Guardian File
$15
Full-size card, phone wallpaper, and a printable kanji sheet with each character's meaning, reading and stroke order.
A Japanese tradition · Kanji checked in Japan
In Japan, the year you were born has its own guardian Buddha.
Find yours, with your zodiac guardian and your name written in kanji. Free. About one minute.
Free · No sign-up to see your result
Free · About one minute · Kanji checked in Japan
Find your guardian Buddha
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Whose guardian are we finding?
- Kanji checked in Japan
- Hand-carved in Japan
- Ships worldwide, duties paid
What you get
Your name in kanji, your zodiac guardian and the guardian Buddha for your birth year, on a card you can share. Then, if you want it, in wood.
Concept images. Your piece is made from your own result.
Hand-carved in Japan
Each hand-carved piece is made in Japan by a Horimori master carver who also carves Buddhist figures. Dragons, shishi and the twelve zodiac animals are figures Japan has carved for generations.
A small piece of Japan
Bamboo, moss, maples, narrow lanes. The things people travel to Japan for are the things these charms come from.
Twelve animals, eight guardian Buddhas
In Japan, each zodiac year has its own guardian Buddha, called mamori honzon (守り本尊). Each is traditionally said to watch over the people born in its year for life. Find the one Japanese tradition gives your birth year.
- 子RatFirst of the twelve, Daikoku's messengerSenju Kannon
- 丑OxTenjin's ox: slow, steady, gets thereKokūzō
- 寅TigerGoes a thousand ri and comes homeKokūzō
- 卯RabbitThe rabbit in the moon, the leap aheadMonju
- 辰DragonRises with the clouds and the waterFugen
- 巳SnakeBenzaiten's messenger, shedding the oldFugen
- 午HorseThe horse behind the ema plaqueSeishi
- 未SheepGentle, and kept together as a flockDainichi
- 申MonkeySaru: let the bad things leaveDainichi
- 酉RoosterCalls the sun back upFudō
- 戌DogSafe births and a loyal heartAmida
- 亥BoarCharges straight ahead, no turningAmida
In Japan the zodiac year changes on January 1. Some almanacs count from risshun, around February 4, and your result shows both.
How it works
- 1
Take the free diagnosis
Your birth year, your name and what you want it to stand for. About one minute.
- 2
Get your kanji name and guardian
Your name in kanji, your zodiac animal and your guardian Buddha, on a card made for you.
- 3
Have it carved by hand
Keep the card, or have your guardian hand-carved in Japan. You approve the characters before anything is cut.
Keep it, or have it carved
Hand-carved pendant
$180
Run 1 · 3 pieces
Your guardian, hand-carved in Japan by a Horimori master carver. Carved one at a time, so each run is small.
The remaining count is the real number of pieces left in the run.
Questions
What does hand-carved in Japan mean?
Each piece is carved by hand in Japan by a Horimori master carver who also carves Buddhist figures. Openwork may be cut with a scroll saw first, then carved by hand. Because every piece is carved one at a time, it will differ a little from the photos.
What does kanji checked in Japan mean?
Sound-based kanji are a way to write a name's sound. They aren't an official Japanese name. Each character comes from a list checked in Japan, and before anything is engraved you approve a proof of the exact characters. For hand-carved pieces, the carver checks the kanji again before carving.
Can I return it?
Hand-carved and engraved pieces are made for one person, so they can't be returned. If one arrives faulty, damaged, or not as described, or a character doesn't match the approved proof, we remake it free, or refund you if you prefer. Digital files can't be refunded once the download starts. This doesn't affect your legal rights.
How is it shipped? Will I pay customs?
We ship worldwide with insurance. Import duties and taxes are paid at our end, so there's nothing more to pay when it arrives.
Is it blessed by a shrine or temple?
No. In Japan, people carry omamori for protection and luck, in a bag or on their keys, often for years. Ours are made by Horimori, not issued by a shrine or temple, and not prayed over.
Find the guardian for your birth year
Free. About one minute.