This eye-catching folk craft is a Hamabōzu 浜坊主, a mythical creature rooted in the folklore of the Daisen and Yonago regions along the coast of Tottori Prefecture.
Hand-carved from wood and painted in vivid, primal colors, this piece features a comical and fierce face, exaggerated eyes, and an open mouth with dangling yellow teeth. The bold paintwork on its cylindrical body and cross-shaped arms give it a powerful presence.
According to the legend, the Hamabōzu is a supernatural being, or yokai, that emerged from the beliefs surrounding coastal erosion and the mysterious forces of the sea. It is said that when the land was first created in ancient times, new territories emerged from the distant sea. However, over time, these lands were gradually pulled back into the ocean. In places like the Yumigahama Peninsula and the coastal regions near Mount Daisen, the memory of this disappearing land took shape as a mythical being, Hamabōzu.
This yokai is said to have a large, oddly-shaped body, with an oversized head, glaring eyes that emit light, and a mouth like a beak. Its body is round and stump-like, sometimes described as resembling a sport baton. When it appears, it leaves behind large footprints in the sand, and legend has it that this figure shows itself near the ocean just before great calamities, such as storms or typhoons. Because of this, Hamabōzu came to be seen as a harbinger of natural disasters. Farmers and fishermen believed that placing an image or effigy of Hamabōzu would ward off evil and bring protection from disasters.
Size: 13 x 8 x 23cm
