Some people believe that Gotoku-ji temple is the birthplace of the maneki neko - the "beckoning cat" that can often be seen at the entrance to restaurants and businesses. 
According to the TV show I saw, this temple is totally packed with maneki neko. 
It's really nice outside today - the sun is shining and it's lovely and warm.
Since I don't have to go to work today, I guess I'll go take a look at Gotoku-ji temple!

I caught the Odakyu Line to Gotoku-ji Station. As I stepped off the train and headed to the ticket barrier I noticed a figure facing the opposite direction... Yup, you guessed it! A huge maneki neko is waiting to greet you at Gotoku-ji Station. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from Gotoku-ji Station to Gotoku-ji Temple. If you're travelling via the Tokyu Setagaya Line, it takes about 5 minutes to walk from Miyanozaka Station to Gotoku-ji Station. As I walked out of the station and headed toward the shopping area in front of Gotoku-ji Temple...

...I came across this little place, an "Oyasumi Dokoro", meaning "Rest Area". And of course, this rest area also has its own maneki neko. Anyone is free to take a break inside this rest area and sit down at the chairs and tables provided, and there's also a tourist information corner filled with a variety of pamphlets.

After a leisurely 10 minute walk, I arrived at the temple gate. From the tops of the tall gate posts, two komainu guardian lion-dogs keep watch over the temple.

As I proceeded further into the temple grounds, I came across this huge incense burner. It's in the shape of a glistening black komainu - this is one seriously cool incense burner.

To the left of the incense burner, you can see this beautiful three-storied pagoda. On the right there's a bell tower.

And then in this corner of the temple grounds you'll find row upon row of maneki neko:

Look carefully and you might spot a maneki neko that's different to all the others. If you get the chance to visit Gotoku-ji Temple, make sure you look all over the place to see what you can find!

The sight of so many maneki neko of so many different sizes all lined up is simply stunning! The second lord of the Hikone Domain in Omi Province, Ii Naosuke, was returning home after hunting with his falcon when he happened to pass by a temple. The temple cat beckoned to him, so he stopped at the temple to have a rest. As soon as he entered the temple the weather took a turn for the worse, and before long a thunderstorm began. If that cat hadn't invited him in, he would have been struck by lightning! Naosuke joyfully declared the beckoning cat to be a good omen.

These maneki neko have been placed as thanks by devotees whose wishes were granted. The blessing that a maneki neko conveys is different depending on whether its right paw or left paw is raised. The maneki neko at Gotoku-ji Temple are all beckoning with their right paw. It's said that a maneki neko with its right paw raised beckons luck with money and happiness, while a maneki neko with its left paw raised beckons people! Sometimes you see maneki neko with both paws raised.

Even the ema (votive pictures on which people write their prayers) at Gotoku-ji Temple feature maneki neko. No matter where you look there's bound to be a maneki neko!

This is slightly off topic, but I started to get hungry so I headed over to Miyanozaka Station and stopped by at a takoyakiya-san (octopus dumpling restaurant). Naturally, a maneki neko is busy beckoning customers to the takoyakiya-san too.

These Kyoto-style takoyaki were really delicious.