What You’ll Learn
- Gotokuji is the temple of the maneki neko legend in Setagaya, Tokyo
- Its white cats cost ¥500 to ¥10,000 at the temple office (as of October 2026)
- The nearest station is Miyanosaka, not Gotokuji Station
- The temple asks visitors not to write on the cats or treat the grounds as a photo set
Gotokuji Temple in Setagaya, Tokyo, is the temple most closely tied to the maneki neko legend. Rows of white beckoning cats, offered by visitors over many years, fill the space beside its Shofuku-den hall.
The temple calls its cat Shofuku Byoji (招福猫児), read as “maneki neko.” You can receive one at the temple office and bring it home.
This guide covers the legend, how to get a cat, opening hours and access, and the manners the temple asks of visitors. Practical details follow the temple’s official website as of October 2026, and the temple’s views come from Maneki Neko Lab’s interview with Gotokuji.
Gotokuji Temple at a Glance
Gotokuji is a Soto Zen temple and the Edo-period family temple of the Ii clan, who ruled the Hikone domain in what is now Shiga Prefecture. The table sums up what visitors most often ask.
Gotokuji Temple: key facts (as of October 2026, official website)
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Visiting hours | 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Temple office | 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
| Maneki neko (Shofuku Byoji) | ¥500 to ¥10,000 by size; small cat in a case ¥1,000 |
| Where to get one | Temple office on the grounds |
| Online sales | Not offered on the official website |
| Nearest station | Miyanosaka (Tokyu Setagaya Line), 5 minutes on foot |
| Address | 2-24-7 Gotokuji, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo |
| Guided tours | No official tours; commercial guiding needs prior consultation |
Hours and prices can change, so check the official website before you go. The sections below explain each item in turn.
The Legend Behind Gotokuji’s Maneki Neko
Gotokuji’s story is a cat at the gate that beckoned a feudal lord to shelter. The temple tells it as the beginning of its link with the Ii family, not as proof that the maneki neko began here.
A Cat That Saved a Lord From the Rain
According to the temple, a lord returning from falconry passed the gate and a cat beckoned him inside. While he rested, thunder broke and rain poured down, and he enjoyed a long talk with the priest.
The lord was Ii Naotaka, the lord of Hikone. With his support, the temple was rebuilt in 1633, and it later took its name from Naotaka’s Buddhist name.
The temple then built the Shofuku-den hall to honor the cat that had brought good fortune. Today, a standing statue of Shofuku Kannon is enshrined there.
Gotokuji is one of several places linked to the maneki neko’s birth. The other stories, and the evidence behind each, are compared in our complete guide.
Why Gotokuji’s Cats Hold No Coin
Gotokuji’s cats raise the right paw and hold no koban coin, unlike most maneki neko. The temple explains this as a lesson about connections.
In the temple’s words, the cat does not bring happiness directly. It brings chances to connect with people, and making use of them is up to you.
If you live with gratitude, the temple says, good fortune comes on its own. The empty paw is therefore a teaching, not a missing detail.
Why the raised paw matters, and how Gotokuji’s reading differs from the common one, is covered in our left and right paw guide.
Offered in Thanks, Not as a Wish
The rows of white cats are offerings of thanks, not requests. In our interview, the temple explained that people pray in their hearts and offer a cat after a wish has come true.
The usual flow the temple described is simple. You receive a cat at the temple office, care for it at home, and return it when your wish is fulfilled or a chapter of life closes.
The official website adds that there is no fixed rule for offering a cat. Many people simply bring theirs back after their wish has come true.
How to Get a Maneki Neko at Gotokuji
Gotokuji’s cats are temple items received at the temple office, not goods sold in a shop. In Japanese, people say they “receive” one rather than “buy” it.
Prices and Sizes
The official website lists the Shofuku Byoji at ¥500 to ¥10,000, depending on size. A small cat in a case costs ¥1,000.
The temple raised these prices in July 2026, citing higher costs. Older blogs and travel sites may therefore show lower prices that no longer apply.
The website does not list a price for each size. It also notes that some sizes may be out of stock because of high demand.
Main items at the temple office (as of October 2026)
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Maneki neko (Shofuku Byoji) | ¥500 to ¥10,000 by size |
| Small maneki neko in a case | ¥1,000 |
| Omamori (amulet) | ¥1,000 |
| Fukusen (lucky coin) | ¥1,000 |
| Ema (Kannon or zodiac design) | ¥1,000 |
| Goshuin-cho (stamp book) | ¥2,500 (¥2,000 without a Gotokuji entry) |
Temple Office Hours
The temple office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., which is shorter than the grounds’ visiting hours. The grounds stay open until 5:00 p.m.
