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Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts that represent the Tohoku region .
It is a craft that has spread over a fairly wide area, with at least one unique style existing in every prefecture in the Tohoku region
we will take a closer look at "Tsugaru Kokeshi," which developed in the areas around Nukuyu Onsen and Owani Onsen in Aomori Prefecture
What is a Kokeshi doll?
Kokeshi dolls are wooden who mainly lived in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to make bowls, trays, and other objects, to use as toys for their children or to sell as souvenirs to visitors to nearby hot spring resorts.
Jumbo Tsugaru Kokeshi at the 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 types based on its place of origin and characteristics
Tsugaru-style (Around Hirosaki and Kuroishi cities in Aomori Prefecture)
Southern group (Around Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture)
Kijiyama mountain range (around Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture)
Naruko-style (Naruko Onsen area, Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture)
Sakunami-style (Sakunami Onsen area, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
Togatta type (Around Togatta Onsen, Zao Town, Katta District, Miyagi Prefecture)
Yajiro lineage (Kamasaki Onsen area, Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture)
Hijiori group (around Hijiori Onsen, Okura Village, Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture)
Yamagata-style (around Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture)
Zao Takayu system (Zao Onsen area, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture)
Tsuchiyu area (Tsuchyu Onsen area, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture)
Kokeshi dolls have many different names, such as kideko , dekoroko , kogesu , kiboko , hakogehoko , kinakinabokko, and odekosama.
There are various theories about where the name "kokeshi" originally came from
The evolution of the plague-repelling toy, the Yokeshi
Changes in Koge (piece of wood) and Hohoko (doll)
The meaning of "burnt wood"
A dialectal name for Okeshi, a small doll that was popular during the Edo period
There are several theories, such as the above. Each theory has a certain degree of persuasiveness, and it is thought that the other names mentioned above are names based on their origins, which have been changed by mixing in local accents
As you can see, kokeshi dolls were called by completely different names in different regions, but in 1940 (Showa 15), the "1st Local Gathering/Naruko Convention" , many people including kokeshi craftsmen and enthusiasts gathered and decided to unify the name into three hiragana characters, "kokeshi," and from then on, kokeshi came to be called "kokeshi" in all regions.
Tsugaru-style kokeshi dolls created by woodworker Mori Hidetaro in the early Taisho period
The "Tsugaru-style Kokeshi" is the youngest of the 12 styles, and is said to have originated in the early Taisho period.
It all started when a man named Mori Hidetaro, who ran a woodworking business in Nuruyu Onsen, which is now Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture, began making kokeshi dolls in an original way. He then went on to build the foundations of Tsugaru-style kokeshi together with craftsman Hasegawa Tatsuo from Owani Town
Tsugaru style kokeshi dolls
"tsukuri-tsuke," which the head and body are made from a single piece of wood , and have a body shape characterized by variously shaped waists and flared legs.
The patterns painted on the body include Daruma dolls, which are reminiscent of the fact that this is the birthplace of the Nebuta Festival, as well as Ainu patterns and the peony flower, which is the family crest of the Tsugaru domain, and in the Owani region, iris patterns are sometimes painted
Many of them have distinctive facial features that set them apart from other breeds, such as bob haircuts and long eyelashes
The Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum displays over 4,000 kokeshi dolls collected from all over Japan
The Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum in Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture, the birthplace of Tsugaru Kokeshi, displays over 4,000 kokeshi dolls collected from all over the country
The exterior of the Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum
The building's exterior is a fusion of the traditional architectural structure of Aomori and Akita, areas known for heavy snowfall, and a "komise," of a building to protect it from the snow.
Kokeshi exhibition at Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum
In addition to exhibiting works by the late Mori Hidetaro, the originator of Tsugaru-style kokeshi, you can also see valuable kokeshi dolls painted and painted by the world-famous printmaker Shiko Munakata, in Aomori, around 1964, on Mori Hidetaro's wooden base.
Kokeshi exhibition at Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum ②
In 2024, a kokeshi 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 find your favorite Tsugaru kokeshi here as a memento of your trip!
Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum <Information>
Name: Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum
Address: 72-1 Fukuro Toyama, Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture, 036-0412
Traveling around the Tohoku region, I enjoy drinking delicious sake and exploring the local history, traditions, and customs. I write articles based on my interests. I'm currently interested in folk performing arts, local toys, and folk beliefs
![The facial expressions of Togatta Kokeshi dolls](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_1784-150x150.jpg.webp "Togatta Kokeshi - Traditional Kokeshi Dolls Developed in Miyagi Zao's "Togatta Onsen" [Miyagi Prefecture]")
