Akabeko: Fukushima’s Famous Red Cow

Traditional Toys

Akabeko are traditional red cow toys made from papier-mâché in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture. Today, they are a popular souvenir for visitors to the area. They are made of two parts, a body with stubby legs and a long neck section fitted inside, hanging from a string, so that touching the head will make it bob up and down, back and forth. In the name, aka means “red” and beko is a local dialect word for “cow.”

According to one legend, the original akabeko, held to be a real animal, actually appeared in the Aizu region (the far inland, mountainous region of Fukushima Prefecture) in the ninth century to assist in the construction of a temple. A local leader heard this story in the late sixteenth century and encouraged artisans to make toys representing the cow. These became associated with protection against smallpox, and even today akabeko are considered to be good-luck charms.

(Originally written in English. Banner image © Pixta.)