鳴子こけし殺人事件

A couple of weeks ago I was delighted to see that a new kokeshi-themed book has just come out, though this one's a bit different than what we typically see. It's actually a novel called The Naruko Kokeshi Murder Incident 鳴子こけし殺人事件 by author Mr. Nishimura Kyotaro 西村京太郎さん. Naoko says Mr. Nishimura is quite popular, and a quick check of his other novels shows that he writes lots of similar stories, usually related to trains. Anyway, I would guess that this is the world's first murder novel involving kokeshis, and proves without a doubt that kokeshis are, as we say in America, hot! As for the story, well, it starts off with the discovery of a man murdered in his Tokyo hotel, and the only thing found at the murder site is a single Naruko kokeshi by a famous craftsman. After that are more murders and more kokeshis. I haven't read The Naruko Kokeshi Murder Incident so I have no idea what happens in the rest of the story, or even if the book's any good, but there are kokeshis on the cover so that's good enough for me. Hopefully it will be turned into a movie starring plenty of kokeshis!
If you would like to buy the book, or learn more about it, one good place to start is Amazon.

Kokeshi Wiki

On 17 April 2014 a new and important kokeshi-related resource appeared on the Internet: Kokeshi Wiki (click to view site). It is Japanese-language only, but there are plenty of images to look at for those who do not read Japanese. Here is a screen capture.

As the name suggests, Kokeshi Wiki is an on-line encyclopedia based on the 1971 Kokeshi Dictionary こけし辞典, covering the world of traditional kokeshis, including craftsmen (active, retired, and deceased), history, regions, materials, areas or research, literature, folkways, and even tools. While I haven't gone through everything, it is a serious effort that is clearly meant to be academic and authoritative. The site is brand new and is still a work in progress, but it's already an excellent resource and will become more so as it gets filled in. Although it's not an open wiki, I'm sure in the coming months kokeshi experts out there will be adding a lot of materials and information in order to make it the Wikipedia of the traditional kokeshi world. I will definitely be using this site as a key resource to compliment the books we have on kokeshis, and look forward to seeing how it progresses in the future.

Antique Kokeshis 2 中古こけし 2

A couple of weeks ago Naoko and I discovered that our local antique shop had some really great kokeshis for sale, of which I showed two Tsugaru kokeshis in the previous blog entry. Among the others we found were three Nambu kokeshis 南部系こけし from Iwate Prefecture 岩手県. As with most Nambus, these three have kina-kina (bobble) heads, and all are in beautiful condition despite their age which I estimate to be 26-30 years based on the information written in pencil on the bottom.

The first is, I believe, from 1984 and was likely created by Mr. Matsumoto Tsuruji 松本鶴治さん who was from Hanamaki City 花巻市 in central Iwate. The reason I suspect, but cannot be sure, that Mr. Matsumoto was the craftsman of this kokeshi is the signature on the bottom. The first character is probably "Matsu" 松 while the second is definitely "Tsuru" 鶴, which are the first characters of Mr. Matsumoto's family and given names. So, a bit of a mystery, but I'm fairly confident that this is correct. It's not a particularly outstanding kokeshi, but since Nambus are rare it is nonetheless special. Mr. Matsumoto may actually still be alive (aged 92), but he is no longer making kokeshis.

The mystery signature that's most likely that of Mr. Matsumoto.

The next two Nambu Kokeshis are by Mr. Sasaski Kakuhei 佐々木覚平さん who passed away in 2007. The first one is a relatively small and nice-looking kokeshi. I would have had a hard time identifying it if not for the penciled information on the bottom giving the last name.

Signed with just his first name: Kakuhei 覚平.

The last kokeshi is another piece by Mr. Sasaki, and this one is fairly large and definitely special as one knows it's a Nambu upon looking at it. The big giveaway is the classic Nambu shape -- bulky in the chest area and narrow at the bottom, which is perfect for a child's grip (or that of a serious kokeshi collector!). Based on my research this striping pattern is also unique to Nambu kokeshis. Overall, this beautiful piece has been a very welcome addition to our collection.

A nice, thoughtful, serene face.

The back of the head has this colorful dot pattern in light blue, red, and yellow, matching the striping colors. Quite striking, and also unique to this branch of Nambu kokeshis.

