The oldest seated statue of Billiken in Japan
Billiken is a statue created by American sculptor Florence Pritz in 1908, modeled after a god she saw in a dream. It was introduced to Japan around 1909, and in 1912 it was placed at Luna Park, an amusement park in Osaka, where it became a local attraction, but disappeared when the park closed. The Billiken statue enshrined at Matsuo Inari Shrine in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, dates from around this time and is said to be the oldest Billiken statue still in existence.
This wooden statue was made by the owner of a Western-style restaurant who saw a Billiken brought by an American sailor who docked in Kobe. It was affectionately called "Japan Billiken" due to its uniquely Japanese appearance, sitting on a rice bale and holding a magic mallet in its right hand. Later, by chance, it was donated to Matsuo Inari Shrine, where it has been revered as "Matsufuku Daigongen" for over 100 years. Miniatures of the seated statue are given away as lucky charms within the shrine grounds.
