Startled reactions from anyone who sees them not specifically mentioned by manufacturer, but can be assumed as a side-effect of “the ultimate tag team.”

In Japan, one of the most popular good-luck charms is the maneki neko, or “beckoning cat.” A figurine of a usually white kitty with an outstretched paw, the pose is supposed to show that the feline is beckoning good fortune your way.

Maneki neko are often placed in or just outside shops, restaurants, and other businesses. Nagoya-based fashion brand Izavell, however, has decided to place one on a pair of panties.

The Lucky Beckoning Cat Panties (because really, what else could you possibly call them?) were recently added to Izavell’s online store, and the manufacturer boasts a number of impressive features. “This is the ultimate tag team,” boasts the product description, ”the beckoning cat that brings financial property, and the color red, which brings energy!”

The designers recommend wearing the auspicious unmentionables on days when:
● You have a job interview
● You’re taking an important test
● You’re giving a presentation or speech
● You have a company performance review
● You have an important meeting with clients
● You’re going on a first date
● You’re buying lottery tickets and/or results are being announced
● You’re going on a first date with someone new

Izavell also says wearing the Lucky Beckoning Cat Panties is a good call on the day you’re going to propose marriage, which is kind of surprising since it’s predominantly guys who pop the question in Japan, implying that Izavell is either strongly in favor of more women taking the reins in their matrimonial ambitions, or simply thinks guys should feel free to think of this lacy undergarment as unisex apparel.

▼ The maneki neko graphics continue on the backside, making it look like you’re straddling a cat’s back and squeezing it between your thighs while wearing the panties.

With so many days on which the Lucky Beckoning Cat panties are ready to work their magic, you might be wondering if just one pair is enough. You’ll probably want good luck more than just one time per laundry cycle, right? Fear not. Izavell has though of this, and so the maneki neko panties are sold in a two-pack, which can be ordered for 3,024 yen (US$27) here.

In closing, though, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention one not-uncommon interpretation of how maneki neko work. Those given to more concrete ways of thinking often envision that a maneki neko outside their place of business will draw in not necessarily mystical prosperity, but customers, or, in other words, people (that maneki neko’s pose is the way people in Japan signal “Come over here” after all). So if you’re not entirely comfortable with a cute kitty gesturing towards your crotch, you might have to employ a different strategy for winning the lottery or getting your maneki neko fix.

Sources: @Press, Izavell
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: @Press, Izavell
[ Read in Japanese ]

Follow Casey on Twitter, where the presence or absence of good luck symbols on his underwear remains a mystery.