Place of origin: Nakano City, Nagano Prefecture
Donated by Shikano Ichio
‘Nakano clay dolls’ is a general term for Nakano dolls made by the Nara family, and Tachigahana dolls made by the Nishihara family; both families produce their dolls in Nakano city.
Nakano dolls are said to have originated during the Bunka/Bunsei era (1804–1830), made under the guidance of a master doll-maker after receiving a model of a Fushimi doll. Tachigahana dolls, on the other hand, were first made around 1897 under the guidance of a tilemaker from Mikawa province. Many of them are based on kabuki plays.