Hagoita are traditional good luck charms for the New Year, sold at fairs taking place after mid-December, much the same as kumade.

The hagoita lucky charms evolved from the wooden paddles of hanetsuki, a traditional Japanese game similar to badminton, and the folklore says that “you can hit the bad luck” with them… The today’s hagoita features quite sophisticated 3D models, made of silk, wood and washi Japanese paper, representing a large range of characters from the traditional theater plays, geisha, kabuki actors or sumo wrestlers…

Hagoita

EXIF Info:

Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Tokyo skylines, night in Tokyo Bay