are Japanese woodworkers particularly known as woodturners for their lathe-produced

kokeshi , are simple wooden Japanese dolls with no arms or legs that have been crafted for more than 150 years as a toy for children. Originally from the northeastern region ( Tōhoku-chihō) of Japan, they are handmade from wood, having a simple trunk ...

dolls or lacquered goods. They are attested from the

medieval period In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, claiming descent from the oldest son of

Emperor Montoku (August 826 – 7 October 858) was the 55th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 文徳天皇 (55)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Montoku's reign lasted from 850 to 858. Traditional narrative Before ...

, Prince Koretaka (844–897), whom they credit with the invention of the wood lathe (rokuro). Originally the ''kijiya'' occupied the more populous parts of central and southern Japan and are said to originate from a single village, Higashi-Ogura, in Kanzaki District,

Shiga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the north ...

, leading them to take on the surname, "Ogura". As migrant minority group they moved about in groups of a few families, collecting wood in the mountains. Contact between these groups was achieved through two shrines, enshrining the legendary princely ancestor. Shrine officials traveled through the country, collecting contributions and handing out licenses for collecting wood and for pursuing their profession. In 1872, 1536 families were managed by one of these shrines. In the course of the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

the ''kijiya'' lost the right to collect wood and had to abandon their migratory lifestyle, settling in villages where they worked in furniture or lacquerware producing companies, or became farmers or charcoal makers. As late as 1939, small ''kijiya'' communities were reported in Fukushima Prefecture, though it is assumed that only individuals of these groups survive today, mainly in mountains and villages of Tohoku.

Alternative names

Alternative names used to refer to ''kijiya'' include: , , , , , .

References

{{Authority control Woodturning Woodworking Craft occupations Japanese words and phrases