>>280414043
Furinkan reminds us that: "The beckoning cat (招き猫/maneki neko) is a sign of good fortune in Japan. These are believed to bring good luck to their owner and depict a cat with a koban coin in one paw. The cat's coin is a koban coin with the kanji 千万両 (sen man ryo) meaning "ten million ryo". "

They're Japanese by origin, despite how often you see them in Chinatown in the United States.