The delicate craftsmanship of the « KYO NINGYO » doll from Kyoto

Since the Heian period (794-1185), Kyoto dolls have been highly appreciated at the Kyoto Imperial Palace, where they developed in their own unique way.
The process of making these dolls is characterized by the use of traditional fabrics unique to Kyoto such as the Nishijin brocade as well as the division of labor.
The work is relayed from the "kashira-shi," who makes the face, to the "tezoku-shi," who specializes in the arms and legs, and the "yukushi-shi," who applies the hair.
The "kitsuke-shi" makes the body of the doll. In a last step, the doll is dressed in luxurious silk costumes and thus completed. Gensho Miyake is the second generation master of the KYO NINGYO MIYAKE workshop and in charge of dressing the doll.





« Unlike mass-produced dolls, Kyo Ningyo dolls are exquisite products made in small quantities by several specialists that work together. Right after graduating from junior high school, my father became an apprentice to a Kyo Ningyo doll master and then started his own business in 1967. »

Taking over the business from his father and after roughly 15 years of doll making, Gensho Miyake decided that he would like to use his skills as a doll dresser for something else as well. He learned about the « Manufacture Renaissance Competition » in Kyoto and decided to take on the challenge.

« It was a contest for making new things while using traditional crafts. I entered for fun and because I wanted people to see my original work. My first idea was to make a computer case inspired by the « Kozane » armor. »


Craftsmanship refined with designers, making the most of the uniqueness of the armor


The armor for the traditional May dolls is made by connecting metal plates called kofuda with braided cords, a technique Mr. Miyake wanted to use in the competition. At the time, however, instead of using full-fledged metal plates, Miyake tried a simpler method by connecting square pieces of leather fabric with the braided cords. The first prototype, which Miyake completed in the evening after work, narrowly missed out on the award. He was convinced that it was possible to do better but felt that there were limits to what he could accomplish on his own.

« I took the prototype to the Kinki Headquarters of the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Osaka, and asked if they could help me develop a new product. There, I was introduced to Mr. Nishibori of Hiyoshiya. »

The same year, Kyoto City was planning to implement "Kyoto Contemporary », a project for traditional craftsmen to develop products for overseas markets and cultivate new sales channels. I found the idea of utilizing the techniques of the doll armor for making bags interesting and invited Mr. Miyake to enter the project. He passed the screening successfully and decided to team up with the designer Kazushige Miyake.The first request from the designer was to make small plates of metal so that the product would feel more like an armor. Miyake created the second prototype, a bag made of aluminum plates connected by a braided cord. This product was to be exhibited in Paris for the first time.





Converting the impact of the Paris Fair into confidence

The bag exhibited in  Paris was called the « Samurai Armor Bag ». Miyake, who stood in the exhibition hall wearing an actual armor, received such a strong response that he was nicknamed the "Samurai Creator". Of course, it wasn't just the novelty of the armor that drew attention. What the French admired was the creativity in reinterpreting and redesigning a traditional craft.





All the Japanese craftsmen exhibiting in Paris, shared a rented apartment at that time, cooked for themselves, ate rice from the same kettle, and spent feverish days going to the exhibition halls together day after day. During this period, the boiler stopped working, there was no hot water in the shower, some people besides Mr. Miyake came down with colds, but these are all good memories for us.

After returning to Japan, Mr. Miyake, who had gained great attention in Paris, continued to brush up his work, and completed the specifications of the current « Samurai Armor Bag » the following year. In order to the perfect the production of the bag, Miyake decided to collaborate with a leather bag manufacturer.  In his workshop, he would still bind the light aluminum plates to leather with a braided cord.

« The binding method is also based on the designer's advice. For the original armor, the braid connecting the small plates has an "X" pattern, but if we had used it for the bag, the design would have looked too packed. So we made the strings run straight and parallel on the surface of the bag. »

« As a craftsman, it is tempting to put your own skills forward, but you have to hold back and trust  the professionals to determine the total design of the product. Such flexibility was one of Mr. Miyake's strengths.

The spirit of constant updating is the essence of craftsmanship

« Ten years ago, having my work exhibited at an overseas fair seemed like a dream. It was a dynamic experience that has changed completely my world and the people I meet with nowadays. There was also a synergistic effect: talking about the bags triggered the sales of the dolls, and talking about the dolls triggered the sales of the bags. »

Today, in addition to the traditional Kyo Ningyo doll business, the bag production has become the second pillar of the family business. The experience of taking on new challenges and getting them off the ground seems to have a positive effect on the doll-making process as well. 

“Recently, I collaborated with a designer to create a Hina doll and we even thought about the shape of the storage. I am now receiving more inquiries from customers who have seen this work on social media. I no longer hesitate to take on challenges.  When I think about the hardships I went through some time ago, I believe that I have developed a new resilience."





I have always thought that the spirit of taking on new challenges without fear of change is something that we craftsmen need to embrace. Even the Kyoto dolls have become what they are today through a series of trial and error by many craftsmen. However, nowadays craftsmen are somehow bound by tradition without realizing it, and feel that change is a negative thing. In such situations, I find hope in people like Mr. Miyake, who have applied their initial skills to a completely different field.

« In the beginning, I had to invest a lot of money, and was worried about whether I could pull it all off but I persevered and thanks to that, we have been able to obtain good results. I owe it all to the guidance of Kyoto Contemporary, which laid the groundwork for me to create new products based on a solid concept. Also, the fellow students with whom I shared my struggles were a big part of all that. »

Mr. Miyake paved the way with strength of mind to never give up. His example will continue to inspire other craftspeople in the future.