Like the above kokeshi Mr. Sasaki signed it with his first name only. The the three-character word says "Nambu-kei" 南部系. 

Overall I consider these three kokeshis to have been quite a find since they are in great condition, and also because Nambus tend to be hard to find.

Our three "new" Nambu kokeshis with their heads turned.

Antique Kokeshis 1 中古こけし 1

The other day I walked into our local antique shop and noticed that there were a number of nice looking traditional kokeshis for sale, and for good prices too. I had been to the shop in the past and for the most part the kokeshis there were always old, faded, and not too interesting. However, this time I was in for a very pleasant surprise, and Naoko and I ended up purchasing five fine pieces. Before continuing I would like to say that I typically do not purchase antique kokeshis, mainly because I would prefer to get them new as this supports the craftsmen who have devoted their lives to the craft. Moreover, after a while our new kokeshis will get old and become antiques, so why bother buying used kokeshis? There are times, though, when purchasing an antique is the way to go. The obvious case is when a craftsman has passed away -- you either get his or her kokeshis used, or go without. The other instance when I might buy an antique kokeshi is in the case of hard-to-find kokeshis by actively working craftsmen. Some makers simply do not make that many kokeshis, and then supply and demand get out of balance. Having said the above, let me introduce two fantastic pieces that have entered our collection.

The first is a Tsugaru kokeshi 津軽系こけし of the Nuruyu Onsen  branch by the late Mr. Sato Zenji 佐藤善二さん. Naoko did a little research and found out that Mr. Sato was not known for making Nuruyu kokeshis, so this piece is apparently unique in that regard. Meanwhile, I love the body shape, the simple lines, and of course the face with the whimsical expression.

Here's the bottom which contains some good information. It's hard to see, but the writing in pencil is a date -- October 9th, 1984 -- and the kokeshi's size -- 8 inches (8寸). What does that date signify I wonder? When it was made, or when it was purchased? Mr. Sato retired in 1985, and died in 1986, so this is most likely a kokeshi made at the end of his career. The writing in ink, from right to left, says "Nuruyu" (the name of kokeshi's the sub-branch), then "Itaro-gata" 伊太郎型, which Naoko believes is this simple kokeshi style, and then Mr. Sato's first name Zenji. This kokeshi has required a bit of detective work which has been fun, and I'm sure we'll learn more about it in the future.   

The second kokeshi we discovered was a real find. It's another Tsugaru kokeshi, this time by still-active kokeshi master craftsman Mr. Kon Akira 今晃さん. Mr. Kon's kokeshis are extremely popular, but he doesn't make all that many. Moreover, he has been in poor health over the last couple of years which has limited his output even further. His style here appears simplistic, even primitive, but if you see his more refined pieces you know immediately that he is fully capable of creating perfect kokeshis. Rather, he chooses to make them look unrefined. Naoko and I are both big fans of Mr. Kon's work, but it's truly difficult to get a hold of his kokeshis.  

 

Mr. Kon's signature. The date written in pencil says October 25th, 1986, so it's nearly 30 years old. 

Here are our two new Tsugarus together for a size comparison.

Overall, this was a small but nice kokeshi adventure. I'll show the others that we found at the antique shop in the next blog entry.

Reading Matter on Kokeshis こけしの読み物

I'm pretty sure that in America and other countries outside Japan finding new things to read about kokeshis is difficult, so here are a couple of items worth mentioning. The first is a small, 22-page magazine-like publication entitled Narukoke no Tabi なるこけの旅 (Naruko-Kokeshi Trip -- In Japanese "Naruko" and "Kokeshi" have been combined into a coined word: "Narukoke") produced by the Gomba Company ゴンバ社 back in October 2012. In this little handbook the artist recounted her impressions of the kokeshi world of Naruko Onsen 鳴子温泉 using cute drawings, a style of travel guide that is fairly popular in Japan and suits the kokeshi world well. Naoko said she saw Narukoke no Tabi back in 2012 when it came out, but since it looked so much like another similar pamphlet on Naruko that we already owned she passed on getting it. Still, I would recommend Narukoke no Tabi and can vouch that it captures the feeling of Naruko Onsen and a kokeshi adventure perfectly. Here are a couple of images from it.    

The entire publication is filled with this kind of art -- very nicely done. 

