TSUCHIYU’S KOKESHI MUSEUM

Located in a picturesque valley just outside of Fukushima City, the little town of Tsuchiyu is well known for two things. Abundant with hot springs, the town is a mecca for onsen lovers from around the country who delight in taking a dip in the tranquil surroundings. However, not just famous for its natural resources, Tsuchiyu is also synonymous with kokeshi, traditional wooden painted dolls peculiar to the Tohoku region. The centre of kokeshi making in the prefecture, Tsuchiyu is home to a wealth of traditional craftspeople who are carrying on the traditions of generations of artisans.

Testament to the depth of the craft in the area is the Tsuchiyu Kokeshi Museum, a showcase for the many types of traditional kokeshi made not only in Fukushima but throughout Tohoku. The museum, which boasts a collection of over three thousand dolls, was built in 1982 and is run by the Sato family, who have a long history of kokeshi making experience behind them. Current head of the company Kyuka Sato represents the third generation of kokeshi makers in the family, and is one of eighteen artisans currently working in the Tsuchiyu region.

Mr. Sato is quick to point out the difference between Tsuchiyu’s traditional kokeshi and modern kokeshi, whichhave appeared in recent times. Traditional kokeshi are made only in Tohoku, are characterised by their shape – long, slender, limbless bodies with round heads – and are usually painted only with the colours green, red, yellow, purple or black. In the past, the makers of these dolls carried out every stage of the creation process themselves, from cutting down the trees and drying the wood, to the final carving and painting. Although nowadays the craftspeople buy the wood they use rather than cut down trees themselves, they are still basically the sole creator of each kokeshi. Modern kokeshi, on the other hand, are each created by several people between whom tasks such as designing and painting are divided. Made in areas outside of Tohoku such as Gunma, they come in a variety of different colours and shapes.

While no two kokeshi are alike, the dolls of each region have common distinguishing characteristics. The kokeshi of Tsuchiyu are identifiable by the kimono painted on their body which is almost always striped, and the tops of their heads, where their hair is painted in a ring, the centre of which is left uncoloured. The feature that distinguishes makers from each other is the doll’s face, the characteristics of which are usually passed down through families with the odd “model change” along the way.