The Allure of Ornaments
— What Shigaraki Tanuki Teaches Us About Prayer and Story in Things —
When people hear “Shigaraki ware,” many first picture a plump, good-natured tanuki (raccoon dog) standing upright, holding a sake flask and a ledger. Perched by an entryway or shopfront, the tanuki’s presence has an undeniable charm—and a curious power to gently warm the heart.
Yet the Shigaraki tanuki ornament is more than a cute mascot or a simple good-luck charm. It stands as a cultural symbol of Shigaraki ware, carrying within it the Japanese sensibility of prayer and a mindful gaze toward everyday life.
In this article, using the “tanuki of Shigaraki” as our guide, we’ll explore the cultural and sculptural appeal of ornaments—and the new role they’re beginning to play within our projects.
Shigaraki and the Tanuki — Why the Tanuki?
The fame of the Shigaraki tanuki is nationwide—yet its roots are relatively recent, tracing back to the Meiji era. It’s said that Shigaraki potter Tetsuzō Fujiwara began crafting tanuki figures as auspicious ornaments. Later, in 1951, when the Showa Emperor visited Shigaraki, the town was lined with tanuki figures, bringing them to national attention.
In Japan, the wordplay of “tanuki” evokes “ta (others) nu (to surpass)”—symbolizing success in business. The tanuki is also associated with the “Eight Auspicious Traits” (hassō engi), and the Shigaraki tanuki embodies them as follows:
The Eight Auspicious Traits of the Shigaraki Tanuki
- Straw Hat (Kasa): Protection from unexpected misfortune.
- Eyes: Clear sight and sound judgment.
- Face: Amiability in how one meets others.
- Sake Flask: Good fortune so one never lacks food and drink.
- Ledger/Passbook: Trust and credibility, leading to prosperous business.
- Round Belly: Calm boldness—the balance of composure and courage.
- Money Pouch: A symbol of wealth and financial luck.
- Tail: A wish for things to conclude well and end in stability.
Knowing that so much meaning is contained in a single figure, we begin to see the tanuki not as mere decoration but as a symbol of prayer woven into daily life.
Ornaments as “Guardians of Daily Life”
In traditional Japanese homes, altars and household shrines reflected a vivid sense of “living alongside the unseen.” Seasonal displays, regional folk dolls brought back from travels, guardian dogs, and demon-warding roof tiles—all were ornaments that watched over daily life.
Today, fewer homes keep altars or kamidana, and interiors have grown more minimal. Precisely for that reason, we believe it’s time to reconsider the role of the ornament.
Shigaraki tanuki and other figures create ma—breathing room—in a space, and circulate a gentle ki through the home. It’s a value separate from convenience—quiet, felt, and deeply human.
Our Work: Reconnecting Ornaments and Everyday Living
To keep Shigaraki alive in the present, we operate a guesthouse with Shigaraki-inspired saunas and a hands-on e-commerce platform.
Throughout the guesthouse, tanuki figures serve not as mere decoration but as guardians of place: a small tanuki by the sauna entrance, a straw-hatted watcher by the fire pit. Guests grow fond of them, snap photos, and often say upon departure, “I kind of want one.”
On our experience-based e-commerce site, guests can even make their own tanuki ornament. We receive messages like, “It was my first time doing pottery—I made a tanuki!” or “I greet it every morning at home.”
In other words, beyond simply buying an ornament, we invite people to make one, interact with it, and let it carry a story—bringing ornaments back into daily life with deeper meaning.
Why Ornaments Matter in Contemporary Spaces
Modern homes often prioritize simplicity, reason, and function. Yet spaces can feel oddly hollow when rationality is all that remains.
Add just one ornament—tanuki, animal, plant, or abstract form—and the air of the room transforms. Ornaments provide a center of gravity. They give a place meaning, inviting attention—and, with it, expression—into the space.
The Shigaraki tanuki in particular carries the warmth of earth and fire—both playful and steadfast. Its weight in the hand reassures; its presence alone can comfort. For many today, it may be a small household guardian.
Not Just “Display,” but “Live With”
When we propose Shigaraki ornaments, our aim is not to place them as “things to put on display,” but to welcome them as “companions in daily life.”
A tanuki you catch eyes with each morning and can’t help but smile. A small figure that quietly welcomes you home at day’s end. Wordless, it knows your routine and keeps watch over your mood.
This sensitivity isn’t rare or mystical—it’s a shared human capacity for sensing the relationship between people and things.
Ornaments with Stories, Connected Through Our Site
Our e-commerce platform connects people around Japan and the world with ornaments born from stays at our lodge and hands-on pottery experiences.
Imagine a young guest trying pottery for the first time and crafting a tanuki with care. Someone else sees it, is drawn to its expression, and places it by their front door. Yet another visitor, seeing that ornament, becomes curious about our lodge and comes to stay.
In this way, ornaments create a living cycle—linking people to people, and people to places. Unlike mass-produced products, these pieces bear the trace of the hand and a palpable warmth. That is how an ornament moves beyond decoration to become part of a home’s unfolding story.
In Closing
Ornaments speak softly. Without words, the scent of clay, traces of firing, fingerprints, and playful form can gently move the heart.
And if it all began with a single experience—a tanuki met on a trip, or a tiny clay figure you made yourself—then that ornament holds a meaning and a memory unlike any other.
Through Shigaraki ornaments, we hope to:
- Bring meaningful objects back into everyday life,
- Connect earth, fire, and human intention, and
- Share a way of living rich with stories.
If, one day, a small tanuki stands quietly in your home, we believe your space will feel just a little more abundant.
