AJapanese lucky charm, believed to bring its owner good fortune, this maneki-neko (literally “beckoning cat”) was given to Norm Black when he was living and working in Tokyo.
“I got the cat on my first work trip to Japan, about 20 years ago. I was over there licensing streetwear labels at the time, and the local distributor gave it to me as a symbol of our fortuitous business together.
He handed it to me and said it’d bring a lot of luck and good fortune, but not to try and keep any of that fortune before I was 40. The idea that money is a river, and you’ve got to let it flow, is a common one in Japanese business, which I like.
The cat’s been with me all the way – every house, every place I’ve lived since. It’s one of those rare things that’s survived. The cat’s been good to me. I’m not super superstitious, but I wouldn’t like the cat to break.
He’s a great symbol of a time in my life when I had a lot of fun. It also represents a personal transition for me; from growing up in a small country town in Australia, to making a big leap into the real world.” – Norm Black.
