Zao Kokeshi Museum

蔵王こけし館 / Zao Kokeshi Museum

Handcrafted traditional wooden dolls

Photo by Zao Kokeshi Museum

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.
Last Update
October 6, 2023

Area Mt. Zao

Details

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 ¥350, ¥200 children ages elementary to junior high school, children ages kindergarten & younger free.
Kokeshi painting: ¥1,000

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