Ryukodo
Ryukodo is a Kyoto wa-zakka maker whose maneki-neko, zodiac animals and chirimen ornaments are still finished by hand. Beckoning cats, dragons, shiba inu, daruma and phone charms, all held in stock and dispatched from our Melbourne store.
Kyoto, and the fourth kind of living
Ryukodo works out of Kamigyo-ku in Kyoto, on Imadegawa just west of Omae. The company describes itself as a maker of wa-zakka whose real business is delivering iyashi — a sense of calm or healing — which it calls the fourth kind of living, after food, clothing and shelter.
That sounds abstract until you see how the pieces are put together. Much of the range is still finished by hand, and a good deal of that work is naishoku — piecework done at home rather than on a production line. Paper is torn rather than cut, crepe cloth is wrapped over small wooden forms, faces are painted one at a time. It is slow, it does not scale well, and it is the reason two ornaments of the same design never quite match.
The catalogue turns with the calendar. A new zodiac edition is published every year, alongside seasonal pieces for spring blossom, summer rain, autumn leaves and the new year. Running underneath all of it are the motifs Ryukodo is known for: beckoning cats, daruma, shiba inu, frogs, rabbits and the twelve zodiac animals.
Ryukodo is one of the larger collections we carry. Everything shown here is held in Melbourne and dispatched from our Clayton store, so nothing is on backorder from Japan.
Eight ways into the collection
Maneki-neko 招き猫
The beckoning cat, in ceramic and in torn paper. Traditionally kept by the door or the till.
Chigiri-washi ちぎり和紙
Washi torn by hand and layered so the fibres show at every edge. Soft, matte and slightly different each time.
Chirimen ちりめん
Seasonal ornaments that sway when you touch them. Cherry blossom, sunflower, clover and autumn leaves.
Zodiac 干支
The eto animals as ornaments, sets and charms. A new edition arrives each year ahead of the new year.
Dragons 龍
The largest figures Ryukodo makes, from small desk dragons to a 24cm ascending centrepiece.
Daruma だるま
The round, weighted wishing figure. Fill in one eye when you set a goal and the other when you reach it.
Shiba inu 柴犬
Round-cheeked shibas, sleeping shibas and magnets. Among the most popular pieces we carry.
Straps and charms
Phone straps, magnets and small cloth goods. The easiest place to start, and to give.
Torn paper, wrapped cloth, painted faces
Chigiri-washi means torn Japanese paper. Rather than cutting washi to shape, the maker tears it, so every edge keeps a soft fibrous fringe, then layers the pieces over a form. Nothing is printed. The colour you see is the paper itself.
Chirimen is a crepe-textured cloth. Small panels are wrapped and tucked over wooden or resin bodies, which is what gives the seasonal ornaments their slightly padded, quilted surface. The pieces on spring stems are balanced so a light touch sets them rocking.
The ceramic figures are slip-cast and then painted by hand, which is where the character comes from. Eyes sit a fraction differently, a blush lands a little higher. On a shelf of twenty cats, no two expressions are quite the same.
What each animal is for
Most Ryukodo pieces carry a meaning, which is usually why people choose one over another. A short index of the range by motif.
Lucky cats and daruma
- Squished Maneki NekoFlattened, comic face
- Gold Luck Beckoning CatGold leaf, for prosperity
- Keiju Longevity Maneki NekoFor a long life
- Colourful Maneki-neko PairTwo cats, boxed
- Chigiri Laughing CatTorn washi, seated
- Cat Ceramic OrnamentEight painted designs
- Cat MagnetFor the fridge
- Daruma and Mini Maneki NekoTwo charms together
- Cat in a Daruma SuitCat dressed as daruma
Shiba inu and animals
- Shiba Dog OrnamentCeramic, several colourways
- Shiba Inu Biyori MagnetFor the fridge
- Chubby Cheeks Black Shiba MagnetRound cheeks, magnetic
- Inari-san White Fox PairShrine foxes, messengers
- Dango OrnamentSkewered sweets, four styles
- Summit OrnamentMountain-top scene
- Yurayura Sakura OwlSways when touched
- Yurayura Sakura ChickSpring blossom, chick
- Yurayura Sakura ButterflySpring blossom, butterfly
- Yurayura Sakura JizoSmall guardian figure
Dragons and zodiac
- Golden Ascending DragonThe largest, 24.5cm
- Dragon with Hamaya ArrowTorn washi, 22cm
- Chigiri Fujisan DragonDragon against Mt Fuji
- Floral Dragon Parent and ChildPair, chirimen wrapped
- Chirimen Fortune DragonCrepe cloth, good fortune
- Kaiun Small White DragonCompact, good fortune
- Light Coloured DragonSmall, pale finish
- Peeping Dragon and DarumasDragon behind daruma
- Zodiac Ornament SetBoxed decoration set
- Zodiac Gold and Silver PairTwo figures, boxed
- Zodiac Oyako Pair SetParent and child pair
- Shikishi Art ZodiacPainted art board
Straps, magnets and cloth
- Phone Strap PandaBell and charm
- Phone Strap KappaRiver spirit charm
- Phone Strap Shiba InuBell and charm
- Phone Strap WhaleBell and charm
- Phone Strap PigBell and charm
- Phone Strap FrogBell and charm
- Phone Strap GoldfishBell and charm
- Cat HandkerchiefCotton, 50cm square
- Zodiac Furoshiki 50cmWrapping cloth
- Christmas Furoshiki 70cmReusable gift wrap
Before you choose
Which paw should the beckoning cat raise?
By convention a raised left paw invites people — customers, guests, company — which is why shops often keep one by the door. A raised right paw invites money and good fortune, so it tends to sit at home or by the till. Cats with both paws up cover each. None of it is a rule, and plenty of people simply pick the face they like.
What is omikuji?
Omikuji are the paper fortunes drawn at Japanese shrines and temples. Ryukodo tucks a small printed slip inside a ceramic animal, so the figure works as an ornament once the fortune has been read. The 25-piece sets are made for a counter display, and are popular in cafes and shops.
What is the difference between chigiri-washi and chirimen?
Chigiri-washi is torn Japanese paper, layered so each edge keeps a soft fibrous fringe. Chirimen is a crepe-textured cloth, wrapped and tucked over a small form. Paper pieces look matte and feathery, cloth pieces look padded and slightly quilted.
Are these handmade, and will mine look like the photo?
Much of the range is hand-finished, including hand-painted faces and hand-torn paper. Expect small differences in expression, placement and colour between individual pieces. The photograph shows a representative example rather than the exact item you will receive.
How should I look after them?
Keep paper and cloth pieces out of direct sunlight and away from damp, and dust with a dry soft brush rather than a cloth. Ceramic figures can be wiped with a barely damp cloth. None of these pieces are washable and none are toys.
Which zodiac animal belongs to which year?
The twelve animals run in a fixed cycle, so the animal for a birth year repeats every twelve years. People often buy the animal for the coming year as a new year decoration, or the animal matching a family member's birth year as a gift.
Ryukodo sits alongside the rest of our Japanese decorative pieces, and most of the collection is stocked in store as well as online.
Lucky Ornaments Everything Cats Wind Chimes Furoshiki Gift Sets