In the workshop and shop of kokeshi doll craftsman Watanabe Tadao, in the town of Tsuchiyu Onsen which is renowned for the production of wooden Kokeshi dolls, in Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on Tuesday 24th July 2012.

In the workshop and shop of kokeshi doll craftsman Watanabe Tadao, in the town of Tsuchiyu Onsen which is renowned for the production of wooden Kokeshi dolls, in Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on Tuesday 24th July 2012.
Watanabe Tadao has been crafting kokeshi dolls for 40 years.
In the mid-19th century artisans in Tsuchiyu began producing wooden kokeshi dolls unique to the area. As Tsuchiyu lies at the mountains foot of Mt. Azuma, in the mid-19th century the route to Tsuchiyu was impassible for around four months a year due to heavy snow. Local craftsmen began to produce kokeshi dolls as a way to make extra money to make up for the lack of guests during these slow periods.
Tsuchiyu kokeshi are distinguishable from other kokeshi due to have a smaller head, two black concentric circles on the top of the head, a small mouth, a rounded nose, a red ribbon painted on the hair, a thin body, and colored strips painted on the body using a potter’s wheel.