Togatta kokeshi

Background of Togatta

Togatta is located in the foot of "Mt.Zao",a onsen town and the base of ski areas in this mountains.

The main settlement of kokeshi artisans is outer small village of the town centre,quiet and rustic amid deep woods -just "The village of Kijishi" - but lately,rather deserted because of downturn in kokeshi.

The production of kokeshi started from the mid 19th,and the more thriving its onsen,the more thriving its kokeshi.

Now,although kokeshi artisans are decreasing,it has about thirty artisans or so,relatively more than other kokeshi production areas.

Large-Headed Kokeshi

Japan has been a quake-prone country and it often has annoyed the people - including manias for kokeshi.The other day,an earthquake occured in Tohoku which had a magnitude of 6.6.Fortunately,there was little damage to the people -excluding one of my friends.He phoned me and said,"What a disaster! all my kokeshi have fallen down! " I worried about him and his kokeshi,especially about his Togatta-kokeshi.Because ...
This is a picture of kokeshi.The type is a traditional Togatta kokeshi.The artisan is Masando Midorikawa.The tall is 31cm,12inch,the max width is 8cm,3inch,the max circumference is 28cm,11inch.

  • artisan : Masato Midorikawa
  • type : Togatta
  • tall : 31cm(12inch)
  • max width : 8cm(3inch)
  • max circumferences : 28cm(11inch)

They are large-headed as you can see.This is the most characteristic and so unique of all type of kokeshi.But at the same time this is the weakness - to earthquake.I said before,"she might have been concerned about her own head"("type of traditional kokeshi") -this concern is about her lack of stability rather than about her own looks.

This is a kokeshi picture magnifying the head part of the above kokeshi.

Other features are:

  • red patterns radiating from the top of head
  • red patterns from forehead down the side of both cheeck
  • eye with pupil,with lower eyelid
  • inverted-v nose
  • with lip rouge

Flowery Kokeshi

In addition,their body are very often painted with floral pattern - such as cherry,Japanese plum,chrysanthemum.These are main characteristics of Togatta-kokeshi.You can refer to an another Togatta kokeshi(LS) as another sample of them.And if you have time,I'd like you to compare these with other type of kokeshi such as Tsuchiyu kokeshi.

When I saw Togatta-kokeshi at first,I didn't like very much them because of their unique shape.But as I see and study more kinds of kokeshi,I feel they are more and more pleasant.Sure,they are large-headed,but they are never "big headed" -they know very well that they are vulnerable.Rather,the problem is I can't find good solution for them -as a last resort,I lay them on the floor.But it's also quite a strange spectacle!




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This is the thoroughbred!

Miharu Goma

Last week I went to Fukushima -a part of Tohoku region,which includes Tsuchiyu town(cf."Tsuchiyu kokeshi(1)").Though I couldn't visit workshops of kokeshi because of short business trip,fortunately I could get an another craft which I had wanted.

This is a picture of miharukoma (miharugoma),formally called

Please remember that they are HORSES! I remember I had a bitter experience when I met them in a famous museum for the first time -I said loudly to my wife,"Look! How cool these DOGS!!"

They are generally called "Miharu Goma"(or "Miharu Koma") 三春駒,formally called "Takashiba Kinma".The word "Koma" originally means horses.Since ancient times,Tohoku had been well known as the fine horse-breeding centre in Japan,and Miharu town had been a part of its centre.This horse-shaped wooden art craft came from this historical background.The people accepted it as a kind of lucky charm to help their children to be strong like horses -the horse was the symbol of strength in Japan at that time.

Who is Gorgeous?

The shop where I bought them has been over the centuries.Of-course,its art crafts has been still handmade from woodcarving to painting.I really admire that the shop owner-cum-craftsman and his ancestors has been keeping their tradition alive -even though they has been just a local art craft and never been as popular as kokeshi.The shop owner said,"We have improved and still now are improving our crafts." -So,they have bred the "thoroughbreds".

By the way,when I confessed to him that I had mistaken them for dogs,he replied to me with much laughter,"Somewhat you're right because the old type Miharu Koma had longer legs than the modern type.".At the same time,he didn't forget to add,"but have you ever seen such a dog with a saddle and a snaffle bit and a bridle?"

