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China: Qingdao Cat Goes Viral for Adorable “Beckoning” at Café Counter

On November 21, 2025, in Qingdao, Shandong, a tabby cat at the “One Tree Cat Life” café stood on the counter and rhythmically moved its front paws, as if politely bowing. Glancing at the camera with wide, pleading eyes, the gesture was irresistibly cute. Chinese netizens joked, “The owner couldn’t afford a Maneki-neko, so the real cat took over!” The video quickly went viral as a symbol of good luck.

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Japan sends posters to Ukraine calling for fair election

TOKYO, Japan - This poster featuring ''maneki neko (beckoning cat believed to bring luck)'' will be put up at over 30,000 polling stations during the upcoming presidential election in Ukraine. It reads: ''I support a fair election. And you?'' The Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Dec. 22 that it is donating 4.5 million yen to a Ukrainian nongovernmental organization to help finance the campaign.

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Hiroshi Neko competes in Asian Games marathon

INCHEON, South Korea - Japanese-born comedian Hiroshi Neko, who became a naturalized Cambodian citizen in 2011, enters the stadium in the men's marathon at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, on Oct. 3, 2014. Neko, 37, whose real name is Kuniaki Takizaki, finished 14th, last among the runners who crossed the finish line, in 2 hours, 34 minutes, 16 seconds.

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Hiroshi Neko competes in Asian Games marathon

INCHEON, South Korea - Japanese-born comedian Hiroshi Neko, who became a naturalized Cambodian citizen in 2011, crosses the finish line in the men's marathon at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, on Oct. 3, 2014. Neko, 37, whose real name is Kuniaki Takizaki, finished 14th, last among the runners who completed the full distance, in 2 hours, 34 minutes, 16 seconds.

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Half-marathon in Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - (From L) Japanese-born comedian Hiroshi Neko, who took Cambodian citizenship in 2011 and whose real name is Kuniaki Takizaki, Cambodia's Hem Bunting and Phan Sopheak pose during the award ceremony for an international half-marathon in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on June 16, 2013, after finishing second, first and third respectively in the event.

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Half-marathon in Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Cambodia's Hem Bunting (L) and Japanese-born comedian Hiroshi Neko, who took Cambodian citizenship in 2011, compete in an international half-marathon in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on June 16, 2013. Bunting won the event, while Neko, whose real name is Kuniaki Takizaki, finished second.

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Lesser panda gestures like "beckoning cat"

CHIBA, Japan - A lesser panda gestures like Japanese "maneki neko" beckoning cat ornaments that are believed to bring good luck at Chiba Zoological Park in the city of Chiba on May 24, 2012.

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Lesser panda gestures like "beckoning cat"

CHIBA, Japan - A lesser panda (R) gestures like Japanese "maneki neko" beckoning cat ornaments that are believed to bring good luck at Chiba Zoological Park in the city of Chiba on May 24, 2012.

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Comedian Neko

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows Japan-born comedian Hiroshi Neko posing for a photo when he took part in the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in Oita, southwestern Japan, on Feb. 5, 2012. The world ruling body for track and field ruled that Neko is not eligible to run for Cambodia in the Olympic marathon in London this summer.

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Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna

VIENNA, Austria - A customer holds a cat in Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna on May 4, 2012. A Japanese woman living in the Austrian capital opened the cafe the same day. It is called ''Neko,'' which means cat in Japanese.

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Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna

VIENNA, Austria - A customer plays with a cat in Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna on May 4, 2012. A Japanese woman living in the Austrian capital opened the cafe the same day. It is called ''Neko,'' which means cat in Japanese.

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Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna

VIENNA, Austria - A woman looks at a cat in Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna on May 4, 2012. A Japanese woman living in the Austrian capital opened the cafe the same day. It is called ''Neko,'' which means cat in Japanese.

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Marathoner to protest Cambodia picking Japan-born man

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows Cambodian marathon runner Hem Bunting (front R) after winning an international half marathon in Phnom Penh in June 2011, while Japan-born comedian and runner Hiroshi Neko (front L) finished second. Hem Bunting said on April 17, 2012, he will protest to the Cambodian sports authorities the nomination of Neko to represent Cambodia at the Olympic Games in London.

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Comedian Neko to represent Cambodia at Olympic marathon

TOKYO, Japan - Comedian Hiroshi Neko, whose real name is Kuniaki Takizaki, holds a press conference in Tokyo on March 26, 2012, following a decision by Cambodia's Olympic committee that he will represent Cambodia in the men's marathon in London Olympics this summer. Neko, 34, who was born in Japan's Chiba Prefecture, obtained Cambodian citizenship in October 2011 so he could have a shot at running in the event.

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Comedian Neko to represent Cambodia at Olympic marathon

TOKYO, Japan - Photo taken Feb. 5, 2012, in Oita, southwestern Japan, shows comedian Hiroshi Neko. Neko, who was born in Japan's Chiba Prefecture and obtained Cambodian citizenship in October 2011 so he could have a shot at running in this summer's London Olympics, will represent Cambodia in the men's marathon in the event, the secretary general of Cambodia's Olympic committee said March 25, 2012.

