Kokeshi (Japanese Wooden Doll)

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Rich in Japanese heritage and nostalgia, kokeshi dolls are iconic traditional toys and ornaments that you'd find in most Japanese homes. We love our kokeshi, and our customers have begun collecting them too. 

You can give kokeshi as a gift both to adults and children, and possibly start an interest in their history and traditional Japanese culture.  

While kokeshi are still made today in Japan, we only keep vintage items, all sourced from Japan. We stock a small range of carefully-chosen kokeshi dolls at our online and physical store, and we ship all over the world.

What are Kokeshi for? 

They are ... what ever you like! Traditional Kokeshi (of which we keep only a few), have been made for nearly 200 years, and they were both a children's toy, and an ornament. Creative Kokeshi (which we focus on), began as a variant post WWII and provide the same benefits, but the artisans have begun to reflect more modern Japanese costume. Creative Kokeshi also feature highly stylized girls and children in cute poses. They were gifts, souvenirs, and artistic expressions.

Geppetto's Workshop goes to great length to understand and be sure of our sourcing- origins for our kokeshi. We love them, and our customers have been returning for years, trusting us to find genuine kokeshi.

What is the history of Kokeshi?

The first kokeshi dolls were made in the Edo period (1603-1868) but the exact date is not known. Over decades, 8-10 distinct styles were developed by different communities in different locations, and these styles are maintained today and a part of friendly rivalry,

The timber used is usually plantation grown mizuki (dogwood) and sakura (cherry). Each doll is made from one or many pieces of timber, typically hand-turned on a lathe. The paintwork on the dolls is always done by hand and varies between artisans and between dolls, so no two dolls are identical.

Once a boutique, cottage industry, kokeshi were reasonably rare and sold by the artisans (called Kijishi) at their workshops, homes, or village stalls. Originating in the Tohoku region, Northern Japan, kokeshi became available more broadly as their popularity grew. The skills and techniques used were a guarded secret passed apprentices after years of training. In the 1980's the industry was transformed by several large manufacturers who productionised the machining of the timber, but the paintwork is always done by hand. Kokeshi are now found in markets, gift shops, museums, op-shops, department stores and workshops.

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