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| Intro ..:. Q&A 1 :.: Q & A 2 .:. Artist .::.: Sources ..::. Doll Gallery ::. Fan Art ::.Stories .:.: | |
| Some Kokeshi are fashioned after local heroes, children's stories or folklores. In this section I will share some of the stories I have come across in my collecting journey. | |
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| Kanichi & Omiya | |
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It is said that about 400 years ago, in the 1600s a
great writer, Tokugawa, visited Atami, a
city
located in the eastern end of
Shizuoka Prefecture,
Japan
and after his visit it became even more popular. Appears that
many novelist loved to visit Tokugawa where the hot ocean is
said to have medicinal properties. The novelist whom has inspired Kijishi (kokeshi artisans) to depict scenes fro his novel is well known Japanese author Ozaki Kojo, he was born in 1866 and he is most famous for his novel titled Konjiki Yasha (Diamond Demon). Konjiki Yasha is about the tragic love story of Kanichi and Omiya. You see Kanichi was to wed Omiya the love of his life, but in traditional Japan, when a rich business man, Tomiyama Tadatsugu, takes notice of Omiya, and the families agree to let him propose to Omiya, whom he gives a Diamond Ring to (big deal at the time since only the very rich could afford them). Poor Omiya faces a conundrum she can not tell Tomiyama of her love for Kanichi as to not shame her parents or bring dishonor to them (they arranged the marriage) and now she would have to tell Kanichi of their misfortune. Kanichi, in a fit of fury after Omiya tells him of her marriage arrangement, tries to go away and Omiya clings on to his legs, Kanichi then shoves her away with a good swift kick and then he disappears into the night. The novel has several parts, I've yet to complete the entire book I found an English version translated by A. and M. LLOYD titled The Gold Demon it is approximately 598 pages and I've only reached the end of Book 1 which is about 100 pages. It is an interesting read thus far and would recommend it. I'm not sure if there's any copyright issues in terms of linking the pdf file, as I obtained it online so I will research further and if there are no issues I will post it here, the original link is no longer valid. In the meantime I have posted some additional sources I found online for those wanting more information. |
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Further Reading: Sources: Atami's Famous Love Story Encyclopedia Britanica The Gold Demon translated by A. and M. LLOYD (invalid resource link) There is also a film: Konjiki Yasha (1954) IMDB New York Times overview Amazon VHS link (yes remember those? there's also reviews which wrap up the story) Title: Golden Demon Running Time: 95 Minutes Status: Released Country: Japan Genre: Drama |
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