CA : 0x8a7b3cf91aa07be07e4e7617dc9cf49d73c13aa8
A cat “working” at a small tobacco shop here is attracting visitors from across Japan for her reputed ability to bestow good fortune thanks to her “lucky eyebrows.”
The cat’s name is Hachi, Japanese for “eight,” inspired by the black markings on her forehead which look like the Chinese character for the number eight. The number eight is regarded as lucky in Japan.
ABOUT HACHI
Hachi was born a month after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 and was adopted by local editor Yoichi Maeda, 59. The cat’s owner asked acquaintance and tobacco shop proprietor Kaori Hasegawa to take care of Hachi during the day. Hasegawa’s shop is along a shopping street north of JR Mito Station, and Hachi’s owner thought the feline would restore the area’s vibrant atmosphere after local businesses were affected by the disaster.
The unique-looking mascot quickly became a local star. Today, not only tobacco shop customers but people from across Japan come just to see Hachi.
Hachinomics
