The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching the cord. In this example, there are a pair of holes (himotoshi) on the bottom of the sandal. Although netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving). This is a three-dimensional carving, such as this netsuke of copper coins or zeni.

During the Edo period (1615-1868) copper coins were the lowest value of currency and were strung together, through their square holes, in amounts of either a hundred or a thousand. Due to the depictions of auspicious emblems such as Diakoku (the god of wealth) caring the treasure sack of Hotei (god of prosperity), and a depiction of a horse carrying large bales of rice, this netsuke would have be suitable for a prosperous merchant.