04 Japanese ｗooden doll　木彫人形・こけし

Tsuchiningyo (clay dolls) are traditional Japanese crafts. They are made from clay, shaped using molds, fired at low temperatures, coated with white pigment, and then painted with mud-based pigments.

The oldest known Tsuchiningyo are said to be the Fushimi dolls fired around Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine in Fukakusa, Kyoto. Pottery production began in this area (Fukakusa) before the Heian period, and doll production was underway by the Edo period. During the Edo period, Fushimi dolls spread throughout Japan via travelers, merchants, and the processions of daimyo (feudal lords) traveling through Kyoto, becoming the prototypes for local clay dolls and folk toys.

Their simple charm was loved by many, and they were popular as children's toys. Kyoto's "Fushimi dolls" and Fukuoka's Hakata dolls are representative examples of Tsuchiningyo, but other regional folk dolls also existed throughout Japan.