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Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon

OITA, Japan - Spectators wave Cambodian flags on a road as comedian-turned-runner Hiroshi Neko runs in the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in Oita Prefecture on Feb. 5, 2012. Neko, who obtained Cambodian citizenship so he could have a shot at running in the summer's London Olympics, slashed his personal best to finish 50th at 2:30:26.

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Japanese comedian in Phnom Penh half-marathon

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Japanese comedian Hiroshi Neko (front) runs in the first international half-marathon in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on June 18, 2011. He finished second.

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'Beckoning cats' selling like hot cakes as general election nears

OWARIASAHI, Japan - An employee at ceramic ware maker Tamazen in the city of Owariasahi in Aichi smiles alongside some of the company's hot-selling ''maneki neko'' -- decorative figures of beckoning cats believed to invite good fortune -- ahead of voting day in the Aug. 30 House of representatives election. The company is getting a rush of orders from election workers for the figures, decorated with leopard-skin marks, to attract votes, called ''hyo'' in Japanese, the same pronunciation as another Japanese word meaning leopard.

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National Diet Library working on digitization of books

TOKYO, Japan - Digitized pages of prominent Meiji era (1868-1912) novelist Soseki Natsume's ''Wagahai-wa Neko-de-ru (I Am A Cat)'' displayed on a screen at The National Diet Library neighboring the National Diet building in Tokyo.

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Japan sends posters to Ukraine calling for fair election

TOKYO, Japan - This poster featuring ''maneki neko (beckoning cat believed to bring luck)'' will be put up at over 30,000 polling stations during the upcoming presidential election in Ukraine. It reads: ''I support a fair election. And you?'' The Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Dec. 22 that it is donating 4.5 million yen to a Ukrainian nongovernmental organization to help finance the campaign. (Kyodo)

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The Cat Returns (2002)

Baron Cat & Haru Film: The Cat Returns; Neko No Ongaeshi (2002) Director: Hiroyuki Morita 19 July 2002 Date: 19 July 2002

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The Cat Returns (2002)

Haru Film: The Cat Returns; Neko No Ongaeshi (2002) Director: Hiroyuki Morita 19 July 2002 Date: 19 July 2002

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The Cat Returns (2002)

Haru & Cats Film: The Cat Returns; Neko No Ongaeshi (2002) Director: Hiroyuki Morita 19 July 2002 Date: 19 July 2002

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The Cat Returns (2002)

Baron Cat & Haru Film: The Cat Returns; Neko No Ongaeshi (2002) Director: Hiroyuki Morita 19 July 2002 Date: 19 July 2002

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The Cat Returns (2002)

Haru & Baron Cat Film: The Cat Returns; Neko No Ongaeshi (2002) Director: Hiroyuki Morita 19 July 2002 Date: 19 July 2002

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The Cat Returns (2002)

Haru & Cats Film: The Cat Returns; Neko No Ongaeshi (2002) Director: Hiroyuki Morita 19 July 2002 Date: 19 July 2002

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The Cat Returns (2002)

Haru Film: The Cat Returns; Neko No Ongaeshi (2002) Director: Hiroyuki Morita 19 July 2002 Date: 19 July 2002

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The Cat Returns (2002)

Haru & Baron Cat Film: The Cat Returns; Neko No Ongaeshi (2002) Director: Hiroyuki Morita 19 July 2002 Date: 19 July 2002

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The Cat Returns (2002)

Baron Cat Poster Film: The Cat Returns; Neko No Ongaeshi (2002) Director: Hiroyuki Morita 19 July 2002 Date: 19 July 2002

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The Cat Returns (2002)

Baron Cat Film: The Cat Returns; Neko No Ongaeshi (2002) Director: Hiroyuki Morita 19 July 2002 Date: 19 July 2002

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The Cat Returns (2002)

Baron Cat Film: The Cat Returns; Neko No Ongaeshi (2002) Director: Hiroyuki Morita 19 July 2002 Date: 19 July 2002

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NOBORU BABA CARTOONIST

NOBORU BABA CARTOONIST==Date:July, 1973, Place:JAPAN, (Credit:INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE/Kyodo News Images)

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Japanese comedian vows to make Cambodia proud at Olympic Games

Japanese-Cambodian comedian Hiroshi Neko speaks at a press conference in Phnom Penh on June 3, 2016. Neko, who will represent Cambodia in the men's marathon at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August, vowed to get the best possible result in the event. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japanese comedian vows to make Cambodia proud at Olympic Games

Japanese-Cambodian comedian Hiroshi Neko strikes his signature pose during a press conference in Phnom Penh on June 3, 2016. Neko, who will represent Cambodia in the men's marathon at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August, vowed to get the best possible result in the event. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japanese comedian to represent Cambodia at Rio de Janeiro Olympics

