I'd visited Gotokuji once before a few years ago. It was definitely busier this time, but it was still really great. We had a lovely wander around. It is quirky, full of charm, and away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. I'd definitely recommend it. Try to meet Tama-san, one of the resident cats...so cute!

The loveliest temple in Tokyo! Go visit Tama-san, the resident cat ( I hear he likes ear scratches). A must visit in lovely Setagaya! Take the neko train and make a day of it!

This temple was a bit off the beaten tourist path, but worth the trek. It was a beautiful sunny day and the temple and surrounding neighbourhood was quiet. The story behind the mineki neko is that the resident kitty at the temple saved an Abbott from a lightening strike, and so people now place kitties as a prayer for good luck and security . The kitty shrine was more impressive in person, and of course 2 came home. We placed one behind for good fortune and security.

We loved this temple. I’ve read lots of reviews saying the lines to buy your mineki neko and Japanese ema were long, but we visited during the week around 8:30a and there was no line. Took about an hour from Asakusa station. Odakyu Odawara Line Local-You get off at Gotoku-ji OH 10. Then there is a 10 min walk through quaint neighborhood to reach the temple. Worth the trip for a more serene look of outer Tokyo.

Gotokuji Temple is located in the isolation area of the cemetery. Large and small lucky cats are on the side and back of the temple. Quite a few tourists were taking photos. Since the weather was hot when I went there, there were a lot of mosquitoes. The place inside the temple that sells lucky cats was during lunch time. , there was no air-conditioned place to sit nearby, so I felt a bit uncomfortable because it was hot and there were many mosquitoes. On the day I went, only the largest and smallest Lucky Cats were available for purchase, and each person was limited to one. If you want to buy the size you want, you have to try your luck several times.

It is worth a side trip from Tokyo’s more congested and touristy areas to visit this calm space in the middle of the big city. We recommend going in the morning. It is a unique experience that we enjoyed. After all, there was no way we could go to Japan without visiting a “Lucky Cat” Shrine! The grounds of Gotokuji Temple are serene and beautiful. It’s an excellent example of traditional Japanese architecture paired with well-tended gardens and a peaceful atmosphere. Visitors can purchase omikuji (Japanese fortunes) and cat figurines in various sizes inside the temple. Previously, visitors to Gotokuji would often buy a cat figurine, make a wish or pray for good luck, and then leave it at the temple. However, now guests are encouraged to take the cat figurine home and keep it until the wish or prayer is fulfilled. Afterward, it is advised that the cat figurine be returned to Gotokuji and placed at the temple to give thanks. We hope our wishes come true and we can return our cats to the temple someday. Although the Lucky cats are the main focus of Gotokuji Temple, there are many other things to see. Near the back of the temple grounds is a small cemetery containing a small piece of history. Gotokuji Temple’s cemetery is said to hold the remains of the Ii clan, the family that brought the temple its fortune. Japanese cemeteries are an interesting part of the culture that isn’t commonly mentioned. They can be challenging to visit as a tourist in Japan because they are often locked, or you need to be able to read the language—luckily, we used Google Lens to read signs!

This was a lovely visit outside the hustle and bustle of the city. As a cat lover, I had to go where the Lucky Cat was born. The temple and grounds are very serene and quiet (if you go during the week). It had beautiful architecture and seeing the hundreds of statues is delightful. You can buy your own statue to bring you luck (they sell out so it’s limited to one per person).

If you are collecting eki stamps, make sure you head to the Odakyu line at Gotokuji Station and ask the station master for the stamp as it is kept behind the window at the turnstile. You will know it is the right station when you see the white cat statue standing to greet you as you enter. Make sure your Google maps is on once you depart the station as the walk through the narrow residential streets here do not really have a designated sidewalk to walk on. It is not difficult to locate this temple but there are plenty of nooks and crannies to turn around in. The extraordinary collection of white Maneki nekos here is very unique as there are tons of them piled on top, next, and around each other in two aisles. They are all different sizes and shapes- a delight to see. Note if you are interested to purchase a souvenir Maneki neko , make sure you arrive with cash from the hours of 8a.m.- 12p.m. or 1p.m.- 3p.m. as they promptly close the doors when the time is up. It is also only one cat per purchase/per person. It is worth a walk through this part of quieter Tokyo, especially if you love cats.

This is a fun trip outside Tokyo because of the minaki-neko! It was a very hot day, so we got off at the closest train station to the temple, but you can walk through the village shops if you get off one stop further away. The temple had very few people, so we were able to see everything we wanted; even so, some of the sizes of lucky cats were already sold out.

The largest national historic site in Edo area with halls, lanterns and bell tower dating from 17th century. Legend has it that daimyo (whose family is buried here) was saved from a lightning bolt when the abbot's pet cat beckoned him into the temple. This is the origin of the maneki-neko, which is what this temple is known for now too. Beautiful place for lots of OOTD opportunities, a pity it was raining. Here, one can purchase a Maneki-neko to make a wish and bring it home with you. If your wish came true, you are supposed to return and place it here (so judging by the number of Maneki-nekos there are here, seems like a rather auspicious place 好灵验). Prices range from JPY500 to 7000 depending on size and each person can only buy 1. There was a long queue to purchase a ticket from the vending machine, then redeeming it for the cat inside.  Spent about 45 mins walking around, mainly wait time for others taking photos to clear the area so I can have a clean photo as much as possible. I think it's an interesting place to visit, not just for the shrine itself but the local vibes in the surrounding and that tram track too. Later at the end station, I saw a promo board and that's when I realized the entire tram route was featured in an anime series - Astronote. That's when it hit me, how the Setagaya area gave those vibes which I couldn't pinpoint till I saw the board.