Frog ENGIMONO lucky charm

Frogs are considered good luck charms in Japan, as “kaeru”, Japanese word for frog, is a homophone of verb “to return”, often found in expressions such as “okane ga kaeru” (money returns), “fuku ga kaeru” (fortune returns) or “buji ni kaeru” (to return safe and sound).

They are also used to pray for the prosperity of one's descendants and, as frogs can only leap forward, their image is said to bring good luck to one's career. Frog is said to bring good luck because it is said that money that has come out will come back in, It's said that if you give it to someone, it will come back to you, and it's considered a lucky charm.

So it's a lucky charm that means “safe return”, “return of good fortune”, “return of money” or “rejuvenation”. In this case, the amulet contains a fragment of gold leaf to ward off evil. Many Japanese carry this type of amulet in their wallet or purse as an invitation to good fortune.