VILLAGE Report vol.4 Miyagi Prefecture | Miyagi traditional kokeshi and why its five lineages did not blend together

Kokeshi dolls have “lineages.” Their faces and the way their bodies are painted differ by production area, and someone with a trained eye can tell where a kokeshi is from. Miyagi Prefecture has five of these lineages.

Five Names

• Naruko style / Sakunami style / Togatta style / Yajiro style / Hijiori style

According to materials from Miyagi Prefecture and the Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, these five lineages were collectively designated a national traditional craft as “Miyagi Traditional Kokeshi” on June 22, 1981, under Ministry of International Trade and Industry Notification No. 293. They were designated not separately, but bundled under one name. That is a little unusual.

Wood Determines the Expression

The woods used are mizuki dogwood, painted maple, and snakebark maple. The wood is turned on a lathe, then painted directly. Rather than covering it with layers of coating, the natural grain is left visible. That is why the choice of wood directly shapes the finished expression.

It is said that the five lineages remained distinct because each place had hot springs, visitors who came for therapeutic bathing, and a market where the dolls could be sold on the spot. Crafts survive where there is a place to sell them. It is a simple story, but probably the most essential one.

Last time, we visited Nambu ironware from Iwate Prefecture That was our focus. Next time, we will visit Akita Prefecture and magewappa bentwood craft.

References: Miyagi Prefecture; Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

—The Value Village Editorial Team

Photo: Yanajin33 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)