Relics

A type of folk art hailing from Aizuwakamatsu in Fukushima depicting a rotund red cow. Its head bobs around in a cute way when pressed, making it a popular souvenir among tourists.

In the Aizu region, oral tradition presents red cows as emissaries of good fortune, and legends profess their ability to protect people from disease, assist in carrying goods, and more.

A statue of the cow said to have inspired Akabeko can be found at Enzo-ji, a Buddhist temple located in Fukushima.

A type of pottery produced around Bizen, a city located in Okayama.

Some people also refer to it as "Imbe pottery" in reference to the Imbe area, which is home to many ceramic shops.

Bizen ware is renowned for its intentional simplistic beauty, in which potters eschew the use of a glaze or even any artwork on the surface at all. Instead, they possess a more practical charm, one whose depth reveals itself with repeated use over time.

Boasting a long, proud history, its origins can be traced back to Japan's Kofun period (roughly 200-500 CE). Bizen ware's roots lie in stone Sue pottery, and reached its current form after production methods shifted around the 12th century.

A type of camera named after its French inventor, Louis Daguerre, who first introduced it in 1839.

It records images by using plates coated with photosensitive paint. The word "daguerreotype" can also refer to photographs specifically produced using this methodology.

A type of glass chime hung from the edge of a roof or near a window that makes beautiful sounds when wind blows into it.

Furin are an iconic symbol of summertime in the minds of many Japanese, and the sound they make is thought to have a cooling effect that helps one forget the season's hot, humid weather.

The furin is believed to be derived from a kind of Chinese bell once used for divination during the Tang dynasty (618-907). These bells were brought to Japan and used to ward off spirits.

However, by the Edo period (1603-1868), their use had shifted to the modern conception described above.

A tea bowl used for Japanese tea ceremony, coated with gold.

Tea ceremony is a measured art, and so simple yet charming utensils tend to be favored when practicing.

However, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, one of the unifying figures of Japan's Warring States period (1467-1591) had ostentatious taste that did not stop with the golden implements he used for tea ceremonies.

In fact, he had an entire tea room built, covered in gold from top to bottom, sliding doors included.

Earthenware statues and figures produced during Japan's Kofun period (roughly 200-500).

In the early Kofun period, haniwa came in cylindrical shapes. However, in the late Kofun period, there were many made in the shapes of things such as humans and horses. Though predominantly wrought from clay, there are examples made of stone and wooden, as well.

During the Kofun period, eponymous "kofun," burial mounds dedicated to the ancient ruling class, were made in abundance.

Around the sites of these mounds, numerous haniwa depicting things such as people and houses can be found, offering valuable insight into the religious practices and ways of living of Japanese society in those times.

These beetles are quite popular with children in Japan due to their iridescent black carapace and remarkable horn.

Called "kabuto-mushi" in Japan, they get that name due to their striking resemblance to "kabuto," the helmets once worn by samurai.

Rare variants and larger specimens famously command high prices among enthusiasts. Some have even gone for over 200,000 yen, or close to 2,000 US dollars.

This species of beetle was long believed to be strictly nocturnal. However, recent research points to a theory that the types of vegetation in their diet affect when they are active.

Ancient pottery produced during Japan's Jomon period (roughly 12,000 BCE-1000 BCE).

Though the word "Jomon" itself in Japanese literally refers to lined pattering produced by laying rope into clay, not all examples of Jomon pottery actually have such designs.

Specimens excavated from ruins have shown signs of substances such as carbides and lipids, providing clues as to the eating habits of people living in ancient Japan.

Research indicates that their diet consisted of berries and salmon, among other foods.

A type of cheap copper coin that was in circulation during Japan's Edo period (1603-1868).

Round in shape with a square hole in the middle, they existed in denominations of 1 and 4 mon.

In 1871, the New Currency Act was put in to place, establishing the yen as Japan's currency, although Kan'ei tsuho coins continued to be accepted for transactions until 1953.

A Japanese hair accessory designed for women.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), women began to style their hair more extravagantly, which led to an explosion in the popularity of such ornaments.

Modern Japanese women wear them even today as a part of traditional Japanese garb.

