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.

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Kokeshi with indomitable spirit

[kokeshi description]

• artisan : Ken-ichi Nishiyama
• type : Traditional Tsuchiyu
• tall : 30cm(12inch)
• max width : 8cm(3inch)
• max circumference : 23cm(9inch)

Once-Daring Kokeshi

Kokeshi is one of Japanese classical art crafts.It came from Tohoku, northeast region in Japan where many people had made their lives by woodworking.



In 19th it was popular as typical souvenir at onsen, hot spa – Japanese always have loved onsen and Tohoku has had many good onsen. I hear kokeshi was popular souvenir among soldiers of The Occupation who were stationed in Japan after WWⅡ. If so, I would like to know how their kokeshi are.

Kokeshi's Dark Days

In my childhood-more than 30 years ago or so- there was a boom of kokeshi-collecting.(Accurately, before that time, there had been several its booms.) Passing boom left several kokeshi our home. And after its boom ended, as a matter of routine, they were so poorly treated. My father would regard them as massager – he rubbed his stiff neck and back with them. As for me, they were quite strangers to me and I paid no notice to them. So,we were not even aware when we had lost them. I bet that they broke out of my home because they were intolerable for our contempt.I'm so sorry...



It was not only me who dishonoured them. Some hesitate to say the word“kokeshi” because it is also slang implies a kind of adult toy - dildo. I can't deny they look alike in shape. But I have to say for their honor' s, I haven't found another evidence that they were mixed up with the case – they are not to blame for slut just because someone might have 'used' them.

Modestly but Proudly

Now, they are not so popular as they used to be, but they are regarded as one of Japanese traditional crafts, and some collectors take good of them. I don't know whether they think their hard time pay, but her smile in the picture seems to be“a curve that sets everything straight”.

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