A wonderfully nostalgic pair of vintage Osugi Warabe (お杉わらべ) wooden folk dolls from Odate, Akita Prefecture, produced by Odate Kogeisha (大館工芸社).
Osugi Warabe was first created around 1962 (Shōwa 37) and depicts children of Japan’s snowy northern region wearing traditional straw snow hoods. The tall, sharply pointed silhouettes of these dolls cleverly transform the shape of the winter hood into a simple sculptural form, while their tiny painted faces, colourful ties, and little yellow feet add a warm, humorous charm. The dolls were widely sold throughout Akita and at hot-spring resorts and tourist destinations across Japan until production gradually ended in the 1970s.
Osugi Warabe is a distinctive Akita wooden folk doll / souvenir craft, created as one of Odate Kogeisha’s early signature products. In fact, the company regards Osugi Warabe as an important foundation of its history before it became especially renowned for Odate Magewappa (大館曲げわっぱ).
