Osaka Choseido Hagoita with personalized wooden plaque included perfect for the first New Year Floral design (Japanese paddle) - Cute, stylish,

Battledore height: approx. 21cm Decoration size: width 12cm x depth 9cm x height 24cm Quality: Polyester (Japan) - Hagoita (decorative battledore) - Boxed Each item is handmade. Please note that due to the nature of the production process, the fabric pattern may differ from the photo. Our shop is a long-established engagement gift shop founded in 1931. We have been preserving Japanese traditions and culture for nearly a century. All of the personalized wooden tags that we send out as a service are handwritten. Please refer to the notes at the bottom of the page, and the personalized wooden tags will be sent separately from the product. [What is Hatsushōgatsu?] Hatsushōgatsu refers to the first New Year a baby experiences after birth. In Japan, it has been a long-standing tradition to celebrate this first New Year with the baby's grandparents, uncles, aunts, matchmakers, and close friends giving gifts: a battledore for girls and a ceremonial bow for boys. [Meaning of Battledore] Battledore and shuttlecock have been a girls' game since the Edo period. The battledore also serves as a charm to protect baby girls from illness. The hard, black ball used in battledore is the seed of a large tree called "mukuroji," which is written as "無患子" in kanji. This symbolizes "the child will not suffer from illness." [When to display] Battledores and ceremonial bows should be displayed from mid-December onwards. It is also a good idea to invite those who gave the gifts to your home for a celebration during the New Year. It is best to put them away around January 15th. This is because it is around this time that the Sagicho (Dondo-yaki) ceremony, in which New Year's decorations are burned, takes place. In the Edo period, there were brightly colored Sagicho battledores depicting scenes from the Sagicho ceremony at the Imperial Court. This can be said to illustrate the close relationship between this New Year's event and battledores. Please see the explanation at the bottom of the page for details regarding the wooden tag bonus. A decorative battledore to celebrate a girl's first New Year. Made from polyester with a lustrous sheen and soft texture. "Yuinoya Choseido" is a specialty store for engagement gifts and traditional crafts, established in 1931. They also have stores in Daimaru, Matsuzakaya, and Kintetsu Department Stores. What is the first New Year? The first New Year's Day a baby experiences is called "Hatsu-Shogatsu" (first New Year's Day). In Japan, there is a long-standing and beautiful custom of celebrating this first New Year's Day with the baby's grandparents, uncles and aunts, matchmakers, and close friends giving gifts: a battledore to a girl and a ceremonial bow and arrow to a boy. Meaning of the battledore The traditional New Year's game of battledore and shuttlecock has been a girls' pastime since the Edo period. The battledore itself also carries the meaning of a charm for the health and well-being of baby girls. The hard, black ball used to hit the shuttlecock is the seed of a large tree called "mukuroji," which is written in kanji as "無患子," meaning "children will not suffer from illness." When to display It's best to put up the battledore and demon-repelling bow from mid-December onwards. It's also a good idea to invite those who gave you the gifts over to your home for a New Year's celebration. It's best to put them away around January 15th, as this is when the Sagicho (Dondo-yaki) ceremony, in which New Year's decorations are burned, takes place. In the Edo period, there were brightly colored Sagicho battledores depicting scenes from the Sagicho ceremony at the Imperial Court. This speaks to the close relationship between this New Year's custom and the battledore.