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Fukusuke

Traditional porcelain dolls associated with good luck in Japan

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated September 23, 2024
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

Fukusuke (福助) are traditional dolls associated with good luck in Japan. A Fukusuke doll is the depiction of a man kneeling seiza style, with a large head and a topknot.

01History

It was originally a doll enshrined in tea houses or brothels in the Edo period to bring good luck. In those days, it was considered that Fukusuke would bring "perennial youth, wealth and honor".

The doll usually wears a kataginu (かたぎぬ), a kind of vest with exaggerated shoulders. While this kind of garment was worn by samurai or court officials, some say that Fukusuke was based on a daimyō of Kyoto. The origin of the Fukusuke doll is not clear, others say that its origin is found in the kami of luck or fuku no kami (福の神) called Kanō Fukusuke (叶福助) in the Edo period.

Fukusuke is often seen in business establishments, and is today treated as a common good luck icon. Many are made of Chinese porcelain and others handcraft.

The logo of the Fukusuke Corporation is a Fukusake.
The logo of the Fukusuke Corporation is a Fukusake.

02Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Fukusuke was one of the characters featured on the cover of the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967).

Watch videos about FukusukeExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Fukusuke”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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