This is a traditional Japanese Hagoita.
A Hagoita is a traditional lucky charm displayed to celebrate a baby girl’s first New Year, wishing for her healthy growth and protection from evil.
Originally a tool for the game “hanetsuki” (badminton), which has been played since the Muromachi period, it developed into a decorative item during the Edo period with the appearance of “oshie hagoita” (appliqué battledores) depicting Kabuki actors in three dimensions.
Main meaning and origin:
* Protection from evil and misfortune: The black ball (mukuroji seed) used in the shuttlecock for hanetsuki can be written as “無患子” (meaning “children will not suffer”), and the shape of the shuttlecock resembles a dragonfly that eats mosquitoes, so it is considered a charm to protect children from illness.
* Repelling evil spirits: The action of hitting the shuttlecock with a hagoitakazari is thought to be similar to “repelling misfortune.”
This Hagoita features a cherry blossom branch using traditional technique of folded fabric tsumami-zaiku . Each flower petal was handcrafted one by one, expresses the arrival of spring in Japan.


