Asian Parrot Wall Pocket - Japanese?

I have such a hard time telling Chinese and Japanese characters apart. Can anyone point me at least to the right country? I'm guessing Japan, and skimmed through Gotheborg, but I didn't come up with a match.

This is a parrot wall pocket, with four impressed characters on the back. I've found more modern versions with this same shape, but they all have the importer marks, etc., instead of characters.

Thanks! Oh, and FYI, it's approx 7.5" tall and 3.25" wide.

 

Looks like Tokanabe

Sold by Sears in the 1920s or so

 

Wow Terry! I've never known what this stuff was called.
UncleChuck's wall pocket must have been made before 1921, since it's not marked in English "Made in Japan", unless maybe it originally came with a sticker I suppose.

 

Always good to find out what it is made of sooner or later. I took a quick look at the photos and assumed it was made of cast iron!

 

Oops - sorry - it's pottery. It has a really dark clay - almost black. I can see how it looks cast iron, with the black and dark bronze paint.

I was curious if this one was older, since all the other import versions are made of bright white clay. I've now found several "newer" ones with similar impressed characters, PLUS importer inkstamps. So, I'm guessing the maker, even on an older one, will not be a selling point.

Just FYI:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Par...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Col...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

And thanks, Terry - I had never heard of the Tokanabe items. You hit a double, as I was going to ask about this vase next. I found several of them listed with that keyword: