What's Tohoku in Japan_3?

[kokeshi description]

• artisan : Tsunekichi Abe
• type : traditional Zao
• tall : 15cm(6inch)
• max width : 8cm(3inch)

Isabella Bird's View of Tohoku

Isabella Lucy Bird says in her author,"Unbeaten Tracks in Japan"(below *notes marked by me),

The plain of Yonezawa(*town in Tohoku),with the prosperous town of Yonezawa in the south,and the frequented watering-place of Akayu(*spa spot in Tohoku) in the north,is a perfect garden of Eden,"tilled with a pencil instead of a plough,"growing in rich profusion rice,cotton,maize,tobacco,hemp,indigo,beans,egg-plants,walnuts,melons,cucumbers,persimmons,apricots,pomegranates;a smiling and plenteous land,an Asiatic Arcadia,...(LETTER XVIII)

Of-course,she doesn't blindly praise them.She also write much about the situation of poor peasants or wretched places "every daimiyo'(*local lord) town that I have seen has an air of decay"(LETTER XIX).But,

Shinjo(*town in Tohoku) has a large trade in rice, silk,and hemp,and ought not to be as poor as it looks(LETTER XIX)

I can see rugged people of the day in Tohoku in it.And when I read this book,"the scales fell from my eyes" - "the scales" for me was my "pre-existing bias" - the bias of "poor and pitiable Tohoku".Surely "tilled with a pencil instead of a plough",but this was common landscape in other regions in Japan as well.She described some shops provided "villainous forgeries of European eatables and drinkables" in Tohoku,but it even gave me a surprise - they had some knowledge about European food or drink even in rustic Tohoku- although "they would be hurtful enough" - although I also agree to this.

I think her view is relatively objective because she didn't need to have the same "scales" just as we have.So I conclude - "Tohoku was poor,but it was as poor as the other regions".

Then,why they suffered from starving later? - there are many analysis by authorities,but roughly speaking,"the government didn't put a priority on 'welfare' in the broad sense of the term -  including improvement of regional gap or adjustment of industrial structure" - although it is another matter whether such policy was feasible or not at that time.

True Intent of My Boss

"Poor Tohoku" - the reason why I talked about it is not simply because of complaint about unfair treatment - most modern people in Tohoku even seem lack of concern -,but rather because of "defogger" - which enables us to see it clearly and even to offer new insight into it.In that sense,Isabella Bird'book expanded my knowledge about old Tohoku - such as the custom of 'Touji',hot spring cure or aspect of old Japanese inns - first of all,she visited many places where I haven't visited yet! 

Anyway,there was a sequel to my boss's joke.After our wedding ceremony,I asked him -he got much drunk - "was your joke a little risky,wasn't it?"

He replied,"Sure,but that was the result of consideration.I often hear some Aizu people still dislike Yamaguchi people.If I had kept my mouth shut about my hometown,and they had been told from the others about it,what would have happened?" I said,"I don't know".


he acted as if he fell himself to the ground."they might have bawled at me 'you,coward!'and cut me with katana,Japanese sword" - apart from his drunk clowning,he made consideration accordingly.And he added,"cause...Aizu was the region of 'Bushido' - yes,Aizu was famous for its strict Bushido,the precept of samurai,warrior.

I said,"hmm,I see.But if they had raged about your joke,what would you have done?"
He said to me with a grin "you already said,'I commit Seppuku!'.Maybe they would accept it because you-and-me is subordinate-boss relationship.And Bushido values 'loyalty to master'".

He already prepared his risk-hedge! - too regretfully,I should have said another precept of Bushido to him.

"But Bushido also says,'if your master is stupid and unreasonable,you should rectify him'". 

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What's Tohoku in Japan_2?

What's Boshin War?

The above image was quoted from Wikipedia,"Boshin War" and the area drawn with green broken line in it is Tohoku region.

Before taking about it,I'll briefly summarize the modern history of Japan.

1. 1603 to 1868 :Era of Edo - feudal regime by Tokugawa Shogunate
2. 1868 to 1945 :Era of "Imperial Japan" -until the defeat in WWⅡ
3. 1945 to Present:Era of modern Japan

Disaffected people -mainly people in south-west region in Japan,who knew the global dynamics of the day - overturned the Tokugawa feudal regime and established the new government of constitutional monarchy in 1868 - "Imperial Japan".

Boshin War occurred in 1868-1869,which was a string of wars to overturn Tokugawa and to hunt down its supporters.And Tohoku was much involved in it as "rebels".

Most clans in Tohoku were allied together right after the surrender of Tokugawa.The alley was originally intended not for "fight against the new government",but for "petition for them" - to ask them for mercy to Aizu clan and Shonai clan,both in Tohoku,positively involved on the side of Tokugawa.Both clans declared the intention to yield to the new government after the surrender of Tokugawa -but "it was too late".

