Since ancient times in Japan, a land of forests, various things for living from architecture to daily necessities – regardless of scale – have been made from wood.
In the world of my field of expertise, lacquerware is one of them.
Lacquerware production is clearly divided into two processes: the woodturner shaping the base, and the lacquerer applying the lacquer. Eventually, some woodturners in the Tōhoku region began to specialise in kokeshi production, giving rise to the profession of “kokeshi craftsperson”.
In the late Edo period, when society had reached maturity, hot-spring cure trips became so common that a publication called Onsen Banzuke (spa ranking list) was produced. Kokeshi dolls, which had previously been merely folk toys, became popular as souvenirs of trips. This increased demand pushed kokeshi dolls into an independent craft genre.

Traditional Tōhoku kokeshi are classified into 11 (or 12) different styles depending on their region of origin, and each is known by the regional name “XX-kei kokeshi” (XX style kokeshi).
Leaving an overview of the kokeshi to the specialist books already published, this article will focus on the Kijiyama-kei kokeshi dolls, which originated in the Kijiyama area of Minase-mura and Inakawa-machi (both in present-day Yuzawa City) in Akita Prefecture.

This area in south-eastern Akita Prefecture is home to Kawatsura (Yuzawa City), which was a major lacquerware production area. Here, as in other kokeshi production areas, woodturner masters became responsible for kokeshi production. A style known as Kijiyama-kei kokeshi was established.
The Kijiyama-kei kokeshi are characterised by their one-piece form, thick body and rakkyō-shaped (small pickled onion) head, which does not rotate. The hairdo is often bobbed with thick bangs, some designs wear striped kimonos, while others wear aprons with patterns such as chrysanthemums and plum blossoms.
Perhaps because they are made in a region with deep snow, their faces can sometimes appear melancholy. The great appeal of the Kijiyama-kei kokeshi is that their expression can be interpreted differently, depending on the viewer’s feelings.
Kokeshi dolls are often marked with the signature of the craftsperson. They are beloved items of the common people, but also a craft with a strong artistic quality that allows the viewer to trace the lineage of the previous kokeshi craftspeople.
There are several stylised traditional designs (called kata) in the Kijiyama-kei, each of which bears the name of a master kokeshi craftsperson born in the Meiji era.
The OGURA Yonekichi kata, OGURA Ishizō kata, OGURA Yasuichirō kata, TAKAHASHI Heijirō kata, OGURA Kyūtarō kata, or HIWATASHI Jiichi kata – kokeshi makers of today use these kata as models, and are working on kokeshi production in awe of their ancestors who created them.
In addition to the traditional kokeshi mentioned above, there are also creative kokeshi dolls made with a new aesthetic sense. It is therefore possible that the original designs of today’s craftspeople will soon be known as “XX kata” and become the models for future generations of craftspeople.

While being in a position of contrast to the arts and crafts of the ruling class, kokeshi dolls are also distinct from Mingei (folk art), which is based on the idea of works that are unsigned. Kokeshi dolls have been loved by the common people as a solitary craft genre.
You can collect kokeshi dolls from a wide range of styles and kata, or specialise in the work of your favourite craftsperson – these are folk toys that you can admire and enjoy from your own perspective as friends who enrich your daily life.

Reference:

Ima, Akita kara (Now, from Akita), vol.3 (2020) and vol. 9 (2022), published by Nowvillage