Painting Experience for the "Marujime Cat" Lucky Cat Begins at "Marujime Asakusa" on Asakusa Nishi-Sando

DRELLA Co., Ltd. has renovated "Marujime Asakusa," the gallery and atelier it operates on Asakusa Nishi-Sando, and from October 2026 has started a painting experience for the "Marujime Cat (Marujime no Neko)." In addition to selling works as before, it is now a place to enjoy hands-on experiences, welcoming visitors from Japan and overseas, from children to adults.

The "Marujime Cat" That Was a Huge Hit in Edo

The Marujime Cat is an Imado-yaki clay doll that was sold around Senso-ji and Asakusa Shrine in the late Edo period and became hugely popular, centered on Edo. It appears in historical sources such as the Buko Nenpyo and in the nishiki-e prints of Utagawa Hiroshige. Its history can be traced through three kinds of physical evidence—documents, paintings, and excavated artifacts—and it is considered one of the oldest known lucky cats (maneki-neko).

Distinctive Features of the Marujime Cat

It is characterized by its pose, with the body turned sideways and only the face turned toward the viewer, and by the raised "Marujime" (丸〆) mark engraved on the back. It also carries an auspicious meaning: "to seal in the good fortune you have beckoned so that it does not escape."

Painting Experience Overview

• Price: 5,500 yen (tax included)
• Duration: Approx. 20–30 minutes
• Reservations: Not required
• Hours: 10:00–17:00

The shop is located in the Asakusa Nishi-Sando shopping street at 2-7-13 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo. It also sells the Classic Collection (8 colors in total, from 7,000 yen, with a paulownia wood box), and collaborations with artists and special exhibitions are planned for the future.