The newest Kokeshi Jidai こけし時代 magazine came out a couple weeks ago in Japan, and Naoko ordered a copy from the Tsugaru Kokeshi Kan 津軽こけし館. This is issue is over 200 pages and is quite spectacular, covering Zao-Takayu style 蔵王高湯系こけし and Yamagata style 山形系こけし kokeshi makers, as well as onsens in those areas. The issue has a hard cover and comes in a slipcase along with a tiny kokeshi by master kokeshi craftsman Mr. Mito Hiroshi 水戸寛さん of Tendo Onsen 天童温泉 whom we just happened to have visited back in April (more on that in an upcoming blog). For 2,000 yen it's a bargain, so hopefully all overseas kokeshi enthusiasts will be able to get a copy.
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| The front of the slipcase. |
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| A close up of the slipcase showing a handful of Mr. Mito's wonderful tiny kokeshis. The magazine with a free tiny Mito kokeshi in the hole in the middle. |
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| The back of the slipcase shows some normal-sized Mito kokeshis. |
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| Here's the slipcase and the front cover of the actual magazine. |
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| Kokeshi Jidai managed to get the rights to run a 1970 manga called "Yamadera Grafitti" about a kokeshi. The artist is Fujio Fukio, the same person who created Doraemon. |
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| The end of the magazine had a few pages of cool kokeshi wrapping paper. |
