Yamagata Kokeshi – Traditional Kokeshi created by Kobayashi Soji, who trained in woodworking at Sakunami Onsen in the Sendai domain [Yamagata Prefecture]

Aoiwa
2025.01.24
Last updated: 2025.03.27

table of contents

1 What is a Kokeshi doll?
- 1.1 Various names and their origins
2 Yamagata-style kokeshi dolls were known as "kokeshi that cannot stand up" due to their thin bodies
3 All 12 types of Kokeshi dolls from the Tohoku region

are one of the representative traditional crafts of the Tohoku regionKokeshi dolls.

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

that originated in Hatagomachi, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture"Yamagata Kokeshi," a type of kokeshi dollwe've taken a closer look at

What is a Kokeshi doll?

primarily by woodworkers called "kijishi," who lived in mountain villages andbowls, trays, and other items using a potter'sKokeshi dolls are woodento make a living. They were made to be toys for their own children or to sell as souvenirs to visitors of nearby hot spring resorts.

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 City and Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture)
Southern type(around Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture)
Kijiyama Mountain Range(around Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture)
Naruko style(around Naruko Onsen, Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture)
Sakunami style(around Sakunami Onsen, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
Togatta area(around Togatta Onsen, Zao-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi Prefecture)
Yajiro lineage(around Kamasaki Onsen, Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture)
Hijiori area(around Hijiori Onsen, Okura Village, Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture)
Yamagata lineage(around Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture)
Zao Takayu area(around Zao Onsen, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture)
Tsuchiyu area(around Tsuchiyu Onsen, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture)
Nakanosawa area(around Nakanosawa Onsen, Inawashiro-machi, Yama-gun, Fukushima Prefecture)

Various names and their origins

Kokeshi dollsきでこ,kideko,dekoroko,kogesuand evenkogehouko,kiboko,odekosamahave many other names, such as

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

Although kokeshi dolls were called by completely different names in various regions, in 1940 (Showa 15), the Tokyo Kokeshi Association held its"1st Local Gathering - Naruko Convention," where many people involved, including kokeshi craftsmen and enthusiasts, gathered and decided to standardize the name to the three hiragana characters "kokeshi." Since then, they have been called "kokeshi" in all regions.

Yamagata-style kokeshi dolls were known as "kokeshi that cannot stand up" due to their thin bodies

"Yamagata-style kokeshi dolls"are"Yamagata-Sakunami-style"kokeshi dolls, and it is said that their origins date back to 1860 (Man'en 1), when a man named Kobayashi Kuraji, who apprenticed with a woodworker at Sakunami Onsen in the Sendai domain, opened a woodworking business in Hatagomachi, Yamagata.

As they are descended from the Sakunami style, their features are similar: the insertable head is decorated with red ornaments, bangs, and hair on both sides, and the slender body is decorated with plum and cherry blossoms, as well as safflower, the prefectural flower of Yamagata

The original purpose of these kokeshi dolls was to be "children's toys," and their thin bodies, designed to be easy for children to grip, unfortunately led"kokeshi dolls that don't stand up,". However, as their purpose shifted to being decorative, their bodies gradually became thicker.

All 12 types of Kokeshi dolls from the Tohoku region

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Tsugaru Kokeshi - The youngest of the 12 styles, a traditional kokeshi doll originating from the Taisho era [Aomori Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/37544

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the region. This time, we'll take a closer look at "Tsugaru Kokeshi," a type of kokeshi that developed around Nukuyu Onsen and Owani Onsen in Aomori Prefecture. What is kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by craftsmen known as "kijishi," who lived mainly in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items. They were used as toys for their children and to sell as souvenirs to visitors to nearby hot spring resorts. The Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum's Jumbo Tsugaru...

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Nanbu Kokeshi - A unique, traditional kokeshi doll characterized by its achromatic nature [Iwate Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/36465

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the region. This time, we'll take a closer look at the "Nambu Kokeshi" style, which developed mainly in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture. What is a kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by artisans known as "kijishi," who lived mainly in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items. They were used as toys for their children and sold as souvenirs to visitors to nearby hot spring resorts. Kokeshi painting experience: From the end of the Edo period...

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Kijiyama Kokeshi - A traditional Akita kokeshi doll with a unique, melancholic expression [Akita Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/37639

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the region. This time, we'll take a closer look at the "Kijiyama Kokeshi" style, 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 Kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by craftsmen called "kijishi," who primarily lived in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items, both for their children to play with and to sell as souvenirs to visitors to nearby hot spring resorts.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Naruko Kokeshi - Traditional Kokeshi dolls developed in Naruko Onsen, one of the three famous hot springs in Oshu, Miyagi Prefecture

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/35201

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the region. This time, we'll take a closer look at Naruko Kokeshi, a style of kokeshi that developed mainly around Naruko Onsen in Miyagi Prefecture. What is kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by woodturners, who primarily lived in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items. They were used as toys for their children and sold as souvenirs to visitors to nearby hot spring resorts. The Japan Kokeshi Museum's exhibition of various styles from the Edo period...

