Very rare vintage bean doll 豆人形（まめにんぎょう） hand-crafted Inu hariko (犬はりこ) These are no longer exist in modern day now. The word "inu" means "dog" in Japanese. Dogs in Japanese culture often symbolize loyalty, protection, and good fortune.
The ability of the bean is to sprout and grow rapidly has made them a metaphor for new beginnings and abundance. "beans" often symbolize reproduction, fertility or auspiciousness.
A tradition that shows beans can bring good luck is during the Setsubun festival, roasted soybeans are thrown outside homes while shouting "Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi!" ("Demons out, good fortune in!"). This ritual is meant to expel evil spirits and misfortune, inviting luck and prosperity into the home.
Traditional handicrafts often focus on precision and delicacy, and making small figures can better demonstrate the craftsmen's dexterity and superb skills. Small-scale designs require extreme attention to detail, which is also one of the charms of traditional craftsmanship. The bean figurine easy to carry around, place at home or enshrine in a shrine, making it a talisman or lucky charm, convenient for decoration and use in daily life.
