By SHINGO TSURU/ Staff Writer
December 5, 2019 at 17:40 JST
Hagoita wooden paddles bearing illustrations of the most-talked about people this year are displayed at the Kyugetsu doll store in Tokyo’s Taito Ward on Dec. 5. (Kazutaka Eguchi)
Who captivated Japan's imagination the most during the first year of the Reiwa Era?
Only those who truly strike a chord with the public get honored by having their image drawn on “hagoita” wooden paddles that Tokyo’s Kyugetsu doll store displays this time each year.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, along with Michael Leitch, who captained the Japanese team in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, made the cut.
So did Asahi Kasei Honorary Fellow and Nobel Prize in chemistry winner Akira Yoshino and golfer Hinako Shibuno, who won the Women’s British Open major championship in August in her first time playing overseas.
Eight hagoita wooden paddles featuring 13 prominent newsmakers this year were unveiled Dec. 5 at the Taito Ward store and will be displayed there until Dec. 6.
After that, they will be on show at department stores and Kyugetsu branches at various locations from Dec. 7 to Feb. 9.
This is the 34th occasion that Kyugetsu has produced the paddles.
This year’s main attraction is the paddle featuring Naruhito and Masako, drawn 15 centimeters longer than the usual length of 60 cm. It was done in a larger size to symbolize wishes for prosperity in the new era.
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