Folktale Pin Cushion: Inch Boy

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Kei was so excited to find this beautiful pin cushion set from Japan! Not only do the folktale pins remind her of her childhood, the quality of the set is impeccable! Made in Ishikawa, Japan, by true craftsmen.

This "Inch Boy" pincushion is contained in a luxurious Shikki, or Yamanaka lacquerware, bowl with a lid. It is made of wood and has multiple coats of lacquerware on it. The cushion is covered with a wave patterned fabric that represents the ocean. There are also 5 hand-formed pins with characters from the folktale, Issunboshi, or Inch Boy. Each pin cushion and set of pins comes boxed with an illustrated scroll with the folktale written in Japanese. It also includes a version of the folktale in English. 

Dimensions: 1-3/4" x 1-3/4" (47 mm x 47 mm)

The Story of Issun-bōshi

A loving old couple wishes for a baby, no matter how big… This is how the story of Issun-bōshi (One Inch Boy) is born!

Despite his height, the boy eventually leaves home to see the world, equipped with a sewing needle for a sword, a bowl for a boat, and chopsticks for oars. He finds work as a bodyguard to the Princess, and when swallowed by an ogre, stabs away at his stomach until the ogre spits him out and runs away. 

Luckily, the ogre drops his magical mallet  and the Princess picks it up and wishes for Issun-bōshi to be tall. Then, he becomes a great man and marries the Princess. He invites the old man and his wife to the city, and they all live happily ever after.