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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 the "Kijiyama Kokeshi," which developed in the Kijiyama area of the former Minase village (now Yuzawa City) in Akita Prefecture and the Kawatsura area of Yuzawa City
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.
Uniquely expressive wooden kokeshi dolls
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.
Kijiyama style kokeshi dolls were born when woodworkers from all over Japan gathered in this area at the end of the Edo period
At the end of the Edo period, many woodworkers in search of high-quality timber moved to this area from Omi (Shiga Prefecture) and Shinano (Nagano Prefecture), passing through 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 hot springs, and the "Kijiyama style Kijiyama Kokeshi" was born.
Naruko Onsen just beyond the mountains , and it is said that early Kijiyama-style kokeshi dolls were heavily influenced by Naruko-style kokeshi dolls.
As time passed and the Meiji period began, government policy restricted the felling of timber, and many woodworkers from the Kijiyama area moved down the mountain to what is now the Kawatsura area of Yuzawa City, which is famous as the production center of Kawatsura lacquerware
Later, local woodworkers in the Kawatsura area also began making kokeshi dolls, and the kokeshi dolls that began to be made in the Kawatsura area came to be known as "Kijiyama Kawatsura Kokeshi."
As a result, there are now two schools of : "Kijiyama style Kijiyama Kokeshi" and "Kijiyama style Kawatani Kokeshi."
Kijiyama River Kokeshi
"tsukuri-tsuke," which the head and body are made from a single piece of wood , and they have a pickled radish-shaped head and a flared body.
Another unique feature is that the torso is depicted wearing a kimono, with plum blossoms, diamonds, stripes, and other designs on the apron
Another characteristic of these paintings is that the eyes are clearly drawn, with upper and lower eyelids and black eyes, and many of them have an indescribable expression that evokes sadness
All 12 types of Kokeshi dolls from the Tohoku region
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](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAJYAAACWAQAAAAAUekxPAAAAAnRSTlMAAHaTzTgAAAAaSURBVEjH7cExAQAAAMKg9U9tDQ+gAACAdwMLuAABXZHjmQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg== "Togatta Kokeshi - Traditional Kokeshi Dolls Developed in Miyagi Zao's "Togatta Onsen" [Miyagi Prefecture]")
![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]")
