communities became not just a sought-after dream. Essentially a doll, the kokeshi are believed to have their origins in the practice of spiritualist religion. Dolls fashioned of most any material, including paper and clay, were thought to contain the spiritual essence of the dead and as such were often created for honorary remembrance.
Sumptuary laws surely had a creative hand in the first kokeshi’s form taking. Probably it was a roughly human form turned on a handpowered wood lathe. Without decoration or face, the early kokeshi no doubt looked much like the tumbler-style wooden clothespins my mother used years ago in hanging out the laundry. The addition of decorative clothing a la simple rings of color and the expressive, even suggestive, faces that so many kokeshi wear, turned them from simple children’s toys into works of collectible folk art.
Slight variations in floral and banded patterns occur with sizes ranging from 10 cm to well over 40 cm in height. Each is made from a single piece of finely turned and finished hardwood. Wood varies widely but the most generally used type is the native dogwood which is both fine-grained and light in tone as well as easily available and durable.
Probably the most well-known, Naruko-no-kokeshi come from a small community located in the northwest of the prefecture and is one of the main entry points for the Kurikoma National Park. An abundance of hot springs makes kokeshi turning all the more lucrative a winter pastime, although widespread popularity of this particular kokeshi surely demands year-around manufacture.
Early kokeshi were turned out on foot- or hand-powered lathes. Some still are, but most have turned to automation in some form for easier production. The form being so standard, lathe powering is hardly as important as the overall design and hand-decorated face and apparel.
The visitor to other regions of these isles will often find local varieties quite distinctly original from their far northern cousins. The appealing manner of these simple wooden dolls make them a favorite with all ages, hence, their strength as an enduring folk art of Japan.
| 7 | FUKUSHIMA |
| NISHIN-BACHI | |
Of course, it isn’t necessary to have such a rectangular ceramic dish to make your pickled herring in, but when the dish is almost as famous as the inner concoction, one adds to the other in the way that a well-seasoned frying pan seems to impart special flavor.
Nishin or herring come in several sizes and, accordingly, so do the Aizu-Hongo nishin-bachi from Fukushima-ken. The Aizu part of the area’s name refers to its historical district name, while Hongo derives from a prominent local mountain. It is from this mountainside that the Aizu-Hongo clays are collected and the same is true for glazes used to seal the porous suyaki. Aizu-Hongo-yaki is made at only one kiln — the Munakata-gama, a 150-meter long noborigama (hill-climbing kiln) fired thrice yearly using only seasoned pine fuel. A true mingei kiln, Munakata-gama has a one-family history dating back nearly 300 years and covering nine generations.
While the kiln is well-known for these deep-sided and thick-walled storing bowls for salted or pickled herring, it produces a rather wide range of “kitchen wares.” In the mingei tradition, Munakata-gama output is oriented toward functional everyday ceramics. Their sturdy appearance testifies to their endurance, while outer surface-glazing decoration is truly minimal, generally a solid shade over which may be laid some casual strokes of simply applied contrasting glazes. Typically the tone is deep brown with off-white contrasts but a creamy background is sometimes created with contrasting splashes of apple green. Everything from the massive (and weighty) nishin-bachi or wheel-thrown hibachi right down to the smallest sake-choko are given almost casual glazes which fire to multihues with smokey visual effects.
Nishin-bachi are slab-built from thick plates of clay expertly sized and fitted together. Inside comers are reinforced with additional clay strips and two basic handles pinched onto the outer ends. Simplicity from start to finish, these herring bowls are made to last. And to be used.
While Aizu-Hongo nishin-bachi can be found in almost any first-rate mingei shop, buying at the source gives extra pleasure. In central Fukushima-ken, the area bordering Lake Inawashiro in Bandai Asahi National Park is dotted with Aizu place names. The largest is Aizu-Wakamatsu, just south of which is a village called Hongo-cho where the Munakata workshop-kiln is located.
| 8 | NIIGATA |
| SANKAKU-DARUMA | |
Niigata-ken typically faces wintery onslaughts fresh out of Asia. Truly “snow country” in every respect, a common winter sight is of troops of children togged out in conical straw snow capes. A group of these children trudging through snowy fields is thought to be part of the reason behind the form SANKAKU-DARUMA take. Literally “triangle daruma,” these simple votive figures have a history dating 150 years.
The larger of the pair is red-robed and the mate blue while the faces of both daruma have a quizzical look with ever downcast eyes. Why the averted look? Well, an explanation for that needs some historical background. Daruma is thought to be a perversion of the Indian word for law — dharma. The doll so popular throughout Japan apparently represents an Indian Buddhist priest whose real name was Bodhidhama. After long studies in his own land, he traveled to China and the court of King Wu. When he realized that the king was not disposed to his teaching, he took leave to reside in a mountain temple at Shao-linssu. There he meditated for nine years without moving and thus lost the use of his legs (the reason why daruma dolls seem to be eternally seated in a lotus posture). The red robe that seems essential recalls the dhoti Indian monks generally wear.
It was during these long years of meditation that the priest evolved the doctrine of Zen (Dhyana) — a method of training the mind and body by quiet sitting. Zen is oriented toward making the eyes see by looking at nothing. It took a while to explain but that is the look these daruma have. Eyes that see (and know) by looking at nothing. Bodhidhama died in 536 and was buried on a nearby mountain.
Sankaku-daruma are usually bought at the first fair or hatsu-ichi of the new year in Niigata. Placed on the kami-dana (household Shinto altar), they are believed to protect the family fortunes for the year to follow.
Agricultural households ask daruma’s protection over livelihood crops and the successful growth of their silkworms, while fisherfolk ask daruma’s indulgence to ensure large catches and safe voyages. The set from the previous year are given to the children as toys. A special game played with them involves throwing them to the ground. The first to right itself is the winner while the doll that breaks whilst playing so roughly is the loser. A good explanation why there are few, if any, “antique” sankaku-daruma.
| 9 | TOCHIGI |
| NIKKO-GETA | |
Amore Japanese form of footwear would be hard to find. Geta are as common today as they were in the times when kimono were de rigueur. A man dressed in a summer weight kimono or perhaps a cotton yukata definitely needs a pair of geta to set off his clothing correctly. Socks and shoes could never do what geta accomplish in style.
Just what are geta? A form of clog or patten traditionally made from a single piece of wood. The flat oblong foot-rest is supported by two cross bars which keep the wearer’s feet above the ground. They are kept in place by a thong which passes between the big toe and its neighbor and from there branches into two strands, which are attached to the geta’s body once again near the arch. Mentioning an arch is almost a joke as geta are flat-surfaced and have no supporting features such as are common to Western footwear.
The duo depicted has a bed of finely plaited bamboo firmly attached to the upper surface of the “shoe” and are known as NIKKO-GETA. Well-known for