The roots of kanzashi are quite old, with one theory suggesting that they may date back as far as Japan's Jomon period (12,000 BCE-1000 BCE), during which they existed as thin rods used to ward off evil spirits.

By putting these rods in one's hair, they could avert potential disaster. It was at this point that the rods became known as "kamizashi," from which the word kanzashi ultimately derives.

A kappa mini-sculpture accessory.

Part of a set of fifteen yokai netsuke. Collect them all!

Even kappa can drown. Pride comes before a fall, so be sure to keep a humble heart.

Kiseru are a type of round Japanese smoking pipe resembling a flute. Similar to western-style pipes, shredded tobacco leaves are placed in the bowl and then lit with a flame.

Widely employed during Japan's Edo period (1603-1868), kiseru carried as weapons by chonin, a social class of urban merchants and artisans, were referred to as "kenka kiseru," or "fighting pipes."

The reason for their proliferation as weapons stems from the fact that chonin were prohibited from possessing swords and therefore turned to kiseru as a substitute.

Kenka kiseru were also made iconic by way of Keiji Maeda, an especially popular samurai commander who was active between the late Warring States and early Edo periods (roughly the turn of the 17th century).

Numerous legends have sprouted up in the centuries that have followed, including how he himself fought using a large kenka kiseru.

A wooden carving depicting a brown bear holding a salmon in its mouth. During the early 20th century, kibori kuma made for popular souvenirs in northern Japan.

The reason for their existence comes from the Tokugawa clan who once ruled Japan.

Yoshichika Tokugawa, the 19th head of the family's Owari branch, came upon bear carvings while traveling in Switzerland. He brought them back to Japan with him, after which they grew more and more popular.

A toy made by attaching string to a panel built from materials such as paper and bamboo, which is then lifted into the sky using the wind.

Kites have their roots in China, where they were originally used for military purposes. In Japan, it's customary for people to fly them as part of New Year celebrations.

As a pastime, kite-flying was especially popular during the Edo period (1603-1868). So much so, in fact, that kite flyers would often get into fights with one another, crash their kites onto farm fields, and otherwise cause damage to property.

This led the shogunate authorities to ultimately ban the practice of kite-flying outright.

A kodama mini-sculpture accessory.

Part of a set of fifteen yokai netsuke. Collect them all!

Exude kindness, and kindness will find you in return. Negativity will also make its way back to you.

This is the essence of the kodama.

Small, spherical glass baubles made to be flicked and to strike against others. They come in many designs and color patterns, so some people collect them or use them as decorations.

Marbles made of glass began to be made in Japan during the 19th century and were popularly used in children's games until the latter half of the 20th century.

>Many origins for the Japanese word for marbles ("bidama") have been hypothesized, but it is commonly thought to be derived from the Portuguese word "vidro," meaning glass.

The "bi" is the phonetic sound taken from the beginning of "vidro" appended with the Japanese word "dama" meaning "ball" or "sphere".

A particular type of algae that grows in fresh water.

Marimo found in Hokkaido's Lake Akan famously takes on a spherical shape due to the ways in which the surface-level winds affect the flow of water below.

In 1952, marimo was declared a natural monument by the Japanese government, and sale of specimens from the lake was forbidden. Any marimo found for sale that looks spherical is likely the conventional kind simply rolled up into a ball.

March 29, the day on which the designation took place, is now also celebrated as Marimo Day.

The frilled lizard is a species of lizard endemic to Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Their Japanese and English namesakes both come from the mane of folded skin around their head that they can open out when sensing danger in order to intimidate any perceived threat.

They are capable of running on two legs, which can make for an amusing sight with their frill unfurled and their legs swinging wildly at full speed.

Japan was first introduced to them by a 1984 television program, and after a car commercial also made use of their likeness, there was a frilled lizard frenzy as an avalanche of merchandise was produced, including toy figures, puzzles, and more.

A small-scale model automobile that is primarily sold as a children's toy. It is equipped with a spring that mimics the shocks on a real car when pushing down on the model's frame.

Minivans are popular family cars due to their large interior space. They are perfect for traveling, camping, or even just a leisurely family drive.

In Japan, minivans became particularly common around 1990, especially models that featured sliding doors. They provide direct access to the interior making it much easier to get in or out with bulkier items like luggage, even while parked in smaller parking spaces.

