福ふく助すけ

ふ

く

す

け

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

Fukusuke; large-headed dwarf statue; good-luck charm

A traditional Japanese figurine of a man with a large head, often seated, believed to bring good fortune. Commonly placed in shops and homes.

店みせの入いり口ぐちに福ふく助すけが飾かざってある。
A Fukusuke doll is displayed at the entrance of the shop.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉に福ふく助すけを飾かざるto display a Fukusuke figurine in a place
店みせの入いり口ぐちに福ふく助すけを飾かざって商しょう売ばい繁はん盛じょうを願ねがった。
They placed a Fukusuke figurine at the shop entrance to wish for business prosperity.

Kanji

福blessing, fortune, luck
助help, rescue, assist

Related words

招まねき猫ねこ
招き猫 is a beckoning-cat figurine believed to attract customers, while 福助 is a large-headed human dwarf figure believed to bring general good luck.
だるま
だるま is a round, red Daruma doll used for setting and tracking goals, whereas 福助 is a seated, large-headed figure kept simply as a lucky charm.

Counted with

体たい
Used because Fukusuke figures are counted as dolls/statues with 「一体」, regardless of size.

Built from

福ふく+助すけ

Written forms

福ふく助すけUsage87%
Standard kanji spelling; widely recognized as a lucky charm figure.
フクスケUsage11%
ふくすけUsage2%

Etymology

The name 福助 combines 福 (good fortune) and 助 (help), literally 'fortune helper'. The figurine is said to be modeled after a real person from the Edo period, but the exact origin is uncertain.