Japanese-Cambodian comedian Hiroshi Neko, seen in this undated photo, will represent Cambodia in the men's marathon at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August 2016, a senior Olympic official in Cambodia said on May 31. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Guided tour in Nagasaki for cat lovers gains popularity

Participants of the "Nagasaki neko (cat) saruku" guided tour for cat lovers play with a cat living in a temple in Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, in March 2015. "Saruku" means "to take a stroll" in the local Nagasaki dialect. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Osaka's cat-themed Neko Building a paradise for feline lovers, home for stray cats

Photo taken June 10, 2016 in Osaka shows a woman interacting with a rescued stray cat at a cat-themed shop housed in a five-story building recently constructed in the western Japan city's bustling Shinsaibashi commercial district for feline lovers. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Osaka's cat-themed Neko Building a paradise for feline lovers

Photo taken June 15, 2016, shows a five-story building in Osaka's bustling Shinsaibashi commercial district, constructed for cat lovers housing cat-themed shops and cafes as well as space for enabling visitors to interact with rescued stray cats. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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'Beckoning cats' selling like hot cakes as general election nears

OWARIASAHI, Japan - An employee at ceramic ware maker Tamazen in the city of Owariasahi in Aichi smiles alongside some of the company's hot-selling ''maneki neko'' -- decorative figures of beckoning cats believed to invite good fortune -- ahead of voting day in the Aug. 30 House of representatives election. The company is getting a rush of orders from election workers for the figures, decorated with leopard-skin marks, to attract votes, called ''hyo'' in Japanese, the same pronunciation as another Japanese word meaning leopard. (Kyodo)

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Japanese comedian in Phnom Penh half-marathon

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Japanese comedian Hiroshi Neko (front) runs in the first international half-marathon in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on June 18, 2011. He finished second. (Kyodo)

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Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna

VIENNA, Austria - A customer plays with a cat in Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna on May 4, 2012. A Japanese woman living in the Austrian capital opened the cafe the same day. It is called ''Neko,'' which means cat in Japanese. (Kyodo)

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Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna

VIENNA, Austria - A customer holds a cat in Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna on May 4, 2012. A Japanese woman living in the Austrian capital opened the cafe the same day. It is called ''Neko,'' which means cat in Japanese. (Kyodo)

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Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna

VIENNA, Austria - A woman looks at a cat in Austria's first cat cafe in Vienna on May 4, 2012. A Japanese woman living in the Austrian capital opened the cafe the same day. It is called ''Neko,'' which means cat in Japanese. (Kyodo)

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Lesser panda gestures like "beckoning cat"

CHIBA, Japan - A lesser panda (R) gestures like Japanese "maneki neko" beckoning cat ornaments that are believed to bring good luck at Chiba Zoological Park in the city of Chiba on May 24, 2012. (Kyodo)

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Lesser panda gestures like "beckoning cat"

CHIBA, Japan - A lesser panda gestures like Japanese "maneki neko" beckoning cat ornaments that are believed to bring good luck at Chiba Zoological Park in the city of Chiba on May 24, 2012. (Kyodo)

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Comedian Neko

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows Japan-born comedian Hiroshi Neko posing for a photo when he took part in the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in Oita, southwestern Japan, on Feb. 5, 2012. The world ruling body for track and field ruled that Neko is not eligible to run for Cambodia in the Olympic marathon in London this summer. (Kyodo)

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Marathoner to protest Cambodia picking Japan-born man

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows Cambodian marathon runner Hem Bunting (front R) after winning an international half marathon in Phnom Penh in June 2011, while Japan-born comedian and runner Hiroshi Neko (front L) finished second. Hem Bunting said on April 17, 2012, he will protest to the Cambodian sports authorities the nomination of Neko to represent Cambodia at the Olympic Games in London. (Kyodo)

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Comedian Neko to represent Cambodia at Olympic marathon

TOKYO, Japan - Comedian Hiroshi Neko, whose real name is Kuniaki Takizaki, holds a press conference in Tokyo on March 26, 2012, following a decision by Cambodia's Olympic committee that he will represent Cambodia in the men's marathon in London Olympics this summer. Neko, 34, who was born in Japan's Chiba Prefecture, obtained Cambodian citizenship in October 2011 so he could have a shot at running in the event. (Kyodo)

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Comedian Neko to represent Cambodia at Olympic marathon

TOKYO, Japan - Photo taken Feb. 5, 2012, in Oita, southwestern Japan, shows comedian Hiroshi Neko. Neko, who was born in Japan's Chiba Prefecture and obtained Cambodian citizenship in October 2011 so he could have a shot at running in this summer's London Olympics, will represent Cambodia in the men's marathon in the event, the secretary general of Cambodia's Olympic committee said March 25, 2012. (Kyodo)

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Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon

OITA, Japan - Spectators wave Cambodian flags on a road as comedian-turned-runner Hiroshi Neko runs in the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in Oita Prefecture on Feb. 5, 2012. Neko, who obtained Cambodian citizenship so he could have a shot at running in the summer's London Olympics, slashed his personal best to finish 50th at 2:30:26. (Kyodo)