Akabeko is a folk toy born in Aizu and also considered a lucky charm. 

Paint it as you like and make your one-of-a-kind Akabeko.

■About Akabeko

Akabeko is a papier-mâché doll with black spots and a white border painted on a red-painted cow mold.

In the old days, they were used as good luck charms to ward off evil spirits, but today, they are popular souvenirs because of their round shape and the way its head sways.

Today, it is one of the most popular tourist souvenirs in the Tohoku region.

In the past, they were called "yakuzuke cows" (cows that ward off evil spirits) or "lucky cows" (cows that bring good luck); they have long been loved by the people of Aizu as good luck charms to ward off evil spirits and plagues.

■Beko

In some Tohoku dialects, especially in the Aizu region, the word for "cow" is "beko" ("be" imitates the sound of a cow and "ko" is added to indicate affection).

The name "Akabeko" comes from the fact that it is a toy of a cow colored red.

■Shades of red, white, and black

One theory posits that these cows were painted red in honor of the red cow of the Akabeko legend.

This is related to an old folk belief that the color red has a magical meaning and can ward off illness.

This idea is not unique to the Aizu region, but can be found in local toys all over Japan.

In addition, there was once an epidemic of smallpox in Aizu, but the cow in the Akabeko legend took the place of the disease on behalf of local people.

For this reason, it is said that people drew black-and-white patterns on the cow to represent the way a person who has survived the illness looked and displayed them in their houses, hoping that the dolls would protect them from illness.

A thematic journey in the Tohoku region:Traditional Crafts