, does 'good luck' mean?

This insightful book by a leading expert on the subject explores the ways in which luck-encouraging and misfortune-repelling rituals - long woven into the fabric of Japanese life--are used in tandem with diligence and a positive attitude to engender a healthy optimism that helps people survive all of life's many twists, turns and bad patches. It explores how customs and beliefs play a vital role in creating positive personal expectations - not only in Japan, but in all cultures around the world. Author Nobuo Suzuki acquaints us with beloved Japanese icons of luck, prosperity, and goal-setting and explains what they truly represent - including Maneki Neko (the 'Lucky Cat'), Daruma (the 'Lucky Buddha') and the Seven Lucky Gods of Good Fortune. 

This book explains how 'good luck' in Japan is actually a way of looking at life, rather than of wishing for random chance or divine intervention.