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Commemorating disaster and celebrating resilience
Artwork Title: Kokeshi Doll
Artist: Unrecorded, Japanese artist
mid-20th century, wood with painted design, Gift of Harold W. Stevenson, University of Michigan Professor Emeritus in Psychology, UA2003.120
Ten years ago, on March 11, 2011, a magnitude-9.0 earthquake hit the Tōhoku region in northern Japan. This is known as the Great East Japan Earthquake which is the strongest recorded earthquake in Japan and the fourth-strongest in the world. The event triggered a tsunami with waves that may have reached as high as 133 ft. The tsunami caused meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which released radioactive materials into the environment and forced thousands of people in the area to evacuate their homes. In all, there were about 20,000 deaths with many others missing or injured.

Kokeshi dolls, like the one pictured above, date back to the 19th century and come from the Tōhoku region of Japan. These handmade wooden dolls are hand-painted, with round heads, cylindrical bodies, and no limbs. The dolls are believed to have spiritual significance. The kokeshi doll above is a so-called “traditional” type, which has an abstract painted design of a child with a bob-cut hairstyle and a colorful kimono. More recently, there is a new type called “creative” kokeshi, with more free-form designs. Both traditional and creative kokeshi dolls are used as ornaments, collector’s items, and are bought as gifts or souvenirs inside and outside of Japan.

We asked Kokeshi artist Takatoshi Hayashi why he's passionate about this art form:

"I started making kokeshi because I wanted to bring back people and bustles to the commercial district of Ishinomaki City, Iwate prefecture, after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Though most kokeshi makers learn the skills and art by becoming apprentices of established makers and studios, I studied them independently. Youtube videos were especially helpful. It is very rewarding to me when people come to our city to buy my kokeshi, and kokeshi became a starting point for them to know the city. As my kokeshi becomes known all over Japan and gradually in the world, I feel great joy as an artist." -Takatoshi Hayashi, Kokeshi Artist

Reflection Prompts:
  • How do you feel when looking at this kokeshi doll knowing it was produced in the same area where the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred? Did your feelings change after hearing from Takatoshi Hayashi?
  • Kokeshi dolls have become very popular both inside and outside of Japan, what about them do you think attracts so many people? What about them interests you?
  • If you had Kokeshi dolls in your home, where would be a great place to display them?
Free Events
Two Opportunities to Hear from the Artist

In two upcoming events artist Takatoshi Hayashi will explain the origins of his "Ishinomaki Kokehsi" concept, reflect on its development over the past six years, and discuss its future. These programs are organized in partnership with the Stamps School of Art and Design.
An Introduction to Ishinomaki Kokeshi

Hayashi will introduce the audience to Kokeshi and demonstrate how to carve an Ishinomaki Kokeshi from his home workshop. This event is hosted by the U-M Center for Japanese Studies.

March 18
7:00 pm
Zoom
Cute Cute Kokeshi! Featuring UMMA Curator Natsu Oyobe

Dive deeper into the history and meaning of Japanese kokeshi with a look at historic kokeshi in UMMA’s collection as well as contemporary work by artist Takatoshi Hayashi.

March 22
6:00 pm
Zoom
Image: National Geographic (Roy Kanoya)
One Man’s Harrowing Story of Surviving the Japan Tsunami
Writing for National Geographic, Ryo Kanoya shares his experience of living through the tsunami and nuclear fallout in the days, weeks, and years following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
Preview
A Tree Tree Ishinomaki Pop-up at the UMMA Shop

Later this month the UMMA Shop will feature a selection of Takotoshi Hayashi’s signature kokeshi designs available for sale.

The UMMA Shop is open Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. A valid U-M ID (MCard) is required to enter.
Threshold Whispers of Fukushima trailer
This documentary film illuminates how several individuals have decided to live in the wake of the disaster in Fukushima.
About JBSD
This edition of Art In Your Inbox is generously supported by the Japan Business Society of Detroit, a non-profit organization that works to promote exchanges between "business," "culture," and "people" in order to deepen mutual understanding between Japan and the United States. UMMA is grateful for their ongoing support and partnership.
Art in Your Inbox Contributors
  • Natsu Oyobe, Curator of Asian Art at the University of Michigan Museum of Art
  • Payton Johnson, undergraduate student in Middle East Studies and Art History and Intern for Asian Art at UMMA
  • Kilala Ichie-Vincent is a junior in the Taubman school of Architecture. She enjoys researching and understanding ways in which our society works and how the world influences people.
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