Category: Okamoto Usaburō

Okamoto Usaburō (岡本 卯三郎) was born in Shinto village, Gunma Prefecture in 1917. He was the patriarch of one of the most prolific families of modern kokeshi doll manufacturing. He began creating sōsaku kokeshi in 1950 and developed a technique of carving and baking to prevent wood from cracking. Okamoto-san was the winner of many awards, including the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for his masterpiece Kantsubaki (Camellia in Winter), which featured his favourite flower, the camellia, and which was purchased by Emperor Shōwa. He incorporated many seasonal motifs such as cherry blossoms, failing leaves, wheat, persimmons, the crane (tsuru) and dragonfly (tombo). He established Usaburō Kokeshi and a museum in Gunma. Okamoto-san passed await at the age of 91 in 2009. His sons, daughters and extended family have continued the family business and created character kokeshi, souvenirs and children’s toys.