Tokyo Tower is a steel broadcasting tower that serves as both a tourist attraction and a cultural symbol for Tokyo. It opened in 1958 and stands at a height of 333 meters.

A type of decorative roof tile found on top of or at the edges of the roofs of traditional Japanese homes.

Though onigawara depicting oni are the most representative variety, they actually come in many types. These can include gods of fortune, creatures like dragons and carp, and even tiles with the kanji for "water" written on them.

Onigawara are placed on roofs to dispel evil spirits and calamity, as well as more practically to prevent rainwater from leaking during storms.

A backpack tailor-made for an elementary-age schoolchild.

This particular style of bag is known as a "randoseru" in Japan, a name derived from a Dutch word for backpack. The initial design was based on backpacks used by soldiers.

Since around 1887, leather backpacks like this have been the norm for school children all across Japan.

A pair of statues depicting the shachi, an imaginary animal with the face of something like a dragon or tiger, mixed with the body of a fish and a series of sharp spikes along its back.

The "hoko" portion of the name stems from how the tails of these statues stretch out towards the sky in a manner resembling a pike, which is called a "hoko" in Japanese.

Shachihoko statues are commonly found adorning the roofs of buildings as a protective charm against fire. Legends state that when fires break out, the shachihoko statues will spew water from their mouths to douse the flames.

The use of the statues spread across Japan thanks to their adoption by famous historical figures, including Oda Nobunaga at Azuchi Castle, as well as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who favored golden shachihoko statues.

A three-stringed musical instrument whose roots lie in the sanxian, a Chinese lute that came to Japan through via the Ryukyu Islands around the 16th century.

During the Edo period, the shamisen shifted from being an instrument of Japan's upper class to one embraced by ordinary citizens.

As with other stringed instruments, the pitch of the sound it produces can be modified by tuning it.

This flexibility is referenced in a Japanese colloquialism, "playing the shamisen," which means to shift what one says in response to the mood of the listener.

A small, holographic, square-shaped sticker. They come in many varieties, making them fun to collect.

Many brands of candy and snacks in Japan include a toy or a sticker like this as a prize. These collectible novelty prizes are popular with children and adults alike.

A type of Japanese cast iron tea kettle produced since around the 17th century in Morioka, Iwate.

The water boiled within one has a distinctly mellow flavor, which in turn has an effect on the taste of any tea brewed with it.

One well-known brand of tetsubin (and other ironware) went by the name "Nambu." Around 1940, its fame led to other so-called Nambu tetsubin being produced across the country outside of Iwate.

In modern times, only those made in Morioka are designated a nationally-recognized traditional craft and allowed to use the Nambu name when sold.

Utamaro Kitagawa was an ukiyo-e artist from Japan's Edo period (1603-1868) who specialized in a genre known as "bijin-ga," or artwork depicting beautiful women.

He saw a meteoric rise in popularity when he incorporated the techniques of okubi-e, an ukiyo-e style that typically depicted only a subject's upper body, to bijin-ga.

Unfortunately for the artist, the attention was a double-edged sword, as the shogunate government viewed him as a dangerous, socially disruptive figure and issued a law banning the production of okubi-e works.

Though he defied the law and continued to produce his art, a piece depicting Hideyoshi Toyotomi at a cherry blossom viewing saw him branded a criminal and thrown into prison. He contracted an illness and died two years later.

A musical instrument used in Buddhism in which a performer taps on them in a set rhythm while monks read sutras.

Japanese wooden fish are produced in Aichi by chopping and hollowing out a log in a process that can sometimes take as much as 10 to 15 years to complete.

The reason the instrument is modeled after a fish lies in a fish's propensity to sleep with its eyes open. The idea is that one should only sleep sparingly, so that time can be spent training and strengthening one's faith.

Ancient pottery produced during Japan's Yayoi period (roughly 1000 BCE-200 CE).

First recovered from an archaeological site first discovered in 1884, both the pottery and the historical period in which they were made are named after the place where they were found: an area called Yayoi in Tokyo.

In contrast to older examples of Japanese pottery, Yayoi pottery was produced using tools of steel and wood.