. Niigata Folk Toys

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Niigata Folk Art - 新潟県　

Echigo and Sado Island
越後、佐渡島　－ Sadogashima


. Sadogashima 佐渡島 Sado Island folk art - Introduction .

Niigata has 16 items listed as "traditional craft products".
designated by METI (Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)


..................................................................................................................................................................
Agano city 阿賀野市水原

. hatobue 鳩笛 pidgeon whistle, dove flute .

.......................................................................



Yamaguchi ningyoo　山口人形 clay dolls from Yamaguchi hamlet
水原町 Suibara (not Mizuhara)

Started by craftsmen from Fushimi Kyoto around 1806. There are about 20 different figures.
The forms from clay are dried for about one dy, then painted with colors mixed with some laquer (urushi 漆). Mostly in red, blue, black and ultramarin.

.......................................................................



Yamaguchi no kiba 山口の木馬 wooden horse from Yamaguchi
From the 下越地方 Kaetsu region (Lower Echigo).
Made by 今井徳四郎 Imai Tokushiro, the Old Man of Local Children's Toys. He made them until he was 100 years old.


..................................................................................................................................................................
Arai city 新井市

Some legends say that in the hamlet around 平丸 Hiramaru many samurai of the Heike clan 平家の落人 settled in hiding.



uri no ki no inoshishi ウリの木の猪 wild boar from Alangium wood
uri no ki ウリの木 / 瓜の木 Alangium platanifoliumvar.
The bark of the tree is scratched off and let dry for a long time. It is then fixed on a body of straw.

.......................................................................

. suge saiku すげ細工 handicraft from sedge .
..... and from from Myoko Village 妙高市

..................................................................................................................................................................
Hachiman villag 八幡新町 - Sado



clay dolls 八幡の土人形
Made at the end of the Edo period by 村田多平 Murata Tahei. Tahei had been to Kyoto to learn about dyeing techniques.
The production went on till the sixth generation.

. Sadogashima 佐渡島 Sado Island folk art - Introduction .

..................................................................................................................................................................
Kamo city 加茂市 / Kamo Matsubara　加茂松原



tsuchi ningyoo 土人形 clay dolls,
not made any more

加茂松原練人形 Kamo Matsubara Neri-ningyo dolls
former name: 新潟県南蒲原郡加茂町矢立松原
Made by the Honma family 本間由蔵、元吉、亀吉 Father Yoshizo and sons Motokichi and Kamekichi.
They also made normal clay tolls.


source : upp.so-net.ne.jp/kyoudoningyou...


. Kashiwazaki ningyoo 柏崎人形 dolls from Kashiwazaki .
熊金 Kintoki wrestling with a bear

Kamo kiritansu Kamo traditional chest
- reference source : kogeijapan.com/locale... -

..................................................................................................................................................................
Makicho village 巻町

. taiguruma 鯛車 carp on wheels .

..................................................................................................................................................................
Mitsuke town 見附市
土人形 clay dolls

rokkako 六角凧 kite with six corners - - see below -

..............................................................................................................................................
Murakami town 村上市

Oohama ningyoo 大浜土人形 dolls from Ohama
They are now almost extinct. They were made at the end of the Edo period under the influence from the same dolls in Hekinan, Aichi by a craftsman who had moved to Murakami.
Now they are also called
Murakami tsuchi ningyoo 村上土人形 Murakami clay dolls.

They are more colorful than other clay dolls from Niigata.


Soldier, about 28 cm high



Kato Kiyomasa with the tiger 虎加藤, ca. 25 cm high
Baby in a basket
These dolls are decorated for the seasonal festivals in the third and fifth lunar month.

. Oohama tsuchi ningyoo 大浜土人形 clay dolls from Ohama - Aichi .

. Shimosukebuchi Tenjin 下助淵人形 - 天神 Murakami .

. taibonbori, tai bonbori 鯛ぼんぼり lanterns with sea bream pattern .

.......................................................................

. Murakami kibori tsuishu 村上木彫堆朱 Murakami carved lacquerware .


..............................................................................................................................................
Nagaoka 長岡市

. Nagaoka butsudan 長岡仏壇 Nagaoka Buddhist altar .


