How the God of Happiness Became Osaka’s Weird Idol

This article was published in “Kansai Weekend 2024”.
To read the entire issue, click here.

If you’re walking around Osaka, you’ll likely come across the golden statues that can be found throughout the city. Meet Billiken, Osaka’s unofficial mascot, known for his bright smile and reputation for bringing good luck. Perched outside many shops and landmarks, Billiken exudes whimsical charm and brings a touch of joy and humor to those who pass by.

God who does nothing

Billiken’s appearance is as unique as his character. He’s a chubby, slant-eyed creature who looks like a little boy – but there’s something distinctly non-human about him. He sat upright with his arms at his sides, a small tuft of hair covering his pointed head, while his disproportionately large feet were flexed in front of him. The soles of his feet and belly are often made of gold and often sparkle as countless hands rub them for good luck.

According to the official Japanese Billikon website, Billikon is the god of “the way things are as they are” – although his statues sometimes show a grammatically truncated version of “things as they are”, causing English speakers to laughter. Osaka embraced the concept, seeing Billiken as a delightfully idle god. He just sits, smiles cheekily, and watches humans and events unfold as they should. Billiken reminds people that humans are responsible for their own happiness and should not rely on divine intervention.

Or maybe Billikon is the most useless god ever created. Regardless, his playful personality perfectly embodies Osaka’s fun-loving spirit.

All American God

Unlike most Japanese gods with centuries of legend, Billikon only appeared in the early 20th century. And Billiken isn’t even Japanese. Kansas City artist Florence Pretz conceived the Billiken one night in 1908 and received the first patent for a god. The origin of his name is not entirely clear, but theories suggest it comes from the poem “Mr.” “Moon: Songs of Little People,” by Bliss Carman and Richard Hovey, in which Billiken is included among the names of the “little people” who mock the moon. Other theories suggest that Billiken was a nickname for then-President William Howard Taft.

Upon its release, Billiken immediately captured the public’s imagination. He appeared in postcards, newspapers, advertisements, toys and was even the subject of a satirical song by Blanche Ring. His popularity soared, and the Billiken became the mascot of Saint Louis University and gained international fame, eventually reaching Japanese shores.

missing god

Osaka first welcomed the Billiken in 1909, when the original statue was erected at Shinsekai Amusement Park (Luna Park). Drapery store owner Komajiro Tamura was so fascinated by the statue that he registered it as the patron saint of his company, Tamurakoma, in 1911. However, when the park closed in 1923, the statue mysteriously disappeared.

In 1979, Tsutenkaku installed a replacement statue of Billiken, modeled after Tamura Koma’s 1949 version. Although often replaced due to wear and tear on its feet, Osaka’s most famous Billiken statue sits on Tsutenkaku’s golden observation deck, overlooking the city from a height of 87.5 meters above the ground. Over the course of several decades, the Billiken went from being an amusement park exhibit to a local deity—all without doing much of anything.

problematic god

The fact that Billiken was founded by a white woman in Missouri in the early 20th century may cause some concern. Florence Pretz reportedly “dreamed of all things Japanese” when she came up with “Billiken.” Knowing this, it’s hard not to see Billiken as a cross-eyed caricature.

There are few explicit depictions of Billikens as Asian. Victoria Gray, collections manager at The Strong National Museum of Play, believes that “the toy industry is not necessarily invested in making the Billiken’s Orientalist backstory a core part of the marketing strategy for doll versions. . Explicitly promoting the toy as ‘Japanese’ may have gone too far in testing the boundaries of propriety, stoking fears of ‘racial suicide’ rather than the sense of playful playfulness for which the Billiken doll was promoted.”

Piecing together scraps of magazines and vintage toy box prints, Billiken is likely an American-invented Japanese godchild. The Billiken did strike a chord with the Japanese public, though, and was warmly welcomed by Osaka.

future billikens

Billiken’s inexplicable charm remains. His bright, mischievous smile hints at a dark secret, or maybe it’s just our fondness for cheeky, chubby babies that draws us in.

The Billiken appeared in a 1996 film directed by Junji Sakamoto, and now you can explore Osaka through augmented reality by scanning Billiken statues across the city. Even though Billikan was from Missouri, he still charmed Osaka and put a smile on Osaka’s residents’ lives in pursuit of happiness. Despite Billiken’s lack of tangible influence, he may have given us what we needed all along.

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