Billiken Is American

[Mulboyne]

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"Billiken, god of things as they are."

Asahi: American idol brings happiness
New Year visitors to the Tsutenkaku Tower in Osaka's Naniwa Ward touch the soles of Billiken, a god of happiness. The statue is enshrined on the observation deck of the tower, the symbol of Osaka. Visitors wished for prosperity and happiness in marriage, among other things. This year marks the centennial of Billiken's "birth." An American artist "saw" the figure in her dreams and created the figure. In 1908, the design was patented and Billiken gained worldwide popularity, especially in Japan. Tsutenkaku Kanko Co., which operates the tower, plans to exhibit the statue in the United States this year.

This is probably old news for many FGs but I'd only ever heard of Billiken in Japan so assumed it was a Japanese character.

[Taro Toporific]

"god of things as they are"

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2014_04_02 撮影新世界 #スマホ写真
pic.twitter.com/OXFWrj9xqn -- ジロー@スマホでパシャパシャ (@juke69rock) August 8, 2014