Hitachi Take Ningyo are bamboo-craft dolls made in a workshop in the Omika neighborhood of Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, by a bamboo-doll artisan carrying on the techniques of Echizen Take Ningyo, a traditional craft of Fukui Prefecture. It is said to be one of only about three remaining makers nationwide working in the Echizen bamboo-doll lineage; bamboo-doll artisan Shibata Shigemitsu, after training in Fukui, opened his workshop in Hitachi in 1972, marking the craft's beginning there. Bamboo selected at three years of age is harvested and then left to season for a further three years before use, meaning it takes a full six years from felling to a finished doll. A variety of bamboo types—including madake, sarashi-dake (bleached bamboo), goma-dake (speckled bamboo), kurochiku (black bamboo), monchiku (patterned bamboo), and tora-dake (tiger bamboo)—are chosen according to their purpose, and the dolls depict subjects drawn from Noh, Kabuki, and local folk performing arts. The craft's defining feature is a form that makes the most of bamboo's natural character, and the material's color, which deepens to an amber hue over time, is also part of its appeal—making it one of Ibaraki Prefecture's representative bamboo crafts.
Origin
Hitachi Take Ningyo began when bamboo-doll artisan Shibata Shigemitsu, who had learned the techniques of Echizen Take Ningyo, a traditional craft of Fukui Prefecture, opened a workshop in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, in 1972. After training extensively in Echizen, he brought the techniques to Hitachi and developed his own distinctive style, later moving the workshop to its current location. Nationwide, it is said that only about three workshops still carry on the Echizen lineage of bamboo-doll making, and the Hitachi Take Ningyo workshop is counted among them.
History
Since opening in 1972, the Hitachi Take Ningyo workshop has worked to spread awareness of the craft by traveling to local events in Hitachi and elsewhere in Ibaraki Prefecture, as well as to department stores in Tokyo and local elementary schools, to give demonstrations and display works. In keeping with the seasons, the workshop also makes bamboo crafts such as Hina dolls, samurai helmets, and zodiac-animal figurines, which are popular as gifts and souvenirs. As one of Ibaraki Prefecture's traditional crafts, the techniques for doll-making that make the most of bamboo's natural character continue to be passed down today.
Features
The defining feature is the use of a variety of bamboo types—madake, sarashi-dake, goma-dake, kurochiku, monchiku, and tora-dake—chosen according to their intended use. Bamboo selected at three years of age is harvested and then left to season for a further three years before being worked, meaning the process takes a full six years from felling to completion. The dolls, which depict subjects from Noh, Kabuki, and local folk performing arts, are shaped with minimal coloring so as to bring out the bamboo's natural joints and hues, and part of their appeal is the way the material's color deepens to an amber tone over the years.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Harvesting and selecting the bamboo
Bamboo selected at three years of age is carefully harvested to choose the best material.
- 2
Drying and seasoning the bamboo
The harvested bamboo is left to season and dry for a further three years or so, bringing it to a condition suited for working.
- 3
Shaping and finishing
The doll is shaped to depict subjects from Noh, Kabuki, and local folk performing arts, while making the most of the bamboo's natural joints and coloring.
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Artisans & Workshops
ひたち竹人形工房（柴田重光）
A workshop opened in 1972 in the Omika neighborhood of Hitachi City by an artisan who had learned the techniques of Echizen Take Ningyo in Fukui Prefecture. It is one of only about three makers nationwide carrying on the Echizen lineage of bamboo-doll making, and it also gives demonstrations and displays at local events, Tokyo department stores, and elementary schools.
Hands-on Experiences
ひたち竹人形工房
茨城県日立市大みか町
About a 15-minute walk from Omika Station on the JR Joban Line. In addition to the display and sale of bamboo dolls, tours of the workshop are available (inquire in advance).