Hagoita

[3] In the Edo period (1603–1868), oshie-hagoita were designed with images of elegantly made-up kabuki actors (oshie meaning raised cloth pictures).

[1] They were made using washi or cloth cut out in the shape of flowers and people and pasted onto the paddle stuffed with cotton to give them a three-dimensional appearance.

During the Edo and Meiji period, many different kinds appeared; some high-quality paddles even used gold leaf and silver foil.

At present, hagoita are not limited to featuring portraits of kabuki actors but also of movie and TV stars and of famous athletes.

[4] Operating from December 17 to 19, it attracts a large number of customers and also marks the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.