Published in November 1985 (Shōwa 60), this is Issue No. 296 of Kokeshi Techō (こけし手帖), the specialist journal of the Tokyo Kokeshi Tomo-no-kai (東京こけし友の会). The cover illustration was created by Ikuo Okazaki (岡崎幾雄) and features a highly stylized traditional kokeshi figure integrated with a bold red floral motif.
Contents:
The Life and Kokeshi of Sakuma Torakichi II (佐久間虎吉（二代目）の経歴とこけし) — based on records from a kokeshi discussion meeting, p.2
Remembering Torakichi II (二代目虎吉さんを偲んで) — Toshikazu Takeda (武田利), p.3
A Visit to Zaō Onsen (蔵王温泉を訪ねて) — Iwako Hayashi (林岩子), p.5
On the Kokeshi in “The World of Haiko” (『這子の世界』のこけしについて) — Masao Yada (矢田正生), p.7
Oku no Hosomichi: A Journey with Kokeshi, Part 1 (おくのほそ道・こけしの旅（1）) — Chōkichirō Shibata (柴田長吉郎), p.12
Visiting the National Kokeshi Festival (全国こけしまつりを訪ねて) — Shōji Tezuka (手塚正二), p.15
Personal Notes, Part 4 (身辺雑記（4）) — Minekichi Nishida (西田峯吉), p.17
Corrections to Kokeshi Techō, p.6
Regular Meeting News, p.9
Kokeshi Distributed at the September Meeting, p.10
September Souvenir Kokeshi — Chikara Ōnuma (大沼力), p.14
Members’ Salon, p.23
Kokeshi Articles and Literature, p.25
Kokeshi World News, p.26
The Tokyo Kokeshi Tomo-no-kai is a long-established association devoted to the study, collecting and preservation of traditional Japanese kokeshi. Its journal Kokeshi Techō records craftsmen, regional lineages, historical research, exhibitions, collectors’ activities and personal recollections from within the kokeshi community.
This issue is particularly interesting for its material on second-generation Sakuma Torakichi, together with articles on Zaō Onsen, the National Kokeshi Festival and a travel series inspired by Oku no Hosomichi. Vintage issues such as this have become valuable reference material for collectors and researchers, preserving information that is often difficult to locate in modern publications.
