Tsugaru Kokeshi

[Aomori Prefecture] Tsugaru Kokeshi is the youngest of the 12 lines, a traditional kokeshi doll that originated in the Taisho era.

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 deep dive into the Tsugaru Kokeshi dolls, which were developed around Onyu Onsen and Owani Onsen in Aomori 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.

Jumbo Tsugaru Kokeshi at Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum (Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture)
Jumbo Tsugaru Kokeshi at Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum (Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture)

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.


Tsugaru-style kokeshi dolls created in the early Taisho era by the woodworker Mori Hidetaro.

Tsugaru Kokeshi dolls are said to be the youngest of the 12 kokeshi dolls, dating back to the early Taisho period.

A man named Hidetaro Mori, who was running a woodworking business at Nuruyu Onsen in what is now Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture, started making Kokeshi dolls creatively, and later moved to Owani Town. Together with craftsman Tatsuo Hasegawa of Owanichimachi, he laid the foundation for Tsugaru kokeshi dolls.

Tsugaru style kokeshi doll
Tsugaru style kokeshi doll

``tsutsuki'' , in which the head and body are made from a single piece of wood , and the body shape is characterized by various shaped waists and wide legs.

The patterns painted on the body include daruma paintings, reminiscent of the birthplace of the Nebuta Festival, as well as Ainu patterns and peony flowers, which are the family crest of the Tsugaru clan, and in the Owani region, iris patterns are also painted. there is.

Many have distinctive facial features that set them apart from other breeds, such as bobbed heads and long eyelashes.


Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum exhibits over 4,000 kokeshi dolls collected from all over the country

The Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum in Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture, the birthplace of Tsugaru Kokeshi dolls, has over 4,000 kokeshi dolls collected from all over the country on display.

Exterior of Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum
Exterior of Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum

It has a traditional architectural structure in Aomori and Akita, which are areas with heavy snowfall, and the exterior has an image of an Edo-period merchant house fused with the ``komise'' It has become.

Kokeshi doll display at Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum
Kokeshi doll display at Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum

In addition to exhibiting works by the late Mr. Shutaro Mori, the originator of Tsugaru-style kokeshi dolls, there will also be a rare piece of wood painted by Shiko Munakata, a world-renowned Aomori native and world-renowned printmaker, on Mori Shutaro's wood . You can also see kokeshi dolls.

Kokeshi doll display at Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum②
Kokeshi doll display at Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum②

In 2024, a kokeshi doll shop called ``Kokeshi Kobo tsuN'agaru'' will open in the ``Tsugaru Traditional Crafts Museum'' adjacent to the Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum. It might be a good idea to look for your favorite Tsugaru Kokeshi here as a memento of your trip!

Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum<Information>

  • Name: Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum
  • Address: 72-1 Fukurotoyama, Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture 036-0412
  • Phone number: 0172-54-8181
  • Official URL: https://denshokokeshi.com/

Google Map


Other articles