Another view. Believe it or not this drawings capture the Naruko experience perfectly.

The second publication I'd like to mention is the March 2014 edition (issue 638) of the Tokyo Kokeshi Friends Association's 東京こけし友の会 monthly journal Kokeshi Techo こけし手帖. I've mentioned this journal in past blogs and it's a great source for academic writing about kokeshi history, news about the association, and even occasional articles about kokeshi adventures by members. It's all in Japanese, but I think foreign enthusiasts can easily appreciate it. After all, since kokeshis are a visual medium non-Japanese readers would really only need to be able to recognize the kanji of the names of the different kokeshi families. This month's cover art is by Tsugaru craftsman Mr. Hasegawa Kenzo 長谷川健三さん, and it's quite handsome. How do you get this journal you might ask? Easy -- become a member of the Tokyo Kokeshi Friends Association, and they'll mail it right to your door.  

This image shows one of the articles about the early days of the Kijiyama kokeshi tradition 木地山系こけし. I am fascinated by the photo here -- the conditions in which kokeshis evolved were unbelievably remote and poor.

New Owani Kokeshi 新しい大鰐こけし

At yesterday's kokeshi event at Tachikawa Station I got Naoko this fantastic Owani Kokeshi 大鰐系こけしby craftsman Mr. Shimazu Sei'ichi 嶋津誠一さん. We visited Mr. Shimazu a couple of years ago at his home at Owani Onsen 大鰐温泉 during a summer adventure to Aomori, so I was very pleased to see this available in Tachikawa. Owani kokeshis are one of two branches of the Tsugaru Kokeshi family, and in my opinion they are the most primitive-looking of all the traditional kokeshis. That primitive quality is done on purpose of course, giving these kokeshis their charm. Owani kokeshis tend to use lots of bright yellow on the bodies, and have big, surprised-looking eyes. This is a very nice piece that will add nicely to our collection.　

Mr. Shimazu's signature is on the left, and a simplified version of "Owani" on the right.

Kokeshi Event in Tachikawa Station 立川駅でのこけしイベント

Yesterday I was passing through the Tachikawa train station when I glanced over and noticed a bunch of traditional kokeshis! I couldn't believe it -- it was like a bunch of old friends were greeting me. It turned out that a bookstore within the concourse to the train platforms had a large-scale kokeshi display set up by an organization or company called Paper Wall. I had to catch a train and didn't have much time, but the nice ladies at the shop said I could take some pictures so I managed to get a few shots as you'll see below. I also bought one kokeshi that I'll talk about in the next blog entry. 

Here's the shop. That group of women milling around the entrance are looking at part of the kokeshi display.

With this poster display there was no doubt I was in kokeshi territory. Everything was lovingly done.

Some of the kokeshis for sale. It was a top-notch collection.

Another view. There were even some Hina Kokeshis (girls day).

Although there were many different kinds on display, I would say that the majority of the kokeshis were Tsugarus 津軽系.

For some reason these were behind glass. I wasn't sure why.

There were also plenty of kokeshi goods available.

Wooden tableware with little tiny kokeshi heads on them. I believe I've met this craftsman before, and that his workshop is in Tokyo.

More kokeshis and goods. The ones wearing clothes are Nambu kokeshis 南部系こけし.

Another angle showing the display in the front entry containing books and kokeshis. I had to fight to get a good view -- it was very popular.

So that was the Tachikawa Station's Paper Wall kokeshi fair. It started back in February and ends on March 16th, so one more day at the time I'm writing this. I wish I would have gotten to see it earlier -- Paper Wall did a great job with the display, and I can tell that they genuinely love the graphic design side of kokeshis. I also asked the ladies in the shop how the kokeshi fair had been going and they said it was very successful and "lively." That was good to hear.

As noted above, I did purchase a kokeshi and when I got home I found these three pamphlets in my bag. There were two from the Tsugaru Kokeshikan 津軽こけし館 up in Kuroishi City in Aomori Prefecture, so I suspect they participated in this event. The third pamphlet (the small dark blue one in the photo) was really quite nice, giving an introductory lesson view hand-drawings about the different traditional kokeshi families. 

This was a really pleasant and unexpected kokeshi adventure. I'm sorry the event is ending so soon, but if anyone reads this and can get to Tachikawa by March 16th, it is highly recommended.