The two wooden dolls on the right side of this case are called kokeshi
dolls. They come from the northeastern part of Japan and are usually simply
decorated with painted rings of color, flowers, and expressive faces. Originally
these were made to be offered at shrines to ensure prosperity for one's descendants.
These are probably the most common type of all Japanese dolls.
The
bright, colored figure on the left side of this case is the Daruma Otoshi
game. Remember, the Daruma should never fall over. The object of this
game is to knock out as many of the wooden blocks as possible without toppling
the Daruma.
Other toys in this case are a ball-on-a-string catch and toss toy, a hand drum, and a selection of spinning tops.
© 2003 Steve and Katie Kohl