This charming and playful daikon-themed kokeshi is a delightful vintage omiyage folk craft from Kagoshima, dating back to Showa 36 (1961). The two characters are humorously shaped like daikon radishes, a vegetable that carries deep symbolic meaning in Japan, often associated with good health, prosperity, and fertility.
Hand-painted with bright expressions and soft colors, the figures are nestled together in a small woven basket, adding to their warm, nostalgic charm. The male figure has a leafy green top, while the female wears a ribbon, evoking the image of a couple—perhaps symbolizing family harmony or a bountiful household. This piece captures the joyful and lighthearted design style popular in the early Showa period, making it a wonderful collectible that blends humor, tradition, and regional character.
In Shinto and folk traditions, daikon’s white color represents purity. It's often offered at shrines as a sacred vegetable (shinsen) and plays a role in seasonal purification rituals such as daikon-maki (wrapping with daikon), practiced to ward off evil spirits or illness.
A rare and whimsical keepsake from southern Japan, this kokeshi is not just a folk toy but a nostalgic expression of local identity and Japanese craft culture.
