Tenjin Dolls: Thunder, Weather, Agriculture, Scholarship, Performing Arts, and the Prayers of the Common People Author: Yasuo Kimura; Photographs by Hiroko Matsuo Publisher: Nichibo Shuppan Pages: 263p During the exam season, many small votive tablets are hung at Tenjin shrines. It is well known that Sugawara no Michizane, exiled to Dazaifu 1,100 years ago, became the god of scholarship, and Tenjin shrines enshrine Michizane. There are 12,000 Tenjin shrines nationwide, and they have continued to live with the souls of the people, rooted in Japanese customs, and have deeply permeated the lives of the people. As a symbol of this, local dolls and toys have been made and cherished since the late Edo period. Although they are old, they retain the elegant and refined expressions and forms, the craftsman's spirit and meticulous techniques, and the warmth and taste of simple hand-made creations. This book features 218 dolls of 100 types, including clay dolls, kneaded dolls, and papier-mâché, from Tohoku to Kyushu. With 144 color photographs, it introduces the unique dolls of each region, touching on the highlights, the origins and characteristics of their production, the creators, and also exploring the surrounding areas of faith, legends, and local toy research. The correspondence with the creators during the collection is also friendly. The quiet enthusiasm of the author, who is fascinated by Tenjin dolls, is conveyed. ● Main Contents ◆ 1 "Tenjin-san" Dolls: The History of Clay Dolls and Tenjin-san / Displaying "Tenjin-san" / The Basic Forms of Tenjin Dolls ◆ 2 Appreciation of "Tenjin-san Dolls": Tohoku / Kanto / Hokuriku / Chubu / Kinki / Chugoku / Shikoku / Kyushu ◆ 3 "Tenjin-san": Its Faith and Legends: The Establishment of Tenjin Faith / The Development of Tenjin Legends / Reference Materials: Tenjin Doll Distribution Map, List of "Tenjin-san Doll" Makers / References #YasuoKimura #Tenjin-sama #HirokoMatsuo #ClayDolls #Tenjin #LocalToys