inu

dog

The dog is another zodiac animal and can thus be readily found in folk art. However, it is symbolic in other ways as well. During Heian times dog-shaped boxes called inubako were used by the nobility as a charm to ease childbirth. This figure eventually became very popular during the Edo period in the form of inu hariko (papier-mache dogs). These talismans were used to protect infants and small children.

Symbols of Japan: Thematic Motifs in Art and Design
Merrily Baird