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Yamagata Kokeshi – Traditional Kokeshi created by Kobayashi Soji, who trained in woodworking at Sakunami Onsen in the Sendai domain [Yamagata Prefecture]
Yamagata Kokeshi – Traditional Kokeshi created by Kobayashi Soji, who trained in woodworking at Sakunami Onsen in the Sendai domain [Yamagata Prefecture]
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 "Yamagata Kokeshi," which originated in Hatagocho, Yamagata City, Yamagata 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.
Various 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.
Yamagata-style kokeshi dolls were known as "kokeshi that cannot stand up" due to their thin bodies
"Yamagata style kokeshi" is "Yamagata Sakunami style," and is said to have originated in 1860 (the first year of the Man'en era) when a man named Kobayashi Kuraji, who apprenticed to a woodworker in Sakunami Onsen, Sendai Domain, opened a woodworking business in the town of Hatago in Yamagata.
Yamagata-style Kokeshi dolls
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 a children's toy, but their thin bodies made them easy for children to hold, which was a drawback, and they were famous for being unable to stand up . However, as their use shifted to being decorative, their bodies became thicker.
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](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]")