If he had worn a blinker hood or a paddle clothe with number,I could have identified him as a horse...but can I really say that? I know some dogs wear more gorgeous dress and adornments than these koma -recent Japanese pet boom.And that always worries me -my wife might ask me for a pearl necklace whenever she looks at these dogs...

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Hell training

Zazen Practice

Today I'll talk about a different story from kokeshi.A trivial,but rather funny story about something connected with zen which I mentioned on previous post(cf."Too difficult to appreciate"").

Have you ever practised "zazen"? This is one of zen practices and in brief,a kind of meditation.And if you "seem" not to concentrate on its meditation,you would be stricken by zen master -in most cases,he strikes your right shoulder with wooden stick.And the point is "seem" -you may be stricken no matter how much you concentrate on medication because it is not you but a zen master who judges whether you can concentrate or not.

I practised it only once in a zen temple few years ago.OF-COURSE,I was stricken three times by a zen master -accurately,he was not a zen master,just an apprentice monk in the temple.So,if he had stricken me on the fourth times,I might have thrown him over my shoulder with "angry seoi nage".

Effect of Zazen

There were many other people practising zazen in the temple and I found a rather odd group in them -more than a dozen people,almost middle-age,wearing the same colour jerseys.And there were several people wearing suits and ties among them.They didn't practised zazen -they were supervisors of the group.

At first I didn't know who they were,but just after zazen,I found some of them were talking to each other in whispers.

A:"Ho-hum...I can't stand up at all.My legs fell quite asleep...(note:for long time cross leg through zazen)
B:"Me too...it's nonsense."
A:"Quite so.If this way could make us get better sales results,such all zen masters must have been the World's greatest salesperson long before."
B:"You remember? Next training is the "shout-out-self-introduction"(*1) on the top of mountain."
A:"Yeah,but before that,we must climb the mountain..."
B:"Yeah,with these poor legs..."

They were all salesperson at a company.And this was a program training for them in order to "build their inner strength".Some training offices offer this kind of program and this is commonly known as "Hell Training" - something of a military style training.I don't know the effect because "unfortunately" I haven't gotten the training.Incidentally,I remember that each of the two men was stricken each two times.

The two men maybe accepted the award of "The World's greatest salesperson" due to the training.That's great that they have attained "money" instead of "satori".But they were wrong on one point.Zen masters are at least good salesperson or should be.That is not because they make money with such a zazen training (this is quite a business!). They need the power of persuasion -good salesperson use the power in order to sell more,and good zen masters use it in order to help and encourage people.

Anyway,now I realized why I was stricken one times more than the two men...the monk must firmly believe that I was the poorest salesperson because I sat down among the odd group while practising zazen!


(*1)Zen practices doesn't include such a training.

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Tsuchiyu kokeshi(2)

This is a picture of two kokeshi.These are both Tsuchiyu kokeshi.

I told the background of Tsuchiyu kokeshi in previous post(cf.""Tsuchiyu kokeshi(1)").Now I'll talk about its features.Before that,a superfluity,"All is relative" - these features are always just ones "in comparison with others".And the more important is "so many men,so many mind" - each artisan has his(her) own idiom.So,please remember that "type" is just one perspective in appreciation for kokeshi.

Now,These are some typical Tsuchiyu kokshi.

The typical features of body in Tsuchiyu kokeshi are

  • small head
  • slim waist
  • body line with a slightly wide hem

Kokeshi with Fish Eyes 

Focus on their head parts.See below picture.
This is a picture of Tsuchiyu kokeshi,focusing on their head parts.

Both have coiled patterns like fish eyes on the top of head.This is called "jyano-me",snake eyes in Japanese.

(but actually,I don't realize these patterns are snake eyes because I always ran for my life without meeting their eyes whenever I encountered them).

