I was standing in the middle of a souvenir store inside the Takasaki train station when a cup caught my attention. Mogu Cup was written on the label together with the Yen symbol followed by a few digits, but no other description except for the name of the crafter, Hokuto 59. The beautifully crafted wooden mug felt somewhat familiar. No, not somewhat; it was too familiar. It looked like the souvenir I got for Fafa from Norway, the Kuksa cup.
The Magical Kuksa Cup
Originally made by the indigenous people of Lapland (Finland), the Sámi, Kuksa cup holds a high status in Scandinavian culture. Usually hung on one’s backpack with a lanyard, the lightweight cup is traditionally made from birch and is an essential item for outdoor activities.
They say that one should craft their Kuksa cup or get it as a gift. It also has to go through a ritual involving alcohol before first-time use. And that washing the Kuksa after using it will bring bad luck to the owner. So much meaning cupped into a small cup, eh?
Both cups looked so much alike that I contemplated getting the one I saw in Takasaki for me and making it another His and Hers collection in our house. But, I have yet to see Fafa use his Kuksa cup for drinking, eating or bathing. And I didn’t want to store another cup inside the fridge because we didn’t have enough space in the apartment.
But hey, how interesting! It was my first time seeing a cross-cultural souvenir piece, especially with an 8,458 km distance between them. But, maybe, It’s a small world; after all, The small wooden cups are a testament to it.
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