The new government refused the petition.Instead,they even ordered the other clans in Tohoku to hunt down Aizu because they regarded Aizu as "the worst war criminal" - actually,Aizu had strongly fought against them until the surrender of Tokugawa.So Aizu was the most punishable enemy to them.

Finally,Aizu totally surrendered after strong and cruel wars and the other clans in Tohoku also surrendered.And It was Choshu clan that had the strong initiative in the new government.

(Actually,even still,this is one of "touchy subjects" in Japan - here are too many historic contexts and too many miserable stories that "may or may not be true".I intend to note only minimum level of facts).

So,my boss's joke was based on this historical incident -"I come from Yamaguchi prefecture,old name 'Choshu' and I know you come from Fukushima,old name 'Aizu'.We were mutual enemies about 100 years ago,But now here,we've just signed a peace cord!!".

The Image of  "Poor Tohoku"

This brought a negative image about Tohoku to many other Japanese -"uncivilized".They thought that Tohoku people were so barbaric that they went against the tide of the new government.Actually,there were many old records left in which their customs or manners or even their dialect were described as uncivilized - this is just a stereotype of "Losers are always in the wrong".

What is worse was that several natural disasters struck Tohoku in 1910s-1930s,and the people starved.These determined the image of "poor Tohoku" - "To show pity is felt as a sign of contempt because one has clearly ceased to be an object of fear as soon as one is pitied"(Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche," the wanderer and his shadow") - quite literally,most Japanese mindsets for Tohoku changed to "pity".

But "really always poor?" - there is an old book about Tohoku,written by an English writer who traveled in Tohoku in 1878,in the early in the era of Imperial Japan - "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan" by Isabella Lucy Bird.

It taught me another aspect of Tohoku.I'll talk about it next time.

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What's "Tohoku" in Japan?

[kokeshi description]

• artisan : Kin-ichiro Sasaki
• type : traditional Nukuyu
• tall : 31cm(12inch)
• max width : 7cm(3inch)

The other day,one of my friends who know I love kokeshi - I'm not so naive as to tell anyone about my kokeshi-liking.Because it comes to light among my friends,they will surely wonder about,and quiz me - some of them might even take me away "in order to reform me".Anyway,she asked me,"kokeshi is really cute! but Tohoku was poor at that time?" I replied,"Yes,they 'were' poor,but I'm 'still' poor" - actually,I just had little time to talk to her.But then,I thought about her question,"Here we go again..'poor Tohoku'".Of-course,I know very well she meant no offence.

"Tohoku" - the word has originally a meaning of geographic direction "north-east" in Japanese,and it has another meaning of "north-east region in Japan".The word "region" includes not only geographic areas,but also areas with its own customs or historical background.And most Japanese think "Tohoku has harsh weather,and the people was always poor" just as she thought -  because we have learnt it at school.I also believed it - until I read other books about it. Apart from "whether poor or not" - I'll talk about it some time - I have a little funny experience.

My wife and I had a matchmaker "at a wedding ceremony" - it was not a "real matchmaker",but "ceremonial and temporary matchmaker". Originally,matchmakers are the ones who arrange introduction or give advice on marital life in Japan,but they are also often needed only for a kind of special guest in Japanese marriage ceremony style - this is a kind of custom in Japan,although it is not as popular as it used to be.We asked my boss for our ceremonial matchmaker in our marriage - this style of  "asking one's boss for ceremonial matchmaker in marriage" was also popular custom in Japanese domestic companies.He accepted it.

On the day of our marriage ceremony,we introduced him to my wife's parents and relatives.After a short formal greeting,my boss said to them.  

"I come from Yamaguchi prefecture,old name 'Choshu' and I know you come from Fukushima,old name 'Aizu'.We were mutual enemies about 100 years ago,But now here,we've just signed a peace cord!!"

All of those present dropped their jaws -"What is he talking about?" After a moment,I just got it! - his joke.But I was a little slow to realize it - one of my wife's relatives was already set for his reply .

"Sure,but it's something in the past.Now,Japan is a peaceful country,and I have also some friends in Yamaguchi,who are fellows in my company.So,please never mind it.We don't bear grudge any more...".

my uncle-in-low took it seriously!! I had to take an "urgent counter-measure".I said to him.

"I come from nearby Kyoto.So,I'm so afraid you force me to commit "Harakiri" as a member of  Choshu sides.But I'm so sorry I don't know the ritual of it because my ancestor wasn't Samurai". - I didn't know whether this was really effective for him.But fortunately,I'm alive now.

What's the origin of this story? - "Boshin War",a kind of civil war in Japan.And this was one of essential elements to understand "Tohoku".I'll talk about it next time.But still - I love his joke,but I have to say,he was also infamous for ill-timed joker in our office. 

