AreaMt. Zao
Zao Kokeshi Museum
蔵王こけし館 | Zao Kokeshi Museum
Japan's largest collection of handcrafted traditional dolls
Photo by Zao Kokeshi Museum
AreaMt. Zao
蔵王こけし館 | Zao Kokeshi Museum
Japan's largest collection of handcrafted traditional dolls
Photo by Zao Kokeshi Museum
Photo by Zao Kokeshi Museum
Photo by Roger Smith
Photo by Roger Smith
Located a stone’s throw from Togatta Onsen, the Zao Kokeshi Museum boasts boasts a collection of kokeshi dolls 5,500 strong—the largest in Japan! Kokeshi are a traditional craft that originated in the hot springs regions of northern Japan. Characteristics such as the shapes and facial features of the dolls are unique to each region. At the Zao Kokeshi Museum, you can wander through displays of kokeshi from all over the Tohoku region. If you time your visit right, you may be lucky enough to witness a kokeshi artisan at work. Visitors can also try their hand at painting their own original kokeshi.
WEBSITEhttp://kokeshizao.com/
Mt. Zao
ADDRESS
Shinchinishiurayama-36-135 Togattaonsen, Zao-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi-ken 989-0916
ACCESS BY PUBLIC TRANSIT
By highway bus: 70 minutes from Sendai Station, followed by a 10-minute walk.
Board bus bound for Murata・Zao・Togatta (村田・蔵王・遠刈田) at Sendai Station Bus Stop 33. Alight at the Togatta Onsen (遠刈田温泉) bus stop. Timetable here.
ADMISSION
Museum entry: Adults ¥300, ¥150 children ages elementary to junior high school, children ages kindergarten & younger free.
Kokeshi painting: ¥750
CREDIT CARDS
Accepted
LANGUAGES
Japanese only
HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE
Yes
HOURS
9:00–17:00 (Last entry 16:30)
RESERVATION
Kokeshi painting: Required
Museum entry: Required at least 3 days in advance for groups of 10 or more, recommended for individuals & small groups
CLOSED DAYS
New Year's holiday period (Dec 29–Jan 3)
PHONE
0224-34-2385