✳︎Product Name: Discontinued Local Toy: Cherry Blossom Doll Sasara (Sasara) Dance x 2 ✳︎Origin: Kakunodate, Senboku District, Akita Prefecture ✳︎Manufactured: Early Showa Period ✳︎Size (approx.) (Left) Large: Height: 14 cm, Width: 7 cm, Weight: 200g (Right) Small: Height: 8.5 cm, Width: 5 cm, Weight: 100g Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture, has long been known as a producer of simple and beautiful cherry bark crafts. Influenced by this, Obako dolls, depicting local girls in flower dances and Sasara dances, were made from 1930 using the techniques of Kakunodate's traditional cherry bark crafts, skillfully using cherry bark and wood. The Sasara (Sasara) dance began about 400 years ago when Lord Yoshinobu Satake led the procession during a relocation, performing the dance to ward off evil spirits. Even today, it is danced as an Obon festival event in related cities to pray for a good harvest and good health. ① Shiraiwa Sasara (Prefectural Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property) ② Shimokawara Sasara (Prefectural Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property) ③ Hirokuchinai Sasara (City Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property) ④ Donoguchi Sasara (City Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property) ⑤ Joshu Shimogoku Sasara (Prefectural Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property) ※The last toy illustration is from the book "Kyodo Gangu Jiten" (Local Toy Encyclopedia) published in 1964 by Teitoshi Nishizawa, a local toy collector and researcher who wrote works such as "Unai no Tomo." ◎⤵︎ Search Terms Akita Souvenir Joshu Shimogoku Sasara #Yoshinobu Satake #Sasara Good Harvest #WardingOffEvilSpirits Kiln God Hibuse Fire God Kakunodate City Mingei (Folk Craft) Flea Market #UnaiNoTomo Kotaro Yamamoto Seifu Shimizu #LocalToys Peasant Art folktoy Folktoy Guardian Forest Fire Prevention Disaster Prevention Amulet #Amulet Family Safety Saenokami Dosojin Disaster Prevention Kunio Yanagita Fire Prevention Lion Dondoro Dosojin Mukurikokuri Mokurikokuri MukuriKokuri Wooden Buddhist Statue Esoteric Sculpture Kishimayama Otsu-e Kakubei Jishi Totem Pole Enku Mountain God Kihada Butsu (Wood Chip Buddha) Yokai Toy Kiji Toy (Wooden Toy) White Birch Craft Underground General Maruki Wood Carving Doll Kurozuka Doll Out of Mingei Peasant Art Folk Crafts Souvenir Kokeshi Creative Kokeshi Amulet MUJI GINZA Atelier MUJI Ginza ATELIER MUJI GINZA ATELIER MUJI Gallery ATELIER MUJI Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten