Tokyo Weekender have an interview with me about the kokeshi book. Yay. thank you so much Tokyo Weekender and Chris.
Question: Why did you to want to write about kokeshi and how did the project get started?
Manami Okazaki: I actually
started interviewing kokeshi artisans for a previous book I made on
kawaii culture. Many of my interviewees in Tokyo told me to check them
out, if I wanted to understand the roots of contemporary kawaii culture
and aesthetics. Kokeshi have completely ambiguous facial expressions,
you can’t quite tell if they are laughing, smiling, nonchalant or sad,
even. For many designers, this lack of distinct facial expressions is
one of the characteristics successful kawaii characters like Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma have in common.
My first interview was with Yasuo Okazaki during the kokeshi festival weekend
(incidentally, it is coming up in September) and I had the most
incredible time. The locals were so above and beyond hospitable, and I
was mesmerized by the process of making kokeshi. I was completely in
love with the village, the artisan ateliers, the cute kokeshi and the
incredible countryside, and wanted everyone to experience it as well.
Q: An impressive amount of research
has gone into the book, including 23 different interviews with kokeshi
craftsmen across the 6 prefectures of Tohoku. How long has this book
been in the making?
MO: Actually, if I planned it
efficiently, I probably could have done it quite quickly, as the region
of Tohoku itself is not that big. However, I did a lot of side trips to
places like Tono Valley, Osorezan, Sakata, Kakunodate and so on, and
looked at other aspects of Tohoku culture, so it ended up taking a lot
of time. I really had a great time backpacking around Tohoku, and had
no desire to rush the experience. I also went to a few of the regions,
like Naruko a few times.
Q: You must have met some inspiring
people during the research and interview process. Are there any
particularly memorable experiences you’d like to share?
MO: The people in Tohoku are so
warm, it is almost surreal. They were so genuinely helpful and gracious.
Everyday, I was completely bowled over at how kind the people were, and
how much they would help me. I even had one random lady drive me
around as I was walking along the road, and she was afraid I was going
to get eaten by a bear!
After the book was finished, many
of the kokeshi artisans sent me handwritten letters with kokeshi to say
thank you—usually I don’t even receive an email from interviewees. The
folks from YK Suisan sent me a box of fish, and the managers at Horieya ryokan in Fukushima sent me a box of peaches! Given the nuclear disaster is
causing the entire region is struggle at the moment, that is the last
thing they needed to do. They are truly lovely people.
Another memorable thing about the people in Tohoku, is
that many of them are actually still alive and talking to me because
they were saved from the tsunami by some incredible miracle. One lady’s
mum was hauled out of a car, which was washed up a hill while the
tsunami wave pulled back. Another stopped off to get a sweet potato and
was late for work when the tsunami hit Onagawa. So despite the horror of
the disaster, there were also uplifting anecdotes. You would have to be
a robot to not be moved by these stories.
Q: You
have dedicated a chapter to discussing the distinctive features and
historical context of each of the 11 types of traditional kokeshi. Do
you have a favorite type? Why?
MO: I like Naruko kokeshi. They
are the most orthodox but they are so minimal and striking. To me, they
are the most elegantly designed item, and so well balanced. I like the
really eccentric looking types as well, like the Hijiori kokeshi.
Q: Do you have a kokeshi collection of your own?
MO: I have about 25 now. I
did have a fairly large collection and I completely understand the
drive to collect, but I sold most of them for charity at the Japan Expo
in Paris a few years ago. So, quite enviably, there are quite a few
kokeshi living in Parisian apartments at the moment, enjoying a cool
European summer.
Q: Many of the “koujin”
(kokeshi makers) talk about the fluctuating interest in kokeshi over the
years. What is the market like at the moment? What do you see happening
in the future for the kokeshi industry?
MO: After the tsunami, Tohoku
became something at the forefront of Japanese people’s consciousness,
even if they had never even thought about Tohoku before the disaster.
Tohoku products became focused on, and the Japanese media created a bit
of a kokeshi craze. It seemed like every time I turned on the TV, there
were kokeshi-related TV shows – even ones analyzing the sound of the
wood when you turn the kokeshi’s head! Many products with kokeshi motifs
(which have nothing to do with real kokeshi per se) sprung up and there
were events and exhibitions in Tokyo and Osaka.
The demand for kokeshi is still
strong at the moment, I tried to buy one of Muchihide Abo’s and was told
it would be a several week wait time, and I went to Naruko recently,
and everyone was busy. I wonder if this will last though, as Japanese
consumers tend go crazy over trends, and then move on the next thing
immediately.
The biggest problem now is that
there is demand, but very few successors. It is the same as all the
artisan crafts in Japan. Because it takes so long to become
professional, young people don’t have the patience to sit through the
apprenticeship period. I met three young artisans, but the rest are
reaching retirement age, and many of the artisans I tried to get in
touch with were in hospital, or not physically able to make them
anymore.
Q: Kokeshi were originally designed to be used as children’s toys. Why are people buying them these days?
MO: They are an interior design
item, something to decorate the house. The main reasons people buy them
now is because they are cute, and they are said to be “healing.” There
is something really comforting about having this lovingly crafted piece
of wood in your house; it really adds something nice to your space.
I think perhaps people are
getting sick of kitsch that lasts a few months, and needs to be thrown
out so you can get the next new thing. Kokeshi are amazing as they don’t
degrade with age, in fact, they get more characteristic and improve as
time goes on.
Also, I think a lot people, including young people, are
thinking about whether they want to the get something made in a third
world country, in a process that is completely invisible, or something
made by hand by a master craftsmen in the Tohoku countryside – these
kinds of products with feel-good narratives are gaining popularity now. I
interviewed an American artist, Rowland Ricketts for a book on kimono
culture. He makes hand-dyed items from natural indigo and he pointed out
that products like this have a very different “energy of production” to
something made in a factory.
Q: There is some beautiful
photography in the book that really captures the essence of kokeshi
culture. What are your favourite photos from the book? Is there a story
behind them?
MO: My favourite photos are from
Toshiyuki Kojima’s studio in Aomori. He passed away a few weeks after I
interviewed him, and I am so happy I was able to meet him. I think the
amazing thing about books are that they leave behind a legacy. Some kids
in the US can pick up the book in a library in 20 years time, and see
his studio and imagine what it is like, and appreciate his work.
Q: There are now 2 editions of your book. What’s new in the 2nd edition?
MO: It is not a new book, I just
want to make that clear for people who have the first edition. There
are 60 more photos, 3 new profiles, new chapters, it is larger, higher
quality paper which is from environmentally sustainable sources in
Europe, really thick, textured hardcover and a larger format.
Q: Thank you very much for your time! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
MO: Most tourists do the Tokyo –
Osaka – Kyoto route, but if you want a perfect mini trip from Tokyo,
sitting in hot springs, eating countryside cuisine, hopping around
artisan studios in remote villages and ogling spectacular nature will
make you extremely happy to be alive!
If you cant make it to Tohoku, there is a new shop in the Skytree Solamachi shopping
floor called “Tohoku Standard Market” which sells genuine, handcrafted
kokeshi from many of the people featured in my book. Just a heads up –
many of the “kokeshi” that you see at the airport shops are actually not
kokeshi at all, and are probably made overseas!
