信楽たぬきの由来は？陶芸の聖地信楽で生まれる縁起物
At the eaves of a soba shop, the entrance of an izakaya, the doorway of an inn — wearing a big straw hat, a sake flask in one hand and an account book in the other, smiling with a round little belly. If you have lived in Japan, or traveled through it from overseas, you have surely seen it at least once: that utterly endearing raccoon-dog figurine. This is the “Shigaraki tanuki” (shigaraki-danuki).
Why did this tanuki spread so widely across Japan? Why is it placed at storefronts as a “lucky charm”? And what meaning is held in each part of that shape? In this article, we introduce the whole of the Shigaraki tanuki — the national character born of Shigaraki ware — its history, meaning, highlights, and how to enjoy it.
What Is the Shigaraki Tanuki — the Icon of Shigaraki Ware’s Lucky Charms
The Shigaraki tanuki is a raccoon-dog figurine of “Shigaraki ware (shigaraki-yaki),” made mainly in the Shigaraki area of Kōka City, Shiga Prefecture. Shigaraki ware is one of the “Six Ancient Kilns of Japan” — alongside Bizen, Tamba, Echizen, Tokoname, and Seto — a leading pottery region of Japan with over 1,200 years of history. And the very “symbol” of Shigaraki is this tanuki.
Visit the town of Shigaraki, and tanuki of every size line the roadsides, stand before the kilns, and gather at the station. It is truly “the village of tanuki.” The rustic, warm quality born of Shigaraki’s clay and flame, combined with the tanuki’s endearing expression, has made it beloved by many.
Why Is the Tanuki a Lucky Charm?
The reason the Shigaraki tanuki is regarded as a lucky charm for business prosperity lies in a play on words. The word “tanuki” can be read as “ta-nuki” — “to outdo others” — expressing the wish to “outdo rival shops and prosper,” to “get a step ahead of those around you.” That is exactly why the tanuki has long been favored at the storefronts of shops and restaurants.
In addition, in Japanese folk tales the tanuki is beloved as a shape-shifting creature, portrayed — as in the story of Bunbuku Chagama (the lucky tea kettle) — as a somehow lovable, fortune-bringing character. That easygoing, luck-inviting image forms the foundation of the Shigaraki tanuki as a lucky charm.
The Eight Lucky Traits (Hassō Engi) — Eight Wishes Held in the Tanuki
It is said that the figure of the Shigaraki tanuki holds eight lucky traits known as “hassō engi.” That each one is not merely cute but a lesson for business and for life is the depth of the Shigaraki tanuki.
| Part | The meaning it holds |
|---|---|
| Straw hat (kasa) | Being ever ready to ward off unexpected misfortune |
| Face (kao) | Always smiling and amiable — business begins with a smile |
| Eyes (me) | Being attentive, looking widely around, and judging correctly |
| Sake flask (tokkuri) | Cultivating virtue; never wanting for food and drink |
| Account book (kayoichō) | Trust first in dealings; building up credit little by little |
| Belly (hara) | Uniting composure and boldness to decide (a “big-bellied,” generous spirit) |
| Money pouch (kinbukuro) | Being blessed with fortune and using money wisely |
| Tail (o) | Ending things big and firm — all’s well that ends well |
So many wishes entrusted to a single figurine. You may find yourself looking at the tanuki at the storefront a little differently.
The History of the Shigaraki Tanuki — How the Shigaraki Tanuki Became a National Icon
The Birth of the Tanuki Figurine
It is said that the potter Fujiwara Tetsuzō created the prototype of the endearing Shigaraki tanuki we know today. From the late Meiji through the Shōwa era, he made tanuki figurines from Shigaraki clay and established the form we now picture: “a tanuki wearing a straw hat, holding a sake flask, standing on two legs.” More approachable than earlier tanuki figures, and equipped with the elements of a lucky charm, his design became the foundation of the great popularity to come.
The Imperial Visit of Emperor Shōwa, and the Tanuki’s National Debut
There is a famous episode credited with making the Shigaraki tanuki nationally known all at once. In 1951 (Shōwa 26), when Emperor Shōwa visited Shigaraki, tanuki lined up along the road to greet him, each holding a small Rising-Sun flag. It is said the Emperor was so moved by the charming sight that he composed a poem about the tanuki. The event was widely reported in the newspapers, and the name of the Shigaraki tanuki spread throughout Japan.
Shigaraki Becomes “the Village of Tanuki”
Ever since, Shigaraki has been known as “the village of tanuki,” and the tanuki has become the symbol of Shigaraki ware. During the era of rapid economic growth, it spread to storefronts across the country as a lucky charm for shop openings and business prosperity, becoming so familiar as to be part of the Japanese landscape.
Shigaraki’s Clay, and the Tanuki’s Expression
The appeal of the Shigaraki tanuki lies in its “expression.” Shigaraki clay is a rustic, deeply flavorful pottery clay containing grains of iron and feldspar, firing to a warm skin. This clay and flame give rise to the tanuki’s plump volume and its somehow droll — yet fortune-bringing — endearing face.
Many are made by hand or with molds, but because the painting and finishing are done by an artisan’s hand, each one’s expression differs slightly. Compare them closely and you find a dignified tanuki, a deadpan tanuki, a laugh-loving tanuki — each with its own personality, which is part of the fun. Meeting the one you want to call “our own” is a pleasure only handwork can give.
The Shigaraki Tanuki Today — From Tradition to Freedom
While the classic hassō engi tanuki is still loved, in Shigaraki today artists continue to make tanuki with free imagination. From palm-sized little tanuki to giants taller than a person. Embracing husband-and-wife tanuki, tanuki clad in the seasons, tanuki reinterpreted as contemporary art…
What they share is a trust in Shigaraki’s clay and an easygoing quality that makes the viewer smile in spite of themselves. A traditional lucky charm that keeps updating its expression with the times — that is the vitality of the Shigaraki tanuki.
More Than Tanuki — the Appeal of Shigaraki Ware, the Sacred Land of Pottery
Shigaraki is called “the sacred land of pottery” not only because it is a town of tanuki. Behind those lovable tanuki lies a rich ceramic tradition that has fired pottery for more than a thousand years. If you have come to meet the tanuki, do also touch the depth of Shigaraki ware as pottery.
The Six Ancient Kilns: Shigaraki, Over a Thousand Years
The origins of Shigaraki ware are said to reach back to the 8th century, in the Nara period. In medieval times it flourished as a major producer of practical pottery that supported daily life — large jars, urns (kame), and grinding bowls (suribachi). As one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan, it is a leading pottery village that has continued without ever letting its fire go out.
The “Natural Ash Glaze” Landscape Born of Shigaraki’s Clay
The core of Shigaraki ware’s appeal lies in the locally quarried clays (gairome and kibushi clay) and the “landscape” (keshiki) born of the wood kiln’s flame. During long firing, ash from the burning wood settles on the piece and melts, becoming a natural ash glaze (shizen-yu) that yields a glass-like green. Where the flame strikes directly, the surface flushes scarlet (hiiro) and fire-color, while the black of scorching draws the landscape tight. This chance expression of clay and flame, beyond full human control, is the greatest highlight of Shigaraki ware.
Wares of “Wabi,” Loved by Tea Masters
In the Momoyama period, as the tea ceremony spread, Shigaraki’s rustic, powerful quality captured the hearts of tea masters. Its unadorned earthy character and natural-ash-glaze landscape resonated deeply with the “wabi” aesthetic, and Shigaraki water jars (mizusashi) and flower containers (hanaire) were prized as masterpieces of the tea room. From practical ware to ware worthy of appreciation — Shigaraki ware, together with the tea ceremony, rose in rank.
The Shigaraki Ware of Today, Coloring Daily Life
Modern Shigaraki is not limited to tanuki and large pottery. From pieces that color the table and vases for arranging flowers, to tiles and building materials, it continues to evolve as a wide-ranging center of making. Based at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, artists from Japan and abroad face Shigaraki’s clay, inheriting traditional techniques while creating new expression. Rustic, warm, and more endearing the more you use it, Shigaraki’s pottery quietly accompanies everyday life.
