Kokeshi, are Japanese dolls, originally from northern Japan. They are handmade from wood, have a simple trunk and an enlarged head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face. The body has a floral design painted in red, black, and sometimes yellow, and covered with a layer of wax. One characteristic of kokeshi dolls is their lack of arms or legs. The bottom is marked with the signature of the artist.

History and naming

The origin and naming of kokeshi is unclear, with historical ateji kanji spellings including. The hiragana spelling was agreed on at the All-Japan Kokeshi Exhibition in Naruko Onsen in August 1939.

In Looking for the Lost, Alan Booth suggests[2] that kokeshi may be fetish substitutes for unwanted babies killed after birth and the characters can be understood as "extinguish the child". While infanticide was commonly practiced in Japan until the 20th century[3], 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.[4] The word kokeshi itself is originally Sendai dialect, with the dolls being known as e.g. deko, kideko, dekoroko in Fukushima, kibako, kihohoko, obokko in Miyagi, hangyo, kiningyo in Naruko, none of which support the theory.[4] Instead, a more plausible explanation is that kokeshi are simply wooden (ki, ko) or small (ko) dolls (keshi?).

Kokeshi were first produced by Kiji-shi (wood artisans) at the Shinchi Shuraku, near the Togatta Onsen, Zao, Miyagi Prefecture from where kokeshi making techniques spread to other spa areas in the Tohoku 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 It is said that these dolls were originally made during the middle of the Edo period (1600–1868) to be sold to people who were visiting the hot springs in the north-east of the country.

The design of the Mii avatars on Nintendo's Wii video game console is based on that of kokeshi.

Types

"Traditional" kokeshi  dolls' shapes and patterns are particular to a certain area and are classified under eleven types including: Tsuchiyu, Togatta, Yajiro, Naruko, Sakunami, Yamagata, Kijiyama, Nanbu, Tsugaru, Zao-takayu, and Hijioro. The most dominant type is the Naruko variety originally made in Miyagi Prefecture, which can also be found in Akita, Iwate, and Yamagata prefectures. The main street of the Naruko Hot Spring resort is known as Kokeshi Street and has shops which are operated directly by the kokeshi carvers.

"Creative" kokeshi (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 the cities.

The woods used for kokeshi vary, with cherry used for its darkness and dogwood for its softer qualities. Itaya-kaede, a Japanese maple, is also used in the creation of both traditional and creative dolls. The wood is left outdoors to season for one to five years before it can be used.