 

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The Origin of Kokeshi_2

The Journey of Discovering Origin of Kokeshi

[description]

• name :AkaBeko
• kind : papier-mache
• production area : Aizu,in Tohoku
• tall : 10cm(4inch)
• width : 12cm(5inch)

"Why the people accepted dolls with no limbs?" - one of the most usual detections is,"there must had been preceding dolls alike to kokeshi - that is, if there had been dolls alike to kokeshi before,the people would have accepted latecomer odd-shaped kokeshi easily.Then,researchers went to the journey of discovering "the origins of kokeshi" - I'll introduce some examples of their discoveries.

Some say,"there are several kokeshi-like dolls discovered from certain remains of Kyoto,the ancient capital in Japan,which are estimated to have been made in 9th.They has no limbs,so they might be the origin of kokeshi."

Others say,"there had been phallic worship in the ancient time in the world around,and there had been sculptures of phalluses discovered in certain areas in Japan as well.Kokeshi are alike to phalluses,and the icon memory of the ancient worship may still remain in our deep psyche.So,they might be the origin of kokeshi."

Irrefutable Theories

Great - as for the first opinion,"Expand wider range of search areas,and we can find the origins in more areas" - I'm sure there are too many simple and primitive dolls alike to kokeshi buried all over the world.We may find the origins even in Lascaux,and someone can say "the origin of modern abstract art was in Lascaux,today,we discovered the origin of kokeshi is in Lascaux as well" - now,kokeshi is registered as a World Heritage...

As for the second,it seems just like "dream interpretation" - a psychiatrist says to me,"you seem to be attached to kokeshi.But actually,it is just reflection of your much sexual frustration.Because kokeshi is the symbol of phallus" - I'm so dumb,and feel so sorry about kokeshi because it was just an outlet for my sexual frustration.
I have read that old kokeshi artisans had crafted some of wooden phalluses wickedly - but actually,they did so based on their beliefs -phallic worship-,not just wickedly.And kinakina,originally a baby's pacifier(dummy),was deliberately intended for their oral stage -I'll be really dammed!! - I'll list a picture of kinakina again left for your self-analysis.

Actually,these opinions seem quite empty answers- because they ignore an important context of the question -"When" and "Where".

On the last post,I mentioned the opinion of Alan Booth(cf."The Origin of Kokeshi_1").His theory assumed the following points:

1. Kokeshi prevailed especially in Tohoku,north-east region in Japan
2. Kokeshi prevailed from Edo period,about 18th-19th

These are commonly accepted.
So,he thought -there had been some horrible famines in Edo period,and Tohoku had been especially damaged so heavily that the people had killed their babies for their heavy starving.Therefore he concluded - "kokeshi may in origin have been fetish substitutes for children murdered at birth".

I think his opinion is more comprehensive and (therefore) more persuasive than "the theory of ancient doll-origin" or "the theory of phalluses or some such-origin".

Advocates of both theories had to disprove the above facts with more evidences that kokeshi had prevailed nationwide in Japan as much as in Tohoku region.
Or, if they thought kokeshi had disappeared in almost Japan except Tohoku region,they had to explain the reason why they had disappeared in many areas and had been left only in Tohoku.

Indeed,even though I can acknowledge the possibility that ancient dolls or sculptures might affect kokeshi artisans as their inner imagination,I can't accept these theories without evidences of direct relation between them and kokeshi - for example,"phallic worship prevailed especially in Tohoku".

The point is "kokeshi in Tohoku".I think none of opinions are persuasive without solving the matter of Tohoku region.

(So,I can still understand the following opinion:"Kokeshi might be just by chance the invention by some artisans in Tohoku,in Edo period" or so -apart from its persuasiveness,this is more straightforward.)

Next time,I'll introduce more comprehensive opinion than the above opinions - Kunio Yanagita,a Japanese folklorist's opinion.

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The Origin of Kokeshi_1

What's the matter with "the Origin of Kokeshi?

[kokeshi description]

• artisan : Tsunehiko Watanabe
• type : Traditional Tsuchiyu
• tall : 20cm(8inch)
• max width : 8cm(3inch)

"The origin of kokeshi" - this topic had been very often argued among many people - not only kokeshi manias but also historians or folklorists in Japan and even in some other countries.Of-course,it remains unanswered,but it seems almost disappearing as kokeshi are losing their popularity.

At first,I couldn't understand the point of the argument.

While there had been many "something traditional" in Japan,why had this topic especially been argued -even among historians or folklorists?I'm also interested in some of other Japanese traditional wood crafts,but I have never heard such heated arguments about their origins like those about kokeshi's origin while some of them still remains unclear.