And you can see red ribbon-like side on foreheads. This is called "kase" in Japanese.These are most characteristic of Tsuchiyu kokeshi.Other features are

  • eye with pupil and lower eyelid
  • round nose
  • stripe patterns around body -with "rokuro"(cf."spinning kokeshi")


Friendly Kokeshi

It was Tsuchiyu kokeshi that I felt familiar with at first when I was just a beginner. I suppose Tsuchiyu kokeshi are comparatively acceptable to kokeshi beginners because of their balanced shape.Say,look at this kokeshi doll!She might have been concerned about her own head.Or,look at the boy kokeshi.When I saw his flat head and his primitive look at first,I would feel sick as if I saw myself what I used to be! Of-course,now I love them.

Anyway,you think two of the above picture are alike.That's right because they are sisters -by the same artisan.I think the right girl is elder because she is taller and seems rather cheeky - watch her smile on her lips! I was so afraid of her strict watch,so I didn't write anything in their face(cf."Type of traditional kokeshi") this time.

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Tsuchiyu kokeshi (1)

Ten Major Areas of Traditional Kokeshi

There are 10 types in traditional kokeshi(cf."Type of traditional-kokeshi.Each type has been generally developed on each production area.So,each type is named after the name of its production area.Below is the list of them.

  1. Tsuchiyu (土湯)
  2. Yajiro (弥次郎)
  3. Togatta (遠刈田)
  4. Naruko (鳴子)
  5. Yamagata (山形)
  6. Zao (蔵王)
  7. Hiziori (肘折)
  8. Kijiyama (木地山)
  9. Hanamaki (花巻)
  10. Nuruyu (温湯)
This is the map showing all production areas.


Large traditional-kokeshi mapDisplay

The above map indicates almost all Tohoku region-Fukushima (福島),Miyagi (宮城)(above is marked Sendai(仙台)),Yamagata (山形),Iwate (岩手),Akita (秋田),and Aomori (青森).All are onsen spots as well.

(Niigata (新潟) is not included in Tohoku.)

Background of Tsuchiyu

First of all,I will talk about "Tsuchiyu kokeshi".You can know the overview of Tsuchiyu from the site "the Tsuchiyu".Might I add,it had some historical background below.

  • a major base of transportation which led to big cities of the day in Tohoku
  • a vibrant town with many amusements including nightlife
  • a town with attractive culture brought from Edo and Kyoto

These factors enabled Tsuchiyu to product kokeshi early in Japan.

Later on,it was replaced as a major town along with other areas development in Tohoku.And worse,some terrible disasters caused its decline.But now it still remains as one of popular spa spots in Tohoku.

Next Time I will talk about the characteristics of Tsuchiyu kokeshi.

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Too difficult to appreciate

Recondite Precept about Kokeshi


"With purely intuitively insight -you SHOULD appreciate kokeshi!"

I would almost give up the study of kokeshi when I read the above which was written by one of famous kokeshi authorities.It goes on.

"The acquaintance of the insight seems to lead to the way of 'zen' as well."

Indeed,"art is long,life is short".I will have gone through my reincarnation at least a hundred times before my attaining the "satori".

Now I think this was persuasive at some level because it also included criticizing an easy kokeshi boom(cf.""Kokeshi with indomitable spirit" at that time.Maybe his message was just "Appreciate kokeshi,Don't gamble on kokeshi!" But I used to think this was rather discouraging and eve dull because zen stories are often used as rhetoric to keep the point vague - the word "zen riddle" includes another meaning of "empty debate" in Japan.

Pure Fun of Kokeshi!

Once I asked my dead father-in-low.

"Do you think this opinion in this book seems to be too exaggerated?"
"Could be." he replied with taking care of his kokeshi.
"I think we need not to have such "satori" or "zen-spirit" just to enjoy kokeshi!"
"Really." he replied.
"That's too abstract! Maybe he'd like to show himself more important by making just simple things harder.I don't like such attitudes!!"
"Sure."he replied.Then,I noticed he hardly listened to me.
"Well,how do you think about this book?"
He looked surprised,and replied to me,"Book? what book?"
I showed the book."this is the book you gave me before."
He glanced it through quickly,and said to me,"I'm sorry,actually I hardly read it.I just enjoyed pictures in it."

He took his own way.

I have a friend who is a zen master.Whenever I complain about or criticize others,he always tells me "So Many Man,So Many Mind".This "4M" is one of the most important maxim to me.And another is "Nothing is hard to a willing mind" -I think this is the maxim that my dead father-in-low left to me.

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