Japanese Child Protection Charm: "Hagoita"

This Japanese paddle, called "hagoita," is used to celebrate the first birthday of a baby girl, to ensure her good health and wishing her good luck.

The hagoita originated from in yearly fortune-telling rituals during the new year. The rituals expel bad luck. Tradition holds that a girl expelled her bad luck by hittinga shuttlecock, called "hane," with the hagoita. A traditional new year's game, called "hanetsuki," uses the hagoita and hane.

The hagoita was originally decorated with designs of pine trees, bamboo, and plum blossoms or flowers and birds. Later, they began featuring caricatures of popular Kabuki actors in famous roles, as is the case here.
Source:
http://homepage3.nifty.com/hinaya/shougatsueng.htm http://www.asakusa-umai.ne.jp/e_asakusa/matsuri/index_win_e.html