What is the origin of the name “Yamato Doll”? What kinds of dolls are there?(Yamato Ningyo/Yamatoningyo)
Japanese dolls in the form of a child, whose arms and legs can be bent, seated, and dressed in different costumes (kimonos), are made in various parts of Japan. They are made in various parts of Japan, and well-known examples include “naked dolls” made in the early Edo period, “Ichima dolls” and “three-fold dolls,” which were popular in the Kansai region. It was not until 1935 that the term “Yamato ningyo” was coined for these dolls. 12,000 dolls were sent from the U.S. in 1927 as a gift for international goodwill, and in return the U.S. sent dolls with okappa heads and dressed in furisode (long-sleeved kimono). At that time, a standard name for dolls in children’s clothing was needed, and the name “Yamato ningyo” was selected, proposed by the Society for the Study of Japanese Dolls.
