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HIROTAYA doll
saitama prefecture, japan
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KOUNOSU City:Home town of dolls
About 370 years ago,a sculptor of Buddist imageshappened to visit Konosu and began to make clay dolls. This is said to be the beginning of doll meking in Konosu.In those days, Konosu was in the years of prosperous as a post town on Nakasendo,one of the five main roads in Edo era. Then the sculptor tried new ways of making dolls by using the dust of pawlonia instead of clay. He devised dressing dolls in the way which was popular among the nobles in kyoto. in 1862 konosu had 28 doll makers and produced dolls in a large scale to sell them in Edo. Meiji era was a time when doll making flourished in konosu. there were more than 70 doll makers and about 300 craftsmen engaged in the work. When you want to visit Konosu now,please get off the train at Konosu station on Takasaki line, and go straight up to Nakasendo.then turn to the right and walk about 10 minutens. You can get to Ningyocyo which means Town of dolls.There are a lot of doll shops on both sides of the street. You can enjoy beautiful displays of dolls all through the year.
