[Akita Prefecture] Akita's traditional kokeshi "Kijiyama Kokeshi", which has a unique melancholy expression

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 will take a closer look at the ``Kijiyama Kokeshi'', which was developed around the Kijiyama area of ​​the former Minase Village (now Yuzawa City) and the Kawatsura area of ​​Yuzawa City in Akita 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.

Kokeshi dolls from the Kijiyama system were created at the end of the Edo period when woodworkers from all over the world gathered here.

At the end of the Edo period, many woodworkers who sought high-quality wood moved to this area from Omi (Shiga Prefecture) and Shinano (Nagano Prefecture), via Aizu (Fukushima Prefecture) and Onikobe (Miyagi Prefecture).

After a while, these woodworkers began making ``Kokeshi dolls'' as souvenirs for the nearby Doroyu Onsen and Oyasukyo Onsen spas, and it is said that ``Kijiyama-kei Kijiyama Kokeshi dolls'' .

Naruko Hot Springs just beyond the mountain , so it is said that the early Kijiyama Kokeshi dolls were strongly influenced by the Naruko Kokeshi dolls.

As time passed and entering the Meiji period, logging of timber was restricted by national policy, and many woodworkers from the Kijiyama area moved down the mountain to the current Kawatsura area of ​​Yuzawa City, famous for producing Kawatsura lacquerware. I did.

Tohoku Rokken trivia media: NEFT

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[Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture] What is Kawatsura lacquerware? A traditional craft from Japan that is widely loved for its ease of use...

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/10091

When it comes to Akita prefecture's traditional crafts, Kawatsura lacquerware comes up alongside birch work, Odate Magewappa, and Akita cedar okes and barrels, but surprisingly many people don't know about its characteristics and goodness. In this article, we will explain in detail the characteristics of Kawatsura lacquerware and the points to consider when purchasing it. What is Kawatsura lacquerware? Kawatsura lacquerware is lacquerware for everyday use that has been passed down from the Kamakura period approximately 800 years ago in Kawatsura-cho, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture, and has been selected as a traditional Japanese craft. To be designated as a traditional craft, the following five conditions must be met, and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry's instructions must be met based on the Act on the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries.

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After that, wood craftsmen in the local Kawatsura area also started making kokeshi dolls, and the kokeshi dolls that started being made in the Kawatsura area came to be called ``Kawatsura Kokeshi''

Because of this, there are now two streams of : "Kijiyama Kokeshi" and "Kawatsura Kokeshi"

``tsutsuki'', in which the head and body are made from a single piece of wood , and they have a rakkyo-shaped head and a body with a wide hem.

One of its unique features is that the torso is depicted in a kimono, and the apron is decorated with plum blossoms, cross-legged patterns, and striped patterns.

The eyes are clearly drawn, with the upper and lower eyelids and black eyes, and the expressions often have a melancholy or indescribable expression.