To begin with,what does the word "THE ORIGIN" refer to?If you are asked "who are your origin?",you can reply any answers - "the scion of a Roman aristocracy","the descendant of monkey","from mother and father" - although these are extreme rhetoric,I have often seen this kind of confused arguments in some books about kokeshi.

Anyway,what of the topic had attracted even historians or folklorists? I think there are three main factors.

1. kokeshi has no limbs
2. kokeshi had been made with rokuro
3. kokeshi had originally been made in Tohoku,north-east region in Japan

Why were these factors so interested? I'll discuss them respectively.

Kokeshi as "Heteromorphous" Doll

"Why do kokeshi have no limbs?"I think anyone who have any interest in kokeshi must wonder about it - although I have read many books about kokeshi,I have never met such books that dealt with the question directly -except one book,"Looking for the lost".

There were two main approaches to its mystery -One was sociological,and another was economic.

Cultural anthropologist or folklorists (or some psychologists) often focus their attention on "something unusual" in a community -such as odd customs,taboos and so on - from their own views.
It is because such something unusual can often be the keys to veiled history or social structure or mass mentality.They tried to find "the reason why the people accepted them".And kokeshi - dolls with no limbs - were one of "something unusual".

That is,as for them,"the origin of kokeshi" meant "the reason why the people accepted such "heteromorphous",doll with abnormal shape or structure.

Alan Booth,the author of "Looking for the lost" interpreted them as "fetish substitutes".I'll introduce his opinion.

At that time,Tohoku region was so heavily-impoverished that the people could not afford to raise their kids,so they killed their babies after birth.Therefore,

"these cute,tender-faced little dolls,made from two simple pieces of wood,a sphere for the head and a cylinder for the body,may in origin have been fetish substitutes for children murdered at birth."(*1)

"The absence of limbs might be disquieting,I suppose,if you had made the possible connection between kokeshi and child murder and had read Mrs.Suzuki's account of a midwife's attempt to quicken a death by wrapping an infant tightly in rags so that its arms were bound invisibly to its sides,or if you knew that one of the traditional attributes of Japanese ghosts is that they have no feet".(*1)

I really respect his straight analysis,but I can't say yes to his opinion because there is no found tangible evidences such as old records,oral legends,or customs about it.

And in addition,why had kokeshi been sold narrowly at onsen(hot spa) spots ? - as I mentioned on the previous posts(cf."traditional kokeshi"),they had been made and sold in the deep of the mountains as souvenir.Of-course,it is possible that kokeshi were originally made as such fetish substitutes and later they changed into souvenir by loss of the initial intention.But if so,they needed to be made in a little more wider range of areas so that the custom of fetish substitutes took root? Or,conversely,there was originally another dolls which anyone could make for fetish substitutes or their babies'soul,and later they changed into kokeshi as they are today? - if so,we have to find such dolls,and they are truly "the origin of kokeshi".

I think it is possible because it is a fact that the people of the day killed their babies due to their heavy poorness in Japan.I read an article that some village in Tohoku had the custom that parent held a memorial service to make a small room and offer candies or sweets or toys for their dead kids -including killed babies by them - although the report didn't note there were kokeshi provided.

But I can't conclude it without any clear evidences.So,I'll talk another opinion of "the reason why the people accepted such odd dolls" next time.

(*1)Alan Booth,"Looking for the Lost,P129,Kodansha America,Inc.1996"

(*2)Ibid.,P130"

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Pity kokeshi or not?

[Kokeshi Description]

• artisan : Choichiro Watanabe
• type : Tsuchiyu
• tall : 17cm(7.5inch)

Kokeshi is Poor?

That is a unique characteristic – kokeshi has no limb. It is quite different from other Japanese traditional dolls from the point of view.



Another characteristic is kokeshi is a wooden art craft in contrast that many other dolls are ceramic. Here is an interesting historic fact - ceramic had been replacing woodwork in most of Japan at that time when kokeshi was born. Sure, now we can't meet wooden utensils except hashi, chopsticks.

A Kind of Abstract Art?

Simpleness is often regarded as roughness,and “Losers are always in the wrong”. Some people say these features of kokeshi indicate the poorness of Tohoku region in Japan at that time where kokeshi came from. But these opinion are still controversial. Tohoku region had also other dolls which were more realistic as shown in these Japanese traditional dolls(note:described in only Japanese) in the same period. This doesn't always mean Tohoku region had poor skill or lack of technology.



I think such deformation of kokeshi is a kind of intended expression like Daruma – it also has no limb. Anyway, look at the above kokeshi, you think this kid is so miserable? He seems to be rather cheeky! I think he must often annoy his mom with his trick and sass -as I used to. It is not him but his mom that deserves pity. Or...the pity is that we have not seen such primitive and straightforward looks in children today.

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