Japanology Plus 2016 07 28 Kokeshi Dolls

Kokeshi dolls, a Japanese design icon synonymous with the country’s northern Tohoku region, are simple wooden figures reminiscent at first glance of Russian matryoshka or Western peg dolls. Lathe-carved, often from pale-hued mizuki (dogwood), and typically decorated in a limited palette of reds and blacks, with an understated smile that almost recalls the Mona Lisa, at first glance it is easy to conclude that there is not much variation in kokeshi. But take the time to look a little closer, and a rich world of diversity reveals itself. From the distinctive curves and tapers of the body and head, to designs that range from floral patterns to parallel stripes applied as the dolls spin on the lathe, to painted-on kimonos or other garments, every detail bears the hallmarks not only of the region in which a doll was produced, but even the very village or household. Though readers familiar with Japan are likely to have seen these traditional toys before, you may not have paid them much heed. But, stopping to examine kokeshi in more detail, one cannot help but be taken by their mysterious expressions: each unique yet somehow identically inscrutable, their demure half smiles a blank canvas onto which a viewer might project any number of emotions. Many consider the roots of Japan’s monozukuri, or crafts, to lay in the country’s forests and mountains, and the native woodturning heritage that gave rise to kokeshi dolls is a fine example of a craft supported by woodland. According to legend, Japan’s first lathe was invented by a medieval royal, Prince Koretaka (844–897), eldest son of Emperor Montoku (827–858). Koretaka is revered as a deity at Yajiro, Miyagi Prefecture’s Kokeshi Shrine (officially named Onomiya Koretaka Shinno Shrine), visited in the show. As well as kokeshi, the output of Japan’s woodturners includes cups, bowls and ornaments. Kokeshi dolls are thought to have originated around 200 years ago, using wood scraps to fashion children’s toys. As host Peter Barakan discovers at the workshop of fourth-generation craftsman Minoru Niiyama, those who make kokeshi tend to fashion their own chisels and other tools, while the dolls are often carved and decorated in line with an artisan's own family tradition. In times past, as long-distance pilgrimages started to give rise to other forms of tourism, kokeshi became a popular souvenir from the onsen hot spring resorts of northern Japan. This trend became even more pronounced in the mid-twentieth century when the expansion of rail travel and the advent of the Shinkansen bullet train made it much easier to visit far-flung corners of Japan. And as an interest in traditional crafts as a driver for regional revitalization begins to gain momentum in Japan, and some artisans put their own modern twist on this design classic, the popularity of kokeshi shows few signs of letting up.