Hagoita

Hagoita (羽子板 ｢はごいた｣) are the wooden paddles used to hit shuttlecocks (羽子 pronounced hago ｢はご｣ or hane ｢はね｣), traditionally made of soapberry seeds and bird feathers, that are used to play the traditional Japanese pastime called hanetsuki during the New Year.^[1] The paddles are decorated with various images, sometimes executed in relief, of women in kimono, kabuki actors, and so on.^[2] Japanese people think playing hanetsuki is a way to drive away evil spirits because the movement of the hagoita is similar to the harau action (a Japanese expression meaning “to drive away”).^[1] Thus playing hanetsuki with hagoita is often used as a charm against evil.