Craft · No. 205
No. 205人形･こけし
Miyagi Traditional Kokeshi
宮城伝統こけし
miyagi traditional kokeshi · 宮城県
Miyagi Traditional Kokeshi are handcrafted wooden dolls originating in the hot-spring districts of Miyagi Prefecture. Each regional lineage — such as Naruko, Tōgatta, and Yajirō — carries its own distinctive shape, pattern, and painting style, making these simple yet expressive folk toys beloved across Japan and the world.
- Origin
- 宮城県
- Category
- 人形･こけし
- Materials
- Wood · Lacquer · 墨
- Designation
- Nat'l Traditional Craft
No. IHistory
Miyagi's kokeshi dolls are believed to have originated when woodturners (kijishi) in the prefecture's mountain hot-spring villages began crafting simp…
No. IIMaterials
No. IIITechniques
Production centers on lathe turning carried out entirely by hand. A prepared timber block is mounted on a foot-powered or electric lathe, and both the…
No. IVClimate
The mountainous interior of Miyagi Prefecture receives heavy snowfall, creating long agricultural off-seasons that historically encouraged woodworking…
