✳︎Item Name: Kagoshima Jingu "Tai-guruma" (Sea Bream Cart) ✳︎Production Year: Late Showa period ~ ✳︎Size: Approx. H 5.5 x L 9 x W 4 cm ✳︎Condition: Wheels turn. No box / Surface peeling (please refer to images) / Please understand that as a used item, there may be some age-related damage. Notes: Wheels (bark peeling) / There are marks from carving tools during shaping, chips, and uneven coloring, which are characteristic of old wood carvings. Please order with the understanding that this is a used item. The origin of this "Tai-guruma" is not just a specialty product of Kagoshima Prefecture, but is said to be a representation of the myth of the red fish that swallowed a fishhook, as found in ancient tales. What is that story? Hiko-hoho-demi exchanged his favorite bow with Umisachi-hiko's fishing gear and went out to sea. While Hiko-hoho-demi was fishing, he lost his fishhook. Oh dear, his elder brother Umisachi-hiko would not forgive him no matter how much he apologized. In desperation, Hiko-hoho-demi sought advice from Shio-tsuchi-no-oji. He visited the sea palace in a basket with no eyes, and there, he finally retrieved the lost fishhook from the throat of a sea bream. And they lived happily ever after. This is a historically rich local folk toy, deeply connected to the local faith and presented at the Kagoshima Jingu Shrine's festival (Wisteria Festival), which enshrines deities with a rich mythology and history. It is made from cedar planks shaped like a fish, with red and yellow stripes and black lines, and is equipped with four wheels. With its rustic charm and vibrant colors that evoke a southern tropical atmosphere, it continues to be loved among folk toys nationwide. ◎⤵︎Search Terms Below Folk craft Japanese lucky charm Wood carving Ittobori (one-stroke carving) Lucky can Koppa doll Sasano Ittobori Amulet Folk toy Ki-usagi (wooden bullfinch) Ainu carving Kezurikake (shaved off) Peasant art Shinto altar