Published in February 1986 (Shōwa 61), this is Issue No. 299 of Kokeshi Techō (こけし手帖), the specialist journal issued by the Tokyo Kokeshi Tomo-no-kai (東京こけし友の会).
The cover illustration was created by Shōgo Takahashi (高橋正吾), featuring a cheerful stylized kokeshi surrounded by bold red floral forms against a vivid yellow background.
Contents:
Continuing: Visiting Sites Associated with the Legends of Prince Koretaka in Eastern Ōmi (続・近江湖東の惟喬親王伝承地めぐり) — Hiroshi Okita (沖田 浩), p.2
Oku no Hosomichi: A Journey with Kokeshi, Part 4 (おくのほそ道・こけしの旅（4）) — Chōkichirō Shibata (柴田長吉郎), p.10
Notice for the Spring 1986 Study Trip (61年春の旅行会おしらせ), p.13
Fragments of Recollection, Part 2 (追憶片々（2）) — Riichi Takeda (武田 利一), p.14
Personal Notes, Part 5 (身辺雑記（5）) — Minekichi Nishida (西田 峯吉), p.17
Tokyo Kokeshi Tomo-no-kai Awards for Fiscal Year 1985 (昭和60年度友の会賞), p.20
Kokeshi Distributed at the December Meeting (十二月例会頒布こけし), p.16
Regular Meeting News (例会だより), p.20
December Souvenir Kokeshi (十二月のおみやげこけし), p.21
Members’ Salon (会員サロン), p.22
Kokeshi Articles and Literature (こけしの記事と文献), p.23
Kokeshi World News (こけし界ニュース), p.23
The Tokyo Kokeshi Tomo-no-kai is a long-established association devoted to the study, collecting, documentation and preservation of traditional Japanese kokeshi. Its journal Kokeshi Techō records artisan histories, regional traditions, exhibitions, collecting activities, travel reports and specialist research contributed by collectors and scholars.
This issue is particularly interesting for its continuation of the research into Prince Koretaka (惟喬親王) traditions in the Ōmi region, a visit to collector Haruaki Okada, and the fourth instalment of the Oku no Hosomichi kokeshi travel series. It also documents the association’s annual awards and activities during the mid-1980s, making it a useful reference for collectors researching the history and culture surrounding traditional kokeshi.
