This delightful vintage Japanese folk craft depicts a plump tanuki (狸) mother carrying her baby, and was made as an omiyage souvenir from Kawatana Onsen (川棚温泉) in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Carved into a charming rounded form, the mother tanuki is decorated with wide expressive eyes, small upright ears and bold hand-painted markings in warm shades of brown, black and red. A tiny baby tanuki peeks from an opening at the front, adding a playful and affectionate element to the design. The small natural-fibre detail held between the mother’s paws further enhances its rustic, handmade character.
In Japanese folklore, the tanuki is a mischievous but friendly shape-shifting creature associated with humour, good fortune and prosperity. Tanuki ornaments are often displayed as cheerful good-luck charms, particularly around shops, restaurants and traditional inns.
Kawatana Onsen is a historic hot-spring resort situated in Toyoura, Shimonoseki City, at the western end of Honshū. Known as a peaceful retreat within Yamaguchi Prefecture, the town is also celebrated as the birthplace of kawara soba, a local dish served on a heated roof tile. Regional souvenirs such as this tanuki were created to preserve memories of a visit while expressing the warmth and playful spirit of Japanese onsen culture.
