Good Luck and Customer Attraction Billiken Large Tabletop Size Good Luck and Lucky Charm Lucky Item Sheet of Our Original Feng Shui Octagonal Mirror

Size: Approximately 19.5cm (width) x 30.5cm (height) x 16.0cm (depth) *The AA battery shown is for size reference only and is not included with the product. This is a slightly larger-than-average Billiken figurine. Billiken was born in 1908 (Meiji 41). There are several theories, but it is said that the origin of Billiken came from a dream in which the American female artist Florence Pretz (E.I. Horseman) had Billiken appear. The name is said to have been created by adding the suffix "-ken," meaning small, to "Billy," a nickname for William Howard Taft, the president at the time. He was considered a god of fortune whose wishes would come true if you scratched the soles of his feet and laughed. It was introduced to Japan in the late Meiji period. It is said to have become popular throughout Japan, especially in geisha districts, as a god of domestic harmony and business prosperity.