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Japanese Lucky Charms - Part 1

  • 3 min read

Happiness is in a small corner we say, well in Japan you stumble over those corners! You will find lucky charms at the various temples, on the street and in people's homes. We have the horseshoe, ladybug and four-leaf clover, there the list of lucky dolls seems endless. High time to reveal the meaning of 7 Japanese lucky charms. This is part 1 and here you read Japanese lucky charms - part 2 .

Lucky charm - Maneki neko, the Japanese lucky kitten

The most famous here is the Japanese lucky cat, the maneki neko . 'Maneki' comes from the verb 'maneku' which means to wave and 'neko' is Japanese for cat, so waving cat. You will encounter this kitten with a waving arm in shops and restaurants. There it waves customers in with its left paw. If you see the right leg waving, then the money is coming in.

Not all lucky cats are made of plastic, or have a moving paw. There are also colored copies of pottery and each color has a different meaning. Thus the black kitten protects you from danger, the green kitten brings happiness to study, the red one brings health and the pink kitten love.

Maneki Neko

Lucky Charm - Daruma the monk who brings good luck

This cone-shaped, often red, lucky doll has a man's face, thick eyebrows and mustache. It is the image of Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. The most important feature of the daruma are the white eyes that you can color in. This lucky charm is a stick behind the door to achieve your goals. Set yourself a goal and color the left eye, if you have achieved it you can color the right eye. A nice symbol to help you if you have decided to approach your life differently.

Daruma monk

Lucky charm - Crane the Japanese lucky bird

The origami crane is now a welcome guest here. Cranes , tsuru in Japanese, symbolize happiness, longevity and immortality. Traditional bridal kimono often have an embroidered image of this graceful bird. 

Cranes
Unfortunately, behind this beautiful symbol also lies the tragic story of Sadako from Hiroshima. When she was two years old, the atomic bomb was dropped and 10 years later she was diagnosed with leukemia. To wish her a long life, friends and family folded more than 1,000 cranes. Sadly, she died when she was 12 years old.

Her story is linked to the tradition of senbazuru, 1,000 origami cranes strung on a string that promise you a long life. These colorful decorations hang in the Peace Parks of Nagasaki and Hiroshima: to make us aware of the terrible impact of atomic bombs, which must be removed from the world forever.

More sakura beauty from Japan 🌸

Do you want to bring a little Japanese happiness into your home, or does someone close to you deserve a little extra happiness? Here they are all together, which one suits you best? All those Japanese symbols are of course great fun, but happiness is often also found in small things around you. Read these 7 tips and think about the small moments and learn to enjoy even more.

Ingrid of Roppongi
Author - Ingrid Beyer of Roppongi
Ingrid from Happlify crew member Roppongi is a much too modest Japan expert who can tell you all the ins and outs. Roppongi is the webshop for lovers of Japan, design, good food, tea and DIY. Visit Roppongi and the blog regularly for the fastest trip to Japan.

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