So if you want a cat, arrive before 3:00 p.m. An afternoon visit after that time lets you see the cats, but not take one home.
Can You Buy Gotokuji Cats Online?
The official website does not offer the cats online as of October 2026. Its “Amulets & Souvenirs” page lists only office hours and prices.
You may see cats sold online under Gotokuji’s name. Whether they are genuine temple items cannot be confirmed from the official website, so visit the temple office to receive one.
Visiting Gotokuji: Hours, Access and Highlights
Gotokuji is a short walk from Miyanosaka Station on the Tokyu Setagaya Line. Beyond the cats, the grounds hold a pagoda, the Ii family graves and seasonal flowers.
Hours and Access
Visiting hours are 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The temple changed its closing time in 2024, so older guides may list a different time.
The nearest station is Miyanosaka on the Tokyu Setagaya Line, about five minutes on foot. Gotokuji Station on the Odakyu Line shares the temple’s name but is about 15 minutes away.
The address is 2-24-7 Gotokuji, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. Visitors coming by car are asked to enter through the *sando* approach road.
What to See on the Grounds
Besides the Shofuku-den, the three-storied pagoda hides carved cats among the twelve zodiac animals. The temple invites visitors to count them.
The pagoda was completed in 2006 and stands 22.5 meters tall. Look at the north side, where a cat sits with the mouse of the zodiac.
The Ii family cemetery is also on the grounds. It holds the graves of Naotaka and of Naosuke, a chief minister of the shogunate, and became a national historic site in 2008.
The grounds change with the seasons, from plum and cherry blossoms to azaleas and autumn maples. Neighborhood cats sometimes wander in, the temple notes, and meeting one may bring a little luck.
Temple Manners: What Gotokuji Asks of Visitors
Gotokuji welcomes visitors from Japan and abroad, but it remains a place of prayer first. In our interview, the temple stressed a few points it wants every visitor to know.
Do Not Write on the Cats
The temple asks visitors not to write wishes or names on the cats. Its notice in English reads, “Cat ornaments are sacred. Don’t scribble on the cat’s body.”
In our interview, the temple explained that a wish is held in the heart, not written on an object. It also said that leaving a newly received cat on the grounds right away is not the intended practice.
Photos and Tours
The temple told us it does not forbid photos of the grounds or the cats. Yet it is careful about the temple turning into a place that exists for photography.
What it asks is simple: keep the grounds quiet, do not disturb other worshippers, and take your trash home. These are not special rules, the temple said, but the natural manners of a place of prayer.
Note also that the temple runs no official guided tours with travel agencies. Tours sold online are not planned or supervised by the temple, and commercial guiding or photo shoots require prior consultation.
Many visitors first learn of the maneki neko abroad, often as a “Chinese lucky cat.” Our comparison guide explains how the Japanese original and the overseas version differ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is it free to enter Gotokuji Temple?
A. The official website lists visiting hours of 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. but no admission fee. Items such as maneki neko and amulets are offered at the temple office for a set price.
Q. How much is a maneki neko at Gotokuji?
A. The official website lists ¥500 to ¥10,000 depending on size, and ¥1,000 for a small cat in a case (as of October 2026). Prices were revised in July 2026, and some sizes may be out of stock.
Q. Can I get a goshuin stamp at Gotokuji?
A. The official website lists goshuin-cho stamp books in blue, red and white for ¥2,500, or ¥2,000 without a Gotokuji entry. It gives no further details, so ask at the temple office during its hours.
Q. Which station is closest to Gotokuji Temple?
A. Miyanosaka Station on the Tokyu Setagaya Line is closest, about five minutes on foot. Gotokuji Station on the Odakyu Line is about 15 minutes away.
Summary
Gotokuji is the Setagaya temple where, the temple says, a cat beckoned Ii Naotaka to shelter. Its right-pawed white cats hold no coin, a reminder that the cat brings connections and the rest is up to you.
You can receive a cat at the temple office from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., for ¥500 to ¥10,000 by size (as of October 2026). Use Miyanosaka Station, and check the official website for current hours and prices.
When you visit, keep the grounds quiet, do not write on the cats, and offer yours back once your wish comes true.