What is a Sarubobo? The Tale of the Takayama Mascot

• About
• Latest Posts

Helen Foster

Helen Foster is a Sydney-based author, journalist and content creator. She has traveled to Japan six times and is planning trip seven. Her articles on Japan have appeared in publications including Reader's Digest (Asia Pacific), RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, the Japan National Tourism Organisation website and more. She is a digital publisher member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers.

Latest posts by Helen Foster (see all)

• 7-Day Hokuriku Arch Pass Itinerary - 11 November 2025
• Onnaiwa Rock, Toyama- One of Japan’s Prettiest Views - 11 November 2025
• How to Spend One Day in Himi, Toyama - 6 November 2025

If you’re shopping in Takayama, you’ll notice a little doll-shaped creature in many of the souvenir shops. It has pointy arms and legs and a big round head—but no facial features. This is a Sarubobo.

If you wander around town, you’ll realise you can buy ice cream shaped like him; there’s a shrine dedicated to him, and even the local tourist bus is named after him. So, what’s the deal?

The Origin Of Sarabobo

Sarabobo means baby monkey in Japanese. Traditionally, they were made by family and given to women expecting babies (monkeys apparently have easy births) or for children to play with in the Hida region where Takayama sits. Like the Billikens of Osaka, they have now become one of the city’s most recognisable symbols.

Colour Matters

Nowadays, Sarubobo aren’t just children’s toys. They are also sold as a kind of good luck charm. The color of the doll is said to determine where the luck will be bestowed – so bear this is mind if you’re buying one as a souvenir.

Buy red if you want luck in marriage, childbirth or fertility

Buy pink to bestow luck in love

Buy green to be lucky in your health

Buy yellow if you would like some financial luck

Buy blue if you want luck in exams, at school or at work

Black Sarubobo are said to help remove bad luck

Why the Sarubobo don’t have faces isn’t completely known, although the simple theory is that it’s just because they were dolls made at home from scraps, so they didn’t need to be ornate. Whatever the reason, they are immensely popular, and you’ll find them to buy in shops all over the city.

But you don’t just find them in shops.

Visiting the Stone Sarubobo

You’ll find a giant Sarubobo statue in the Kokubun-ji temple near Takayama Station.

Known as the petting Sarubobo, it’s said that if you rub the parts of this stone sculpture associated with your wish, it will come true – so, you might pick his head for luck in study or work, the heart for luck in love or any affected body parts if you have any health worries.

Judging by the slightly worn patch in his middle, I think there are a lot of people visiting him for luck in love!

You can also buy prayer plaques with the Sarubobo shape on them or buy a Sarubobo to hang at the temple for good luck.

What Else is at Kokubu-Ji?

In addition to the corner dedicated to Sarubobo, the temple has a large pagoda and a large wooden hondo (the name of the main hall in a Buddhist temple).

This main building is thought to be the oldest temple building in Takayama, and the ginkgo tree within the grounds is believed to be over 1200 years old, so it’s definitely somewhere you should stop off even if you’re aren’t interested in visiting the stone sarubobo.

The Pagoda has not fared so well and has burned down a few times, so this version is only from 1820. But it’s still very pretty.

The shrine is generally very quiet so it’s a great place to see a pagoda up close without battling heaps of people as you might in Kyoto or Senso-ji in Tokyo.

Making your Own Sarubobo

If buying a Sarubobo isn’t quite personal enough, you can also make your own Sarubobo in a couple of places around town.

The closest to the city is the Hida Takayama Town Activity and Exchange Hall, located on the edge of the Old Town area.

They offer classes daily between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. You can make a reservation in advance on their website.

Sarubobo making is also one of the craft-making experiences at the Hida no Sato open-air museum south of the city.

Head to the Hida Takayama Craft Experience Center at the front of the complex to find out availability, times and prices for the day you visit.

And As for the Ice Cream

Sadly, I missed this, but it’s adorable, and buying one is now the first stop on my next trip to Takayama.

You can buy Sarubobo ice cream in several shops around Takayama—and they even have them in some of the local Family Marts, which makes it even more irritating that I didn’t spot it before.

Image @Sarubobo Ice Cream Media Kit.

Here’s the full list of stores in Takayama and Shinagawa. But, if you’re in the old town, you can pick one up at either branch of Souvenir Shop Sangawaya, on Kamisannomachi, one of the main roads in the area of wooden houses.

So, there you have it; a brief explanation of the Sarubobo in Takayama. Don’t forget to pick one up as a souvenir of your visit.

Sharing is caring!