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are simple wooden [[Japanese|Japanese art]] [[doll]]s with no arms or legs that have been crafted for more than 150 years as a toy for children. Originally from the [[Tohoku region]] in northern [[Honshu]], ''kokeshi'' are handmade from wood, having a simple trunk and head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face. The body often has floral and/or ring designs painted in red, black, and sometimes green, purple, blue, or yellow inks, and covered with a layer of wax. Since the 1950s, kokeshi makers have signed their work, usually on the bottom and sometimes on the back.
A popular theoryBooth, Alan. Looking for the Lost: Journeys Through a Vanishing Japan. New York: Kodansha International, 1996, p.129. ISBN 1-56836-148-3. suggests that kokeshi may be Fetishism substitutes for infanticide and the characters can be understood as 子消し made up of ko and keshi. While infanticide was commonly practiced in Japan until the 20th century, there is little if any evidence to support the theory that kokeshi have anything to do with the practice, with the earliest references in literature dating only from 1965. こけしに関するQ＆A / Q & A on Kokeshi . Accessed 11 Aug 2021. The word kokeshi itself is originally of the Sendai dialect, with the dolls being known as, for example, deko, kideko, dekoroko; in Fukushima as kibako, kihohoko; in Miyagi as obokko; and in Naruko as hangyo and kiningyō, none of which supports the theory.
Kokeshi were first produced by Kijiya (木地師), artisans proficient with a lathe, at the Shinchi Shuraku, near the Tōgatta Onsen in Zaō Togatta Hot Spring , Japan-i. Accessed 7 May 2009. from where kokeshi-making techniques spread to other spa areas in the Tōhoku region. It is said that these dolls were originally made during the middle of the Edo period (1600–1868) to be sold to people who were visiting the onsen in the north-east of the country.
One of the earliest doll-focused associations in Japan was the Sendai Kokeshi Association ( Sendai Kokeshi-kai) established in 1923 by Mihara Ryōkichi (三原良吉) and Amae Tomiya. The two released a 1928 book about kokeshi, Kokeshi Hōko no Hanashi, which introduced the local tradition to the entire Japan. Mihara continued his work as a journalist and folklorist to his death in 1982, being responsible for popularization of kokeshi and other elements of Sendai folklore.
shingata-kokeshi allow the artist complete freedom in terms of shape, design and color and were developed after World War II (1945). They are not particular to a specific region of Japan and generally creative kokeshi artists are found in cities.
The woods used for kokeshi vary, with Prunus used for its darkness and dogwood for its softer qualities. Itaya-kaede, a Acer palmatum, is also used in the creation of both traditional and creative dolls. The wood is left outdoors to Wood drying for one to five years before it can be used.
In 2022, the Creative Kokeshi Exhibition in Shibukawa was held for the 28th time. Creative Kokeshi Competition is held regularly in Tokyo, Japan.
Inspiration for the Momiji Dolls originates from the kokeshi doll.
Japanese professional wrestler Tomoaki Honma is nicknamed minna no kokeshi after his finishing move "Kokeshi", a diving headbutt where Honma falls straight down towards his opponent while keeping his arms at his sides, resembling a kokeshi in posture.
Miss Grand Japan 2020, Ruri Saji, wore a kokeshi doll-inspired costume which also transforms into an anime robot, showcasing Japan's technological advancement in the robotics field. It has won the Best in National Costume title at the Miss Grand International 2020 held in Bangkok, Thailand.
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