Facing the beautiful ridges of Mt. Zao | ||
 Nestled deep in a mountain valley and the along Matsukawa River west from Shiroishi, a castle town of Katakura Clan, the chief retainer of Date Masamune, you will find Kamasaki Hot Spring. Dating back to 1428, it has an old history. It was known as a medical hot spring, efficient for cuts. Yajiro Kokeshi dolls are made in Yajiro, about 20 minutes from Kamasaki Hot Spring on foot, and sold as souvenirs for visitors to the Kamasaki Hot Spring. Stouthearted wives of Kiji-shi used to call on guestrooms of hot spring inns to sell woodwork toys such as Kokeshi dolls and tops. They were known as the "Yajiro sellers in Kamasaki". This practice continued until around 1955. | ||
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Yajiro, a tranquil village with the residents being half farmer and half artisan. | ||
 Yajiro Kokeshi are produced mainly in the village of Yajiro located about 1 km west of the Kamasaki Hot Spring of Shiroishi-shi. They have their origins with Togatta Kokeshi. Today in Yajiro, the people live as half farmer and half artisan, farming the land from early spring to autumn and striving to produce Kokeshi from late autumn to spring when the icy chill moves off the river. They have made plain woodwork as a side job from ancient times, but the Yajiro Kokeshi followed the Togatta and Naruko Kokeshi.
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