Echizen Take Ningyo are dolls from Fukui Prefecture in which every part, from the costume and body to the hair, is made of bamboo or bamboo sheath. They are said to have been created after much trial and error in the Showa 20s (1945-1954) by the brothers Morota Yasutaka and Sanshiro, who ran a bamboo craft business in Maruoka, Sakai City, and their form is said to have been established around 1952 (Showa 27). Their exhibition at the 1955 (Showa 30) Toyama Exposition prompted full-scale bamboo doll production. In 1963 (Showa 38), Mizukami Tsutomu published the novel 'Echizen Take Ningyo', which was made into a film the same year, spreading the name nationwide. Many of the dolls are elegant figures based on Noh, Kabuki and other themes, and a highlight is the black hair, expressed by inserting 5,000 to 7,000 finely split strips of bamboo into each doll. It is not a Traditional Craft Designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, but has been designated a Fukui Prefecture-designated Local Craft. At Echizen Take Ningyo no Sato (Echizen Bamboo Doll Village) in Maruoka, visitors can watch artisans at work and try making bamboo dolls.
Origin
Echizen Take Ningyo is a relatively new craft born after the war. In the Showa 20s (1945-1954), the brothers Morota Yasutaka and Sanshiro, who ran a bamboo craft business in Maruoka, Sakai City, began making dolls using the scrap material left over from making flower baskets and other bamboo crafts. After much trial and error, the bamboo dolls are said to have been completed around 1952 (Showa 27). Prompted by their exhibition at the 1955 (Showa 30) Toyama Exposition, the brothers began producing bamboo dolls in earnest.
History
Morota Reimei, who succeeded the brothers, founded the Echizen Take Ningyo Cooperative and opened Echizen Take Ningyo no Sato, an exhibition and sales facility, raising the craft's artistic quality. Mizukami Tsutomu's novel 'Echizen Take Ningyo', published in 1963, is the story of a young bamboo craftsman and a courtesan named Tamae. It was made into a film by Daiei the same year, spreading the name of the bamboo dolls nationwide. Makers spread throughout the prefecture; in Fukui City, for example, Ozaki Kin'ichi created tayu (courtesan) dolls inspired by the novel. In 2007, it was also registered as a regional collective trademark.
Features
Its greatest feature is that every part of the doll, including the clothing, body and hair, is made of bamboo or bamboo sheath. Making the most of the texture of bamboo, the makers create elegant dolls based on Noh, Kabuki and other themes. The hair is a particular highlight: bamboo is split to a thickness of 0.2 mm or less, and 5,000 to 7,000 strands are inserted into each doll to express the black hair of a traditional Japanese hairstyle. As Fukui Prefecture-designated Local Crafts, the bamboo dolls of Fukui City and Maruoka, Sakai City were designated in 1994, and those of Awara City in 2018.
Techniques
Inserting bamboo hair
A technique in which bamboo is split to a thickness of 0.2 mm or less and inserted strand by strand into the doll's head to express the hair. As many as 5,000 to 7,000 strands of bamboo are used for a single doll, beautifully expressing the glossy black hair of a traditional Japanese hairstyle with bamboo alone.
Materials Used
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Artisans & Workshops
越前竹人形協同組合
A cooperative founded by Morota Reimei, who succeeded the brothers Morota Yasutaka and Sanshiro. It opened Echizen Take Ningyo no Sato, an exhibition and sales facility, and has raised the artistic value of Echizen Take Ningyo.
竹人形工房「篝（かがり）」
A workshop at Echizen Take Ningyo no Sato. In addition to watching bamboo doll artisans at work as they complete their dolls, visitors can try making bamboo crafts such as taketombo (bamboo dragonflies) and bamboo dolls such as the twelve zodiac animals, yukinko (snow children) and oyayubi-bina (thumb-sized hina dolls).
How to Buy
- Echizen Take Ningyo no Sato (Echizen Bamboo Doll Village)
- A facility in Kami-Kumeda, Maruoka, Sakai City that displays and sells a large number of bamboo dolls and bamboo crafts. The shop on the first floor sells local specialties as well as bamboo dolls, and Fukui's local dishes can be enjoyed on the second floor. Opening hours are said to be 9:00-16:30.
Hands-on Experiences
越前竹人形の里
福井県坂井市丸岡町上久米田63-1
Visitors can try bamboo crafts and bamboo doll making at the Kagari workshop (reservation required), with prices said to start at around 500 yen for a bamboo dragonfly and around 1,300 yen for a yukinko doll. Admission to Reimei, a creative bamboo doll museum housing a collection of bamboo doll works, is around 300 yen for adults.
FAQ
Q. Were Echizen Take Ningyo born from Mizukami Tsutomu's novel?
A. Bamboo doll making is said to have been started by the Morota brothers of Maruoka in the Showa 20s (1945-1954), before the novel was published. The 1963 novel and its film adaptation made the dolls known nationwide, and tayu dolls inspired by the novel also came to be made in Fukui City.
Q. Are Echizen Take Ningyo a Traditional Craft?
A. They are not a national Traditional Craft but a Local Craft designated by Fukui Prefecture. The bamboo dolls of Fukui City and Maruoka, Sakai City were designated in 1994, and those of Awara City in 2018.
Q. What can you do at Echizen Take Ningyo no Sato?
A. In addition to the exhibition and sale of bamboo dolls and bamboo crafts, you can watch bamboo doll artisans at work at the Kagari workshop. With a reservation, you can also try making bamboo dragonflies or bamboo dolls, and Fukui's local dishes can be enjoyed on the second floor.