The Sumo Wrestling Radish

Because the Taiwanese name for radish, “caitao,” sounds like the word for “good luck,” radishes have long represented luck at temples, elections and ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

But what’s the story with the radish in the sumo loincloth? Is it a cartoon imported from Japan?A good luck charm for wrestling matches? A Google search turned up nothing but a recently released Mandarin film called “Radish Warrior.”

This particular sumo-wrestling radish is intended to go on a car license plate, thus the nut and bolt on its backside.

The item was purchased on Jan. 19, 2009, in Taipei. It was a gift for a friend who likes personified fruits and vegetables.

Cost $80 TWD or $2.50 USD

The Souvenir Museum launches Flickr group

Search for “tacky souvenir” on Flickr, and you’ll find something you’d never expect to see. That’s why the Souvenir Museum has launched a Flickr group, where Flickr users can add photos to the group pool and nominate their favorite finds.

If you have a Flickr account, join the Souvenir Museum group, and start nominating photos for the Kitschy Keepsake Contest (details will be forthcoming).

To add your own photo to the group, make sure to tag it “SouvenirMuseum,” then go out and nominate other wacky wonders. Instructions on the Flickr’s Souvenir Museum page includes code that can be pasted in the comments field of the photo you’re nominating. The message should appear like the example below.

We look forward to seeing you on Flickr!

This deserves to be in the Souvenir Museum!
Tag your photo with “SouvenirMuseum”

The place for travel keepsakes, both tacky and terrific.

Welcome to the Souvenir Museum

Welcome to the Souvenir Museum, the place for travel keepsakes, both tacky and terrific.

Do you have a travel keepsake that is begging for a new home, defies all explanation or is just plain kick ass? Then, let us know about it. It deserves a place in the Souvenir Museum, the place for travel keepsakes, both tacky and terrific.

Email a photo of your souvenir to the museum curator at souvenirmuseum@gmail.com, and include the following information.

1. WHAT IS IT? (Besides a description of the object itself, describe the motif and its background or significance to the place from which it comes. The more specific, the better.)

2. WHERE DID YOU GET IT? (Tell us if it was a gift from Aunt Jenny, or that you bought it at Kuma’s Souvenir Shop in downtown Lagos, Nigeria. The more specific the better.)

3. WHEN DID YOU GET IT? (Do you still have the receipt that says the exact day it was purchased, did you buy it at an antique mall second-hand or do you just remember that you got it on vacation in Hawaii circa 1963? The more specific, the better.)

4. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? (This is your opportunity to justify the purpose behind the purchase. Were you swept up in the moment, did it sound like a good idea at the time, but when you got it home it just didn’t work with your decor?)

5. SOMETHING ABOUT YOU. (It could be a memory from the trip the souvenir pertains to, or something unique and interesting about yourself)

6. WHICH STATEMENT APPLIES:
a. I am willing to donate the actual object to the museum or traveling exhibit.

b. I want to keep the object, but I’m willing to loan it to the museum for specific exhibits.

c. I prefer not to relinquish the item, the photo is good enough for me.

7. YOUR NAME. (You can choose to be anonymous if you prefer)