VOL.213 MARCH 2026
EXPLORING JAPANESE POTTERY Japanese Good Luck Charm Culture: Shigaraki-yaki Tanuki

The Shigaraki Touen Tanuki Village is full of tanuki (raccoon dog) statues, from tiny items to the largest one in Japan.
Photo: ISHIZAWA Yoji

One may come across pottery in the shape of a tanuki (raccoon dog) in front of the restaurants and shops in Japan. Tanuki statues have long been popular as auspicious items. We spoke with a kamamoto¹ in Shiga Prefecture that produces tanuki statues about their origins and the meanings infused in them.

Shiga Prefecture, located almost in the center of Japan, is home to Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake. Shigaraki Town, Koka City, in southeastern Shiga Prefecture is known as the production area of Shigaraki-yaki² (Shigaraki ware) and the home of one of Japanese Six Ancient Kilns (See “Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns: Preserving the Nation’s Ceramic Heritage,” HIGHLIGHTING Japan, March 2026 issue). Many kilns are still producing potteries in this area, where pottery has been made mainly for daily necessities since ancient times, and pottery culture is a vibrant backdrop to daily life.

Tanuki statues can be seen all over Shigaraki Town as a symbol of the community. Tanuki statues, standing on two legs with a kasa bamboo hat on the head as well as a tokkuri³ sake bottle in the hand, have somewhat humorous and friendly expressions. They are not only ornaments, but also popular good luck charms in Japanese culture.

At Shigaraki Touen Tanuki Village, a complex of facilities operated by the kamamoto, there are many Shigaraki-yaki tanuki items on display, including those considered the largest in Japan. OKUMA Reina, the managing director of the complex, shared her insights about tanuki statues.

“Tanuki statues started to be created in Shigaraki Town from around 1900. In those days, Shigaraki pottery consisted of practical items such as teapots, storage pots, and flowerpots.  Then, the first tanuki statues were said to be made for fun by one of the kamamoto.”

The clay used in Shigaraki-yaki is fine, sticky, and suitable for fine modeling. This quality allows artisans to carefully render the facial expressions and other details of tanuki figures, which is one of the reasons their production became widespread. OKUMA says that the selection of the tanuki as a subject has cultural connotations in Japan.

“Tanuki have been considered auspicious animals since ancient times, and they have been popular as a symbol of good luck in competitions and business from the wordplay on the sound of “tanuki,” which can be read as “pulling ahead of others” (ta o nuku = tanuki).”

Tanuki statues are believed to contain the eight auspicious symbols known in Japanese as Hasso Engi,⁴ and each of its items has a meaning, such as the kasa for self-protection from misfortune and the tokkuri to express human virtue.

One way tanuki statues ware became known nationwide was the 1951 visit to Shigaraki by Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, the 124th emperor of Japan.

“It was reported that Emperor Showa, after seeing the tanuki statues lined up along the road, composed a poem about the scene, and the tanuki statues subsequently came to be widely known as auspicious objects,” says OKUMA. Since then, they have established their presence as items placed at the front doors of restaurants, inns, and shops.

Shigaraki-yaki is known not only for its tanuki statues but also for its advanced ceramic techniques. Shigaraki-yaki tiles were used for part of the Black Sun on the back of the Tower of the Sun, the symbol of the Expo 1970 Osaka.

These days at Shigaraki Touen Tanuki Village, tanuki statues of various sizes are created and displayed, and visitors can also enjoy pottery painting and other hands-on ceramic experiences.

“We have many visitors from overseas, with about 10,000 people visiting in 2024. Painting unglazed tanuki statues is a very popular activity, offering both a memorable experience and a unique souvenir of their trip,” says OKUMA.

Tanuki statues, which reflect Japan’s unique culture of good fortune and its philosophy of craftsmanship, and have been nurtured through the region’s history and the lives of its people, continue to be produced today as one of the representative Shigaraki-yaki pottery items.

• 1. Refers to a workshop where pottery is produced, or to the potters themselves.
• 2. Traditional pottery produced in and around Shigaraki, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture. It is characterized by its natural fire colors and deep, rich scorched colors that are created during the firing process in the kiln. It is widely known for daily necessities and vases, as well as tanuki statues and other offerings and ornaments.
• 3. A tokkuri (right) is a vessel with a narrow neck and a bulging body, used for pouring sake into ochoko (left), sakazuki, or other cups.
  
• 4. The eight auspicious features of the Shigaraki-yaki tanuki statues. The “kasa (bamboo hat)” symbolizes protection from misfortune; the “smile” a comforting behavior; the “large eyes” keen observation of one's surroundings; the “belly” calmness and strong decisiveness; the “tokkuri (sake bottle)” acquiring virtue and never lacking food or drink; the “bankbook” trustworthiness; the “tail” valuing the end of things and the idea that all’s well that ends well; and the “money pouch” financial good fortune.

By TANAKA Nozomi
Photo: ISHIZAWA Yoji; PIXTA