Visiting Shigaraki — to the Village of Tanuki
Shigaraki is a wonderful travel destination for going to meet the tanuki.
・Shigaraki’s kilns and old roads: Countless tanuki line the roadsides and stand before the kilns, a scene worthy of the name “village of tanuki.” At the Shigaraki Kōgen Railway and in front of Shigaraki Station, big tanuki that change their outfits with the seasons greet you.
・The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park: A hub for exhibitions of Shigaraki ware and an artist-in-residence program where artists from Japan and abroad stay and create. Here you can touch the “now” of Shigaraki ware.
・The Shigaraki Ceramic Festival: The region’s biggest event, held each autumn. Kilns and artists gather in one place, and you can pick up and choose Shigaraki ware — the tanuki included — directly.
How to Display and Choose a Shigaraki Tanuki
If you welcome one as a lucky charm, being a little mindful of “how to place it” makes the attachment grow.
As for where to place it: if you wish for business prosperity, put it at a storefront or entrance. The basic idea is to place it where it welcomes people. As for which way it faces, it is said to be good to turn its face toward the entrance, as if greeting the visitors and customers who arrive. For size, choose to suit the place — a medium-to-large tanuki with real presence for an entrance, a palm-sized one for a room or shelf. And most important of all is to choose by expression: from the faces that differ one by one because of the handwork, choosing the one you feel is “this one” is the surest decision of all.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Shigaraki Tanuki (FAQ)
Q1. Why is the Shigaraki tanuki a lucky charm for business prosperity?
It comes from a play on words: reading “tanuki” as “ta-nuki” (“to outdo others”) to express the wish to “outdo rival shops and prosper” and “get a step ahead of those around you.” In addition, its figure holds eight lucky traits known as “hassō engi” — the straw hat, sake flask, account book, big belly, money pouch, and more — which is why it has long been placed at the storefronts of shops and restaurants.
Q2. What are the eight lucky traits (hassō engi)?
They are the eight lucky traits held in the figure of the Shigaraki tanuki: the straw hat (warding off misfortune), the face (a smile and amiability), the eyes (correct judgment), the sake flask (virtue), the account book (trust), the belly (composure and boldness), the money pouch (fortune), and the tail (a firm ending). That the lessons of business and life are concentrated in a single figurine is the depth of the Shigaraki tanuki.
Q3. Where should I display a Shigaraki tanuki, and how do I choose one?
If you wish for business prosperity, the basic idea is to place it at a storefront or entrance — a “place that welcomes people” — with its face turned toward the entrance. A medium-to-large size suits an entrance, a palm-sized one suits a room. Because Shigaraki tanuki are handmade and each has a different expression, choosing the face you feel is “this one” is the way that grows the most attachment.
Q4. Besides tanuki, what else is there in Shigaraki ware?
Shigaraki ware is one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan. In medieval times it flourished with practical wares such as large jars, urns, and grinding bowls, and in the Momoyama period its water jars and flower containers were prized as masterpieces of the tea ceremony. Today, everything from tableware and vases to tiles and building materials is made. Their shared appeal is the one-of-a-kind landscape — the “natural ash glaze,” “scarlet,” and “scorching” — born of local clay and the wood kiln’s flame. The tanuki is a symbolic presence born from this rich ceramic culture.
The Smiling Tanuki of Shigaraki, Inviting Good Fortune
The Shigaraki tanuki is neither a mere souvenir nor just a figurine. The wish of “outdoing others,” the lessons of business and life held in the eight lucky traits, the story surrounding Emperor Shōwa’s visit, and the expression born one by one from Shigaraki’s clay and flame — in each of these, the daily life of Japan and the history of Shigaraki ware live on.
A tanuki with a big belly, always smiling. Just gazing at it, somehow your shoulders relax and you feel you can do your best again tomorrow. Why not welcome a fortune-inviting Shigaraki tanuki to your own entrance as well?
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