Relax in onsen!

[kokeshi description]

• artisan : Tomio Takahashi
• type : Togatta
• tall : 47cm(18.5inch)
• max width : 13cm(5inch)
• max circumference : 41cm(16inch)

"Touji" a Kind of Balneotherapy

Kokeshi was born in onsen, hot spa area of Tohoku where craft workers had settled in.


Modern Japanese go to onsen for their leisure usually in a couple of days. It is so good, but this is somewhat different from the way of our ancestors.



They rather would use onsen as balneotherapy. This is called "touji(or "toji") in Japanese. So,some people still now go onsen for their cures -if you google such words as "onsen + cancer"etc, you can find some interesting articles. But I am not in position to say yes or no to them.



Touji had and still has the following.

• long stay -usually almost for a month
• self-catering in simple cabin near spa spot
• many kinds of bathing based on their conditions

You may remember some kind of people if you have been to onsen. Some of them take short-time bath(usually for 5-10minutes) over again and again- as if they are doing hard interval training like long-distance athletes towards the Olympic games. Some of them just lie on the floor like tuna -you can see them which are lined up in Tsukiji fish market. Actually they take shower of hot spa steam. And others take "nonstop-onsen", without a rest as if they seems to be boiled octopus.

(and for some reason, they are also often "bald")

Kokeshi in Onsen

All these are just rough sketch of touji treatment.


(I think the third nonstop-onsen treatment is not good for health. And if you try to come to onsen for your care, you had better consult with doctors or some kind of onsen therapists beforehands.)


And the point is, kokeshi has been popular as this custom of touji has been popular. Originally the custom of touji had been only among privileges such as Mikado, Shogun and so such. And most onsen spots are located too far and deep in the mountain to go. To become common needs improvement of the basis. I think that the background of its popularity was due to the significant development of the society at that time.


By the way, Japanese has the custom that they give their new born babies first bath -this is called "ubuyu" in Japanese. So,kokeshi might take an onsen-ubuyu when they was born. Moreover, it is said that some onsen make your skin more beautiful. I get there, this is the just secret that kokeshi keep their looks!!(*) -Anyway, now I will admire Mao Asada for her challenge although she didn't win the gold medal. I think what she need is to take some time off -to relax in peaceful and comfortable place and...to take an onsen!



(*)No water with kokeshi! We have to keep wood works away from water.