A wonderfully playful vintage omiyage kokeshi from Jōgashima (城ヶ島), the small island lying off the southern tip of the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture.
This unusual souvenir features a cheerful pair of miniature wooden figures mounted together on a black wooden base. Each has a hand-painted smiling face, with one figure wearing a traditional-style double-bun hairstyle and the other a short cropped hairstyle. Their simple expressions give the piece the warm, humorous charm often found in vintage Japanese regional souvenirs.
Jōgashima located at the entrance to Sagami Bay, Jōgashima has long been known for its dramatic rocky shoreline, fishing villages and expansive views of the sea. During the Shōwa period, destinations such as Jōgashima became popular domestic travel spots, and locally themed omiyage crafts were produced as keepsakes for visitors. Rather than following one of the traditional kokeshi lineages, pieces like this belong to the imaginative world of regional souvenir kokeshi, where local materials, scenery and seaside culture were incorporated into whimsical wooden figures.
