“Uchide no kozuchi” (打 ち 出 の 小 槌), which translates to “magic little hammer”, is a symbol of wealth and wealth. It originates from the fairy tale “Isshun boushi” – The little boy.

The story of the lucky little hammer

It can be said that the story of the lucky hammer is not a legend but a fairy tale. The story is that, when a couple lived together for a long time without having a child, every day the wife wished to have a child so she prayed to God for a child. Then the wife finally became pregnant and the couple happily waited until the child was born.

When a wife gives birth, a child is born unlike other children. The children of the couple are only as small as the big toe, the couple do not know whether to be happy or sad but this child is still full of hands, feet, face, nose, not a problem. Because the son was so small, the couple named him Isshunboushi (in Japanese units of 1 sun = 3.03 cm).

Isshunboushi, despite being small but healthy as an adult, can help his parents with housework. Once he used the needle and sharpened it into a small sword, he climbed into a bowl and followed the river into the city. He went to the lord’s palace and asked to be his bodyguard, everyone who saw them laughed at Ishunboushi but the princess found him very lovely so he wanted him to be a bodyguard.

Once the princess returned from the temple, she met a monster with two horns and held a magic hammer in the way, it took the princess to take away. Isshun saw that he chased and used the needle and his power to fight the monster, because he had the power of an adult, the monster was blocked by him. The monster opened its mouth and swallowed Isshu and continued to carry the princess away. Isshun still did not give up, in the belly of the monster he punched and pierced the monster with a needle. The monster with unbearable pain had to throw out Isshun and flee.

The princess saw the monster fleeing leaving a magic hammer, so she shook it up and shook it vigorously saying, “Please give God the hammer for Isshun to grow up”, the prayer was answered, Isshun grew up as an adult and then married. The princess is the wife. Both live together happily ever after.

After this small hammer became a symbol of luck of the Japanese, who owns a lucky hammer will get rich and wealthy for life. At the temples there is a small hammer so that when people come here to pray for good fortune, everyone will take the small hammer, shake it hard and make a wish.

The lucky hammer of the Japanese

The lucky hammer will be specially crafted by artisans in the shape of a magic hammer with a short handle and the head of the hammer is like a drum. The lucky hammer at temples is usually made of wood and is painted on or without drawing. Those who go to the temple will pick up the small hammer and shake and then wish a wish. The Japanese believe that by doing so their wishes will come true.