JCRAFTS.com Top (Japanese Crafts) > Shop List > A Designated Traditional Craft of Hyogo Prefecture Arima Doll Brushes

Cute doll brushes, which are a traditional craftwork of Arima Onsen--one of Japan's best hot springs. As they are made today only at the Haibukiya Nishida Brush Shop in Arima, they are very difficult to get without actually going to Arima Onsen. For this reason, the are very popular with the hot spring's visitors. The doll brush's central charm is certainly its surprise: you wouldn't know it when it's at rest, but when you pick it up to write with a tiny doll pops out the top! Silks of many colors are beautifully interwoven around the barrel, for a brush that looks beautiful too and will make you happy just by holding it. The Arima area was formerly the biggest producer of brushes in Japan (the now internationally famous Kumano brushmakers are said to have learnt their techniques from Arima craftsmen). Even the brush tips used on the doll brushes are of high quality, with a shape that holds well for ease of writing. The silk weave on the handle doesn't just look beautiful but also prevents it sliding while you're holding it, making it very useful as a practical item too. Also appreciated as a practice brush to train children to hold their calligraphy brushes vertically, and very popular as a souvenir. When you pick up the brush to write, a cute little doll pops out the top; when you finish writing and put it back down, the doll goes back inside. In an entirely hand-worked process, Mitsuko Nishida spins the thread wheel to quickly weave colored Japanese silk embroidery threads around the brush handle. From the 15 or so colored threads, she chooses from 2 to 7 colors for each brush, and after marking opposite sites of the bamboo handle she winds the threads in 1.5cm intervals. There are 4 basic designs: Check, Seigaiha, Scale and Arrow. However, by changing the colors, a huge number of different combinations can be created. Today, the tradition is preserved by sixth-generation brushmaker Mitsuko Nishida, and her daughter Akiko. Mitsuko Nishida is a veteran with 60 years of experience. Because changing just one thread in the same pattern can completely change the feel of the design, the finished patterns all have an individual appeal. Basic Patterns The Scale pattern is prized as a charm to ward off evil, and the Seigaiha as a pattern for congratulatory presents. Because shortcuts and tricks cannot be used, making these basic patterns is reportedly very difficult. Check Arrows Seigaiha Scales The doll is made of a 1:1 mixture of plaster and flour. After attaching to a bamboo dowel and drying, the head is touched to cotton wool soaked in ink. Then, the dolls' faces are painted one by one, they are dressed in kimono, and covered in varnish. When the shaped wire and weight are attached to the doll with thread, the device is complete. Because this mechanism is a clever design with a long history, it was for a long time a secret handed down through the family line. However, Mitsuko Nishida decided that it was too interesting to be concealed and made it completely public. At the right of the photo is the mechanism from the inside of the brush barrel. The left photo shows the dolls waiting for their varnish to dry. Arima Onsen is said to be Japan's oldest hot spring. Haibukiya Nishida Brush Shop is in the center of the hot spring town. There, a brushes are on display with such a variety of patterns that they couldn't all be listed on our web site. Lots of tourists come to see the creation in progress. Get your very own doll brush, that can only be had from Arima. You can see the Nishidas working. Every day customers come here in great numbers. Haibukiya Nishida Brush Shop Business Hours 9:30-18:00 Closed Wednesdays The golden water of Arima Onsen, said to be Japan's oldest hot spring. When you see the old-fashioned round red post-box, you're almost at the Nishida Brush Shop. Tenjin-Senken, a sightseeing spot. Relaxing with a footbath is also recommended. A peaceful view of vapor from a chimney in the hot spring town. In the Nara era (710 to 794), the Koutou, the 36th Emperor of Japan, and his wife were lamenting that they did not have a child. However, when they went to the Arima Onsen, she quickly fell pregnant, and gave birth to an heir named Arima. It is said that the doll brushes were created in celebration of Prince Arima's birth. The doll brushes are valued as presents, and as a lucky decoration for couples hoping for the blessing of children. Haibukiya Nishida Brush Shop Doll Brush Haibukiya Nishida Brush Shop Talisman Doll Brush Rainbow-colored items are said to act as charms against evil if you keep them with you, and so these are very popular as souvenirs. Haibukiya Nishida Brush Shop Thread-Wound Small Brush In Hyogo Prefecture, there are hand-made craftworks created using brilliant traditional techniques. Refined by the influence of Hyogo living and Hyogo's natural environment, they are considered to be items for every-day life that combine beauty, functionality and a unique character. The only works are designated with this label are those that maintain even today traditional techniques that were historically passed down from craftsman to craftsman.