Toys from Yanagiya, a workshop that represents Tottori, are back!
Yanagiya has been making and passing down Tottori's local toys for 86 years since 1928. The founder, Tatsunosuke Tanaka, created original toys based on the history and folklore of the Inaba region, and also worked hard to revive discontinued toys, producing over 50 types of toys, from papier-mâché to clay dolls and wood carvings, but sadly ceased production in 2014. In order to ensure that the traditions passed down by Yanagiya are not allowed to die out, an initiative called "YANAGIYA REPRODUCT" was launched in 2020.
Local volunteers learned the production techniques from the second generation of Yanagiya and have begun to slowly reproduce the toys. One of these is the "Katahera Doll." This doll is made from a thin board called "Katahera" and shards of pottery, and was originally made in Nikaimachi, Tottori City, for festivals. The motif is a battle scene at a castle, and the sight of warriors' faces and helmets lined up on the castle walls is very unique.
