Height 9.5cm This is an amulet called "Somin Shorai Fu" from Shinano Kokubunji Temple, believed to ward off evil. It is hand-carved from Lombardy poplar wood. The characters "蘇民" (Somin), "将来" (Shorai), "子孫" (Shison - descendants), "人也" (Jin'ya - is a person), "大福" (Daifuku - great fortune), and "長者" (Chōja - wealthy person) are written in ink and vermilion on each of the hexagonal faces. This traditional amulet is distributed annually at the Yōkaidō festival on January 7th and 8th. It is hung on the entrance of a house or offered at a household shrine to ward off epidemics and disasters and invite good fortune.