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Sakunami Kokeshi - A traditional kokeshi doll with over 150 years of history, developed in Sakunami Onsen, Sendai [Miyagi Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/39390

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the region. This time, we'll take a closer look at Sakunami kokeshi, a style that developed around Sakunami Onsen in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. What is kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by woodworkers known as kijishi, who primarily lived in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items, to play with for their children or to sell as souvenirs to visitors to the nearby hot spring resort. The kokeshi "..." at Sakunami Station on the JR Senzan Line...

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Togatta Kokeshi - Traditional Kokeshi Dolls Developed in Miyagi Zao's "Togatta Onsen" [Miyagi Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/34949

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the region. This time, we'll take a closer look at "Togatta Kokeshi," a style of kokeshi that developed mainly in Togatta Onsen, Miyagi Prefecture. What is kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by craftsmen known as "kijishi," who lived mainly in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items, to play with for their children or to sell as souvenirs to visitors to nearby hot spring resorts. Miyagi Zao Kokeshi Museum | Kokeshi by Style...

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Yajiro Kokeshi - A traditional kokeshi doll developed around Kamasaki Onsen, the hometown of the Shiraishi Katakura family [Miyagi Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/35019

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the region. This time, we'll take a closer look at Yajiro Kokeshi, a style of kokeshi that developed mainly in the Yajiro community of Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture. What is kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by craftsmen known as "kijishi," who lived mainly in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items, to play with for their children or to sell as souvenirs to visitors to nearby hot spring resorts. Yajiro Kokeshi Village | Styles...

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Hijiori Kokeshi - Traditional kokeshi developed in Hijiori Onsen, drawing on the traditions of the Naruko and Togatta styles [Yamagata Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/37280

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the region. This time, we'll take a closer look at the Hijiori kokeshi, a type of kokeshi that developed around Hijiori Onsen in Yamagata Prefecture. What is a kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by craftsmen known as kijishi, who lived mainly in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items, to play with for their children or to sell as souvenirs to visitors to the nearby hot spring town. The giant kokeshi doll at Hijiori Onsen dates back to the end of the Edo period...

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Yamagata Kokeshi - Traditional Kokeshi created by Kobayashi Soji, who trained in woodworking at Sakunami Onsen in the Sendai domain [Yamagata Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/37646

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the Tohoku region. This time, we'll take a closer look at Yamagata kokeshi, a type of kokeshi that originated in Hatagocho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture. What is kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by craftsmen called kijishi, who primarily lived in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items, to play with for their children or to sell as souvenirs to visitors to nearby hot spring resorts. Various kokeshi dolls have emerged since the end of the Edo period...

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Zao Takayu Kokeshi - Traditional kokeshi developed in Zao Onsen, drawing on the traditions of Tsuchiyu and Togatta [Yamagata Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/36513

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the Tohoku region. This time, we'll take a closer look at Zao Takayu Kokeshi, a type of kokeshi that developed around Zao Onsen in Yamagata Prefecture. What is kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by craftsmen known as kijishi, who lived mainly in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items, to play with for their children or to sell as souvenirs to visitors to nearby hot spring resorts. Various kokeshi dolls date back to the end of the Edo period...

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Tsuchiyu Kokeshi - Traditional kokeshi dolls originating from Tsuchiyu Onsen, said to be the birthplace of one of the three major kokeshi dolls in the Tohoku region [Fukushima Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/35814

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the region. This time, we'll take a closer look at "Tsuchyu Kokeshi," a type of kokeshi that developed mainly in Tsuchiyu Onsen, Fukushima Prefecture. What is a kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by craftsmen known as "kijishi," who lived mainly in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items, both for their children to play with and for sale as souvenirs to visitors to nearby hot spring resorts. Tsuchiyu Onsen's approximately 3-meter-tall...

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Nakanosawa Kokeshi - Traditional Kokeshi Dolls Breaking Away from Being Just a Part of the Tsuchiyu Style [Fukushima Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/35803

Kokeshi dolls are one of the traditional crafts representative of the Tohoku region. They are a craft that has spread widely, with at least one unique style found in every prefecture in the region. This time, we'll take a closer look at Nakanosawa Kokeshi, a type of kokeshi that developed around Nakanosawa Onsen in Fukushima Prefecture. What are kokeshi? Kokeshi are wooden toys made by craftsmen called "kijishi," who lived mainly in mountain villages and made a living by using a potter's wheel to create bowls, trays, and other items, to play with for their children or to sell as souvenirs to visitors to the nearby hot spring resort. There are many Nakanosawa Kokeshi dolls...

Aoiwa

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