..............................................................................................................................................
Niigata town 新潟市

. kingyo daiwa 金魚台輪　goldfish on wheels .

. wara uma 新潟のわら馬 / 藁馬 / 稲馬 straw horse .

.......................................................................

Jamatsu Myojin no Shingu 蛇松明神の神玩 toy amulets from Shrine Jamatsu Myojin
新潟県新潟市中央区一番堀通町1-1
A shrine dedicated to the snake deity which likes eggs.



蛇松明神 is a small shrine in the back of 白山神社 Hakusan Jinja.
It sells special serpents and 土人形 clay dolls as amulets.
- reference source : n-cityguide.jugem.jp -

..................................................................................................................................................................
Ojiya town 小千谷（オジヤ）市



sakazuki-dako 盃凧 kite in form of a sake cup
This kite has a very stable flightvperformance, even if its shape is rather special.

.......................................................................

Ojiya no mokugyuu 小千谷の木牛 Mokugyu, wooden fighting bull

Made by 春日礼智 Kasuga Reichi, but after his death, the craft died out.
Children used these bulls to play "bull fighting". The horns are especially large.
Bullfighting is still done in 山古志村の池谷闘牛 Yamakoshi village.



- quote -
“Tsunotsuki” of Yamakoshi Village (current Nagaoka City) in Niigata Prefecture is the only tsunotsuki that has been selected as the nation significant intangible folk cultural asset. It is known as the only tsunotsuki that does not determine victory or defeat and has been given the status of a Shinto ritual that carries the meaning of dedication to the village shrine. In spite of the name “tsunotsuki,” it is characterized by drawing the match when each of the bulls exerts its strength or when their movement stops.
Men called “seko” play an important role in the matches. A large number of sekos pull the rope tying both bulls, and the master seko holds the still enraged bulls’ nose, which is their vulnerable spot, and stop their fight. When they come to a complete stop, the crowd gives a thunderous applause to the bulls’ exciting fight and the sekos’ courage. The tsunotsuki match ends here. The sekos’ performance is the unique appeal of Echigo Togyu. The culmination of the men and bulls’ power, skill, and courage is harmoniously combined with the history and local culture, and a dynamic beauty beyond expression is present.
- source : japan-nishikigoi.org -

- reference and photos -

. ushi no tsuno tsuki 牛の角突き getting the horns to clash .
toogyuu　闘牛 bullfighting
kigo for late spring


. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

Once a young man went to a bullfight in Niigata, where he met a beautiful girl and fell in love immediately. She took him to a large estate in the mountains, where they spent some time together in a room where they could enjoy the four seasons. He also found a room with a plum tree and nightingale decoration, but that was off-limits for humans and everything just vanished before his eyes.
- reference : nichibun yokai database -

.......................................................................

. Ojiya tsumugi 小千谷紬 Ojiya pongee .
Ojiya chijimi 小千谷縮 summer textiles


..................................................................................................................................................................
Sanjooshi 三条市 Sanjo town



rokkako 六角凧 kite with six corners - - see below -

蛸凧 octopus kite
土人形 clay dolls
. taiguruma 鯛車 carp on wheels .


三条人形 Sanjo ningyo clay dolls


source : upp.so-net.ne.jp/kyoudoningyou...

tai katsugi 鯛かつぎ carrying a sea bream
Some doll makers from Sanjo : 小林三六，野水，藤倉. They discontinued in the Taisho period.

Sanjo - Echigo hamono 三条打刃物 Echigo-sanjo cutlery
- reference source : kogeijapan.com/locale... -

..................................................................................................................................................................
Shiozawa 塩沢 and 小千谷 Ojiya

. Ojiya tsumugi 小千谷紬 Ojiya pongee .
. Shiozawa tsumugi 塩沢紬 Shiozawa Pongee .


..................................................................................................................................................................
Shirone 白根市

rokkako 六角凧 kite with six corners


source : jblog.takoaki.com
made by 渡辺虎之助

ROKU means six -- Kaku means corners.
Another Japanese fighting kite and flown at the Shirone Kite Festival each May. Teams of kite fliers gather on both river bank and try to entangle their flying lines then proceed to cut each others kites lines or pull the kites to their side of the river. Normally decorated with famous warriors, folk heroes or advertisement.
source : tooter4kids.com

- - - - -

. Shirone butsudan 白根仏壇 Shirone Buddhist altar .


..............................................................................................................................................
Suibara village 水原（すいばら）町

. sankaku Daruma 三角だるま triangular Daruma
(also from Mitsuke village)

. Suibara no kiba 水原の木馬 wooden horse from Suibara .



source : teragoya/petakuta
petakuta ペタクタ Petakuta / itagaeshi 板返し Jacob's ladder
patapata パタパタ
It makes a noise like patapata / petakuta when the plates fall down.



Suibara tsuchi ningyoo 水原土人形 clay dolls


source :　blog.nihondorei.com

. hahako 母子 / 母と子 mother and child dolls .




..............................................................................................................................................
Tsubame town 燕市

. Tsubame Tsuiki Dooki 燕鎚起銅器　Tsuiki Doki : hammered metal ware .
Reference mentions bronze or copper as the main material used.


..............................................................................................................................................
Tochio 栃尾

Tochio ningyoo 栃尾人形 dolls from Tochio
Mad in the 栃尾市栃堀地区 Horichi district of Tochio city.
Many have a slight red touch above the eyes.



Tenjin sama　天神さま

..................................................................................................................................................................
Tookamachi, Tokamachi 十日町

Tokamachi akashi chijimi 町明石ちぢみ summer textiles from Akashi
- reference source : kogeijapan.com/locale... -


Tokamachigasuri 十日町絣 Tokamachi Kasuri traditional resist-dyed textiles
- reference source : kogeijapan.com/locale... -


..............................................................................................................................................
Yamato village 大和町

. Urasa no neko men 浦佐の猫面 cat masks .
and a legend about 左甚五郎 Hidari Jingoro


..................................................................................................................................................................
Yoita 与板 Echigo-Yoita

Echigo Yoita Uchihamono　与板打刃物 Echigo Yoita cutlery
- History
The origin of Echigo Yoita Uchihamono dates back to the Warring States period. In 1578, Naoe Yamatonokami Sanetsuna, a vassal of Uesugi Kenshin, took the sword smiths from Kasugayama to Yoita. Later, since the foundations of smithing had been laid by the Naoe family, guns were also produced as well as swords. Early in the Edo period, the Yoita area was further developed and flourished by the opening up of river navigation on the Shinano river. Then, in the middle of the Edo period, carpenter’s tools were added to the blacksmiths’ repertoire and fine works such as doinomi or hyobunomi were created. Later, early in the Meiji period, a swordsmith, Matsunaga Ryuminsai Kaneyuki began to make planes as well as swords, which led to Yoichi achieving nationwide prominence as one of the major production areas of carpenter’s tools. In 1986 Echigo Yoita Uchihamono were designated as Traditional Crafts in recognition of the area’s production of fine blades and the traditional skills, which are still being passed down the generations today.
- reference source : kogeijapan.com/locale... -


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. Reference and Photos . Gangu Guide .
. Reference and Photos . Isamu Folk Toys .
. Reference and Photos . Yama no Ie . Folk Toys .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Saturday, July 30, 2011 11:57 - NHK world news
Torrential rain hits Niigata, Fukushima
Torrential rain in Niigata and Fukushima prefectures in northern Japan has caused rivers to overflow, raising the danger of landslides.
Authorities have issued an evacuation order, or advisory, to about 296,000 people in 21 municipalities.
In Niigata's Sanjo City, more than 10,000 people were ordered to evacuate after a dike collapsed.
A 67-year-old man in Niigata Prefecture was found in a stream and later confirmed dead. 5 people are missing in the region.
Since Wednesday, more than 650 millimeters of rain has been recorded in some parts of Fukushima. Sanjo City in Niigata has gotten more than 1,000 millimeters.
The Meteorological Agency is calling on people to be on the alert for floods, landslides, lightning, and strong winds.
source : www3.nhk.or.jp

We watched reports on the news today all day long - this is terrible, brings back memories of the tsunami in Tohoku on March 11, 2011.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. WASHOKU . - Regional Dishes from Niigata -

MORE
. Niigata Folk Toys - this BLOG .


. Japan after the BIG earthquake March 11, 2011


[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
- #niigata -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::