Hakata doll(Hakata Ningyo / hakataningyo)
These dolls are made in the Hakata area of Fukuoka Prefecture and are finished by coloring unglazed clay. Their subjects range from Ukiyoe, Noh, and Kabuki to modern customs. They originated in the Warring States Period. In 1600, after the Battle of Sekigahara, many craftsmen accompanied Nagamasa Kuroda, the first lord of the Fukuoka domain, to Chikuzen, where the foundation of the current Hakata dolls is said to have been laid. In the latter half of the Edo period, many master craftsmen were born, and their graceful craftsmanship was distributed throughout the country. Even today, if you walk through the streets of Hakata, you can feel the skills and thoughts of Hakata doll makers everywhere. Hakata doll makers are also responsible for making the crafted dolls made of wood, bamboo, Japanese paper, and cloth that decorate the decorative and ascending mountains of the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, another summer tradition in Hakata, and another important job of Hakata doll makers.
