[Fukushima Prefecture] “Tsuchiyu Kokeshi” is a traditional kokeshi doll originating from Tsuchiyu Onsen, which is said to be the birthplace of the three major kokeshi dolls in the Tohoku region.

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representing the Tohoku region .

It is a craft that has spread over a fairly wide area, with at least one unique lineage existing in every prefecture in Tohoku.

we took a closer look at the ``Tsuchiyu Kokeshi'', which was developed around Tsuchiyu Onsen in Fukushima Prefecture

What is Kokeshi?

Kokeshi dolls are made by craftsmen called kijishi who lived mainly in mountain villages and 's wheel to make bowls and trays for a living. It is a wooden toy that was made to be sold as a souvenir to tourists in hot spring resorts.

It is said to have originated around the end of the Edo period, and is generally divided into the following 12 strains based on production area and characteristics.

• Tsugaru type (around Hirosaki City and Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture)
• Southern type (around Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture)
• Kiji Mountain Range (around Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture)
• Naruko type (around Naruko Onsen, Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture)
• Sakunami system (around Sakunami Onsen, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
• Togatta system (around Togatta Onsen, Zao Town, Katta District, Miyagi Prefecture)
• Yajiro type (around Kamasaki Onsen, Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture)
• Hijiori series (around Hijiori Onsen, Okura Village, Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture)
• Yamagata series (around Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture)
• Zao Takayu system (around Zao Onsen, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture)
• Tsuchiyu system (around Tsuchiyu Onsen, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture)
• Nakanosawa series (around Nakanosawa Onsen, Inawashiro-cho, Yama-gun, Fukushima Prefecture)

Various names and their origins

Kokeshi dolls have many other names, including , Dekoroko , Kogesu , Kiboko , Kogehoko , Kinakinabokko , Odekosama

Where did the name "kokeshi" originally come from? There are various theories about this,

• Transformation of the pest control toy to prevent epidemics
• Changes in burnt (piece of wood) cheeks (doll)
• Koge (wood cutting) meaning of shi (child)
• The accent of a small doll called okeshi that was popular in the Edo period.

There are multiple theories such as. Each theory has a certain level of persuasive power, and the aliases mentioned above are thought to have evolved by adding local accents to the names based on their respective origins.

In this way, Kokeshi dolls were called by completely different names in various places, but in 1940 (Showa 15), Kokeshi craftsmen and enthusiasts attended the ``1st Local Gathering - Naruko Festival'' A number of people related to the festival got together and decided to unify the word ``kokeshi'' into three hiragana letters, and from then on it has been called ``kokeshi'' in all regions.

Tsuchiyu-style kokeshi dolls developed at Tsuchiyu Onsen

Tsuchiyu Kokeshi dolls were developed around Tsuchiyu Onsen in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture .

Tsuchiyu Onsen is said to be one of the three major kokeshi birthplaces, along with Togatta and Naruko in Miyagi Prefecture, and there are three theories about its origins.

1. It is said that when Gamo Ujisato was transferred to Aizu in 1591, he brought five woodworkers from Omi with him.
2. The theory is that Masayuki Hoshina, who was transferred from Takato, Shinshu to Aizu in 1634, brought a woodworker with him.
3. The theory is that it was passed down to the Takamori village from a woodworker in Aizu before then.

There are many theories, but I don't know for sure.

Tsuchiyu Kokeshi dolls are a black ring called ``Janome'' ``Kase'' bangs, and the body is decorated with red, yellow, green, etc. A beautiful pattern of the potter's wheel lines is drawn.

In addition, since the head is fitted into the body, one of its features is that it makes a squeaking sound when the neck is turned, similar to Naruko-style Kokeshi dolls.

Tsuchiyu Onsenkyo, the birthplace of Tsuchiyu Kokeshi dolls

Tsuchiyu Onsenkyo is located in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture, along National Route 115, which connects Fukushima City and Inawashiro Town, and which was formerly called Aizu Kaido (Tsuchiyu Kaido), and also serves as a post station. It is a hot spring resort with a history of over 1400 years.

The name "Tsuchiyu" originates from the legend of the opening of the hot springs in this area.In the past, when Oanamuchi no Mikoto struck the bank of the Arakawa river with a halberd, hot water gushed out from there. It is said that the name ``Tsukiyu'' changed to ``Tsukiyu'' (earthen bath).

Tsuchiyu Onsen was famous as one of Fukushima Prefecture's representative hot springs, but the number of tourists has decreased since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. At this time, the hot spring mascot character ``Kibokko-chan'', modeled after the Tsuchiyu kokeshi doll, was born.

Kibokko-chan, a girl born on December 7th, has since been in charge of public relations activities as a beautiful girl advertising Tsuchiyu Onsen.

Tsuchiyu Onsenkyo＜Information＞

• Name: Tsuchiyu Onsenkyo
• Address: 1 Uenomachi, Tsuchiyu Onsen-cho, Fukushima-shi, Fukushima 960-2157
• Phone number: 024-595-2217 (Tsuchiyu Onsen Tourism Association)
• Official URL: https://www.tcy.jp/

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