No visitor to Osaka is safe from the image of Billiken-san, the “god of things as they ought to be,” which has long been a beloved mascot of the city. Though seemingly part of the pantheon of Japanese good-luck deities, Billiken-san originates in Kansas City, Missouri, created by illustrator Florence Pretz.

More or less a product of capitalism, the original Billiken was a charm doll believed to bring luck to the purchaser, a huge success if not a long-lasting one. Today, it is largely forgotten in the States, perhaps except for St. Louis, where it is the school mascot of Saint Louis University.

In Japan, on the other hand, the Billiken continues to be as popular as it once was, not unlike the kewpie doll. First introduced in 1909 and popularized as a new addition to the Seven Lucky Gods, a shrine of “Billiken-san” was erected as part of the Luna Park which opened in Shinsekai, Osaka, in 1912. After the park closed in 1925, the original Billiken-san went missing; it has never been recovered.

In 1979, a new Billiken-san was enshrined on the observatory floor of Tsūtenkaku, a tourist tower in Shinsekai. This marked the lucky god’s triumphant return, and it has since reigned supreme as one of Osaka’s best-known icons. In 2013, the tower underwent a major refurbishment, and the third Billiken-san was enshrined on the observation deck.