AKABEKO

Limited Regional Item

Regional handcrafted Akabeko.

In the Aizu region, cows are called beko and the word aka means red.
About 400 years ago, a major earthquake hit the Aizu region and the Aizu Yaizu Enzoji Kokuzōdō collapsed. The building was then rebuilt on a steep cliff, and many of the oxen used to transport timber fell because of the steep path, but it is said that the oxen that made it to the end had a red colour. The cow was called Akabeko and came to be respected and loved. To honour this legend, papier-mache akabeko were made with the wish that they would be patient and healthy. Red is considered to be a colour that the god of pestilence hates, and the round pattern on the body represents the scars that have healed after being struck by the plague.

The red beko (akabeko) has been loved since ancient times as a symbol for family safety, good health and to ward off epidemics.