Hand-carved wooden bear figurine holding a fish, with a beautiful black and brown gradation. The image shows a wooden bear figurine, known as a souvenir from Hokkaido. The style of the bear holding a salmon is particularly classic. Originally, it is said to have originated in the Taisho era when farmers in Yakumo Town, Hokkaido, started making them as a side job during the off-season, using Swiss wooden bears as a model. During the tourism boom of the 1950s and 60s, the style combining the bear and salmon, representing Hokkaido, became popular and a standard. It is considered a lucky charm with wishes for "growing big" and "becoming a big shot," and also has meanings of warding off evil and preventing misfortune. Recently, it has been attracting renewed attention as a retro Showa item, mainly on social media, and its popularity is increasing both domestically and internationally. - Material: Wood - Design: Bear holding a fish - Color: Black and brown gradation - Features: Detailed hand-carved finish; the bear's expression is also good. - There is a tatami mat base of 25cm square; please estimate